Circuits

Play this online game! Click on the picture below and create different circuits!

What is a conductor? Can energy move through a conductor?

What is an insulator? Why would you use an insulator to protect yourself from heat and electricity?

That's shocking!

Last week, we studied heat energy. We decided that some items allow heat to travel through them, while others do not. Objects that allow energy to travel through them are called conductors. Objects that don't allow energy to transfer from one thing to another are called insulators.

This week, we are studying electricity and light!

Have you ever put your sweater over your head and your hair sticks straight up? Have you ever touched a metal door knob and received a painful shock on your hand? Have you ever changed the batteries in your flashlight or remote control? Have you ever looked out the window during a thunder storm and observed a bright flash of light? All of these questions have one thing in common...

Yep, you guessed it! They're all about ELECTRICITY!

Static electricty can make your hair stand straight up! It can also give a painful shock when you touch something made of metal. Lightening in the sky is another form of electricty, but we don't use it in our homes to make things turn on. We usually plug our appliances in the wall, or place batteries inside them to make them work.

We're building circuits this week and discussing how electricty travels from the battery, through the wires, and into the bulb. Kinetic electrical energy is always moving!

Questions:

1. Explain the difference between static electricty and electricty. Does static electricty turn your TV on?

2. Why does your battery have metal on both sides?

Homework:
Flow of electricty #1-4

Keep it hot or cold.

This week, we study about thermal energy. Thermal energy can make things hot or cold. Your hot plate, stove, freezer and ice cubes all make thermal energy. These things can also make some objects get hot or cold.

If you leave your aluminum coke can in the refrigerator, it's going to get really cold. If you go outside in the summer time with no shoes on, your feet will probably get burned on the concrete. If you pour hot chocolate into your glass cup, the cup will start to get warm. All of these objects get hot and cold easily because they are conductors. Thermal energy moves through them, and they can get hot and cold really easily. Energy from the sun transfers to the concrete, and it causes the temperature to increase.

When you go outside in the summer time, your car feels really hot, but the trees aren't as hot as your car. Trees are made out of wood, and wood is an insulator. When you hold a plastic spoon in your hand, your thermal energy from your hand doesn't make the plastic very warm. Plastic is also an insulator. Thermal energy does not go through insulators easily, so they don't get as hot or cold as conductors.

Look at the picture above. Which objects are the best conductors, and why? Which objects are the best insulators, and why?

Watch this brainpop video about heat!