Today, even young children have some idea of what electricity does at home, like charging your phone or powering their favorite battery-operated toy, but that only scratches the surface of understanding. Learning about electricity introduces children to elementary scientific concepts that can help them understand and interact with the world around them.<\/p>\n
By learning the basics about how electricity works and doing a few fun, safe experiments with currents and differences in charge, kids can begin to understand the significance of electricity in their day-to-day lives and the importance of electrical safety.<\/p>\n
How to Teach Kids About Electricity<\/h2>\n
Struggling to remember the first time your child would have been exposed to the idea of electricity? Hint: It was probably storming! Whether they sat at the window enraptured or hid because it was \u201ctoo loud,\u201d you’ve more than likely already given some explanation of the phenomenon going on outside during electrical storms. That phenomenon is what we call electricity.<\/p>\n
What Is Electrical Energy?<\/h2>\n
The next time you and your kids experience a storm<\/a> with thunder and lightning, you can teach them about electrical energy. But before we dive into electrical energy, let\u2019s first brush up on your high school physics.<\/p>\n Energy is the capacity to apply force or pressure to an object to heat, move, or perform work on it. Electrical energy is a specific form of energy that is the result of an electric charge. The force exerted on an object is based on either an electrical attraction or electrical repulsion between charged particles.<\/p>\n Regarding electricity, there is one basic law that governs the entire process: Ohm\u2019s law. This law was appropriately named after, Georg Ohm, the physicist who first identified it. Georg Ohm discovered that an electrical current moving through a conductor is proportional to the voltage over the resistance. This discovery led to following formula known as Ohm\u2019s Law, which depicts the relationship between Voltage, Current, and Resistance in the formula below:<\/p>\n Thanks to a different scientist named Michael Faraday, we now know what causes electricity. In the 1820s, Faraday determined that he could generate electricity by moving a loop of conductive metal between a magnet\u2019s poles.<\/p>\n Because electrons can move freely in copper wire and carry a negative charge, Faraday learned that he could generate energy due to the attractive forces between positively charged protons and negatively charged electrons. The force between the protons and electrons is what exerts force on a given object.<\/p>\n An electric current is used to refer to an electric charge being in motion but it can also refer to a more controlled form of electricity like fuel cells, generators, batteries<\/a>, solar cells<\/a>, etc.<\/p>\n As listed above, depending on which type of electric current you’re referring to, it can be many different things. However, some common ones that you may recognize are lightning bolts, static electricity, or a sudden spark you feel when coming into contact with a new object.<\/p>\n What Is The Difference Between Voltage and Current?<\/p>\n Referring back to Ohm\u2019s law can help to distinguish the difference between voltage and current. Remember, Ohm\u2019s law is written as:<\/p>\n In this equation, V stands for voltage and I stands for current. Voltage is calculated as the difference between two points while current is defined as the rate at which a given charge is flowing. Current is calculated by dividing voltage by the resistance.<\/p>\n Now that you better understand electricity, it\u2019ll be easier to explain it to kids. Learning about electricity can become fun and interactive if you take matters into your own hands. If you\u2019re wanting to expose your kids to the concept of electricity, there are a couple of easy and safe ways to do so, but one of our favorites is the time-tested simple electric circuit.<\/p>\n A simple electric circuit is a circular path made of wires that allow for the flow of electrons from a power source to an object.<\/p>\n To create your own simple electric circuit, all you need is a power source (such as a battery) that gives the electrons the force they need to move. The next thing you need is an object to receive the electrical energy, like a lightbulb. The simple electric circuit allows the charged electrons to flow through the wiring from the battery to the light bulb, resulting in the light bulb<\/a> lighting up.<\/p>\n Static electricity is a common example of an electric current, so it should come as no surprise that it makes for a great candidate for teaching kids about electricity.<\/p>\n There are three basic laws that define static electricity. They are as follows:<\/p>\n Opposite charges attract one another. If you\u2019ve ever wondered how static electricity works, here\u2019s your answer. Static electricity occurs by rubbing two things together vigorously. The science behind this phenomenon is called triboelectricity.<\/p>\n The triboelectric effect occurs when two objects with different charges come into contact. While all atoms have a central positive core and a cloud of negatively-charged electrons, certain objects exert attraction more strongly than others. This means that when we seperate the two objects, one of the objects may have gained a few extra electrons due to the other object losing some, resulting in a different in charge which generates static electricity.<\/p>\n Now that you have a better understanding of static electricity, you can apply your knowledge to teaching your children about it by running some fun experiments with a few common household objects.<\/p>\n One of the most common and best-known examples of static electricity is a balloon sticking to an article of clothing after being vigorously rubbed up against it. Another common example is generating static electricity by shuffling your feet against the living room carpet and giving someone else a tiny shock by touching them.<\/p>\n Static electricity can build up on a person\u2019s clothing due to an excess of positive or negative ions that don\u2019t have anywhere to go. For instance, your clothing isn\u2019t metallic, so the energy cannot be conducted out of your clothing or body. Once you touch something metallic, however, like a doorknob which doesn\u2019t have any positive ions (and you have an excess) the energy \u201cjumps\u201d from you to the metal object.<\/p>\n Although static electricity can be a nuisance (e.g. a sock getting stuck to your clothing or your hair sticking up during winter), it\u2019s actually more useful than many may realize.<\/p>\n Consider a photocopier. This device actually functions similarly to the balloon sticking to you to create copies. Through the use of positive and negative ions, an image can be captured and copied using static electricity.<\/p>\nWhat Is The Basic Law of Electricity?<\/h3>\n
How to Generate Electricity<\/h2>\n
What Is The Definition of Electric Current?<\/h2>\n
What Is An Example of An Electric Current?<\/h3>\n
Fun, Safe Electricity Experiments for Kids<\/h2>\n
What Is A Simple Electric Circuit?<\/h3>\n
How Does A Simple Electric Circuit Work?<\/h3>\n
Static Electricity for Kids<\/h2>\n
What Are The Three Laws of Static Electricity?<\/h3>\n
\nLike charges repel each other.
\nCharged objects attract neutral objects.<\/p>\nHow Does Static Electricity Work?<\/h3>\n
What Are Some Examples of Static Electricity?<\/h3>\n
What Causes A Person To Have A Backlog of Static Electricity?<\/h3>\n
How Can Static Electricity Be Used?<\/h3>\n
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