What+is+electricity?+Part+3

** ? **   ** By Liz J. ** ** 2011 **  **__ Two Types of Electricity __** There are two different types of electricity, current electricity and static electricity. Current electricity is the flow of electrical charge. Current electricity moves from one place to another. To move from one place to another, current electricity needs a complete circuit. A circuit is made up of three things, a source of electrons, a path for the electrons, and something to use the electrons like a light bulb for example. If you want to make a circut an example of a simple circuit is made up of a battery, some wires, and a light bulb. If the two wires both touch the battery and the light bulb then the light bulb will light. This is called a closed circuit because there is a complete path for the electrons to travel. There are no breaks or gaps in the path. If one end of one wire was not touching the battery or the light bulb the light bulb would not light. This is known as an open circuit because there is not a complete path for the electrons, there for the light bulb will not light. For the light bulb to work there must be a complete path for the electrons. On the other hand static electricity stays with an object for a certain amount of time depending what the object is. Static electricity is the build of electrical charge on an object. A balloon is a good example of static electricity. When you rub a balloon on your head you create friction from the rubbing. The friction then creates electrons. With the electrons you get a positive and negative charge. The balloon gets the positive charge and we get the negative. Opposites attract so that’s why our hair goes with the balloon. Just like when you rub your feet against the carpet.
 * What is Electricity **



**__ Ben Franklin __** Ben Franklin was a big part in the discovery of electricity. He did a lot of other work but his most important work was on electricity. At a time in Benjamin’s life, electricity was all people talked about. When a European scientistfound a way to store electricity in a glass bottles Benjamin wanted to experiment more on the topic. So he got some of the glass tubes and wrote a whole book on all the experiments he did and the information he learned. Later on he wanted to prove that lightning and electricity is the same thing. So he wrote to some scientist in Europe telling them that lightning is a form of electricity. To prove it he told them to build a tall platform with a long metal rod at the top and to stay up there during a storm. Not many people believed that lightning was electricity but that didn’t deter him from trying to prove his theory. So they did the experiment and found out Franklin was right. By the time they did their experiment Franklin had already proved this in America. He took a kite and stuck a rod on the end of it and a key on the string close to where he would put his hand. One stormy day he flew the kite and could feel the electricity on the key. Benjamin Franklin made electricity better and better as time went on. He created so much more for all of us. He is the whole reason we know so much about electricity today.

**__Electrons __** Electrons are a source of energy. Electricity could not be possible without electrons. Electrons can be found in atoms. Electrons are a big section of atoms, along with protons and neutrons. Protons and neutrons make something called a nucleus. Then the electrons orbit the nucleus. Electrons have a negative charge and protons have a positive charge, these two opposites attract. On the other hand neutrons have no electrical charge. Electrons push against each other because they have the same charge.

A cathode or a positive electrode is placed in the center of a battery. The cathode lets electrons move smoothly through the middle of the battery. -The separator is a separator between the two electrodes, the cathode and the anode. - The electrolyte paste allows the electric charge to flow between the negative and positive electrodes. - The negative electrode has a negative charge so it produces electrons.

 **__Electricity in our Hands __** Today we use electricity in almost everything. If you take a single house and count how many objects are in the house that relate or use electricity, you would count a lot of things. Think about it you have ovens, microwaves, fans, stoves, clocks, phone chargers, hair dryers, and about 40 lights. All of these things and more are found in basic homes today. All of these things use electricity. And did you know that those long wires high up on the side of the road have a lot to do with electricity too. Those wires transfer electricity to different homes.


 * __ Glossary __**
 * Circuit-** a circuit is a complete route for the flow of an electric current. When I used the word circuit I was talking about a simple circuit for electrons. There were wires connected to a battery and a light bulb. The wires made a complete circuit for the electrons to travel.
 * Electrical Charge-** electrical charge is part of matter. You can either have a positive electrical charge, or a negative electrical charge. Electrical charges can be found in different partials like protons and electrons. Protons have a positive charge and electrons have a negative charge.
 * Protons and Neutrons-** protons and neutrons are both particles. Protons have a positive charge and neutrons don’t have an electrical charge. These two particles together make something called a nucleus.
 * Atoms-** atoms can be found in almost anything. Atoms are the basic unit of matter. It is mainly the smallest piece of an element, which means the thing cannot be broken down anymore.


 * __ Citations __**
 * Book-** Bonnet, Bob and Dan Keen. //Science Fair Projects with// //Electricity and Electrons//. New York: Sterling Publishing Co, Inc, 1996. Print.


 * Database-** //Electricity and Magnetism: Current Electricity//. Prod. Colgren Communications. Colgren Communications, 2004. //Discovery Education//. Web. 22 September 2011. .


 * Database-** //Electrons//. Prod. Colgren Communications. Colgren Communications, 2004. //Discovery Education//. Web. 22 September 2011. .


 * Book-** Parker, Steve. //Electricity//. New York: DK Publishing, 1992. Print.