Electricity and

Magnetism
A Science AZ Physical Series
Word Count: 1,668

Electricity
and Magnetism

Written by David Dreier

Visit www.sciencea-z.com

www.sciencea-z.com

Electricity
and Magnetism

Key elements Used in This Book

The Big Idea: Since the late 1800s, electricity has brightened our
homes and streets, powered our appliances, and enabled the
development of computers, phones, and many other devices we rely
on. Understanding what electricity is and how it becomes ready for
our safe use helps us appreciate this energy source. Without magnets,
we couldnt generate electricity. Electricity and magnetism, and the
relationship between the two, are fundamental to the workings of the
modern world.
Key words: alternating current, amperes, atoms, attract, charge, circuit,
conductor, direct current, electric current, electricity, electromagnet, electrons,
generator, hydroelectric plant, insulator, ion, lines of force, magnetic field,
magnetism, north pole, nucleus, power plant, protons, repel, resistance, shock,
south pole, static electricity, transformer, turbine, volts, watt
Key comprehension skills: Identify facts
Other suitable comprehension skills: Compare and contrast; classify information;
cause and effect; elements of a genre; interpret graphs, charts, and diagrams;
using a glossary and boldfaced terms; using a table of contents and headings
Key reading strategy: Ask and answer questions
Other suitable reading strategies: Connect to prior knowledge; summarize;
visualize; retell
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GIPhotoStock/Photo Researchers, Inc.; page 12 (left): iStockphoto.com/Viacheslav Krisanov;
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Illustration Credit:
Pages 57,14: Learning AZ

Written by David Dreier

Electricity and Magnetism

Learning AZ
Written by David Dreier
All rights reserved.

www.sciencea-z.com

www.sciencea-z.com

Table of Contents

Introduction........................................................ 4
What Is Electricity?............................................ 5
The Two Kinds of Electricity............................ 8
Static Electricity................................................ 8
Electric Current............................................... 10
Measuring Electricity....................................... 13
What Produces Magnetism?........................... 14
Introduction

Magnetism and Electric Currents.................. 16

Producing Electricity.......................................
Steam...............................................................
Water...............................................................
Wind................................................................

17
18
19
20

Delivering Electricity....................................... 21
Electricity and Magnetism
in Todays World......................................... 22
Glossary............................................................. 23
Index.................................................................. 24

Have you ever watched lightning during

a big storm at night? Did you know that a
lightning bolt is a natural form of electricity?
But most electricity is made by people. When
you turn on a light, you are using electricity
made by people. Electricity has become a very
important part of our lives. Its hard to imagine
the world without it.
Magnetism is also a familiar part of our
world. Perhaps you have played with magnets.
Magnetism is closely related to electricity.
This book will teach you about electricity
and magnetism. It will also explain how
they are connected.
4

What Is Electricity?

ELECTRONS CIRCLE THE NUCLEUS

You just learned that electricity can be

produced naturally. It can also be made by
people. But what is electricity? It is a form of
energy. Energy is what makes things happen.
For example, the energy in sunlight makes
plants grow.

electron

proton
+
+

Electricity comes from atoms. Atoms are

very tiny particles. Everything in the world
is made of atoms. Inside each atom are even
smaller particles. They include ones called
protons and electrons. Those particles have
a feature called electric charge. Protons have
a charge that scientists call positive. Electrons
have an opposite
PARTICLES HAVE CHARGES
charge, called

electron
negative. These
charges are the

proton
source of electricity.
In diagrams, protons

have a + sign on them,

and electrons have a sign
on them to show their
charges. Neutrons have
no label because they have
no charge. This carbon atom
has six electrons, six protons,
and six neutrons.

Electrons quickly orbit,

or move in a circle
around, an atoms
center (its nucleus).

neutron

+
+

Charges of the same kind repel each other.

That means they push each other away.
Charges that are opposite attract each other.
So two protons or two electrons repel each
other. But a proton and an electron are
attracted to each other.

The number of protons and electrons in an

atom is usually equal. Because the charges are
equal in number, they cancel each other out.
The atom is neutral, meaning it has no charge.

neutron

An atom can gain an electrical charge. It can

do that by getting extra electrons. It can also
do it by losing electrons. Atoms can gain or
lose electrons when they contact other atoms.

Static electricity is caused when particles

of opposite charge get separated. The two
kinds of particles are attracted to each other.
When the attraction becomes strong enough,
the particles quickly stream back together.
Lightning is caused in a storm cloud
when particles of opposite charge build
up in different areas. When the groups of
charges get large enough, they flow rapidly
back together. That causes a lightning flash.

POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE IONS

Positive Ion

electron
proton

There are two kinds of electricity. They are

static electricity and electric currents.
Static Electricity

If an atom gets extra electrons, it has a

negative charge. If it loses electrons, the
protons will outnumber the electrons, so
the atom will have a positive charge. An
atom that has a charge is called an ion. An
atom with more electrons than protons is
a negative ion. An atom with more protons
than electrons is a positive ion.

The Two Kinds of Electricity

Negative Ion

neutron

+
+

Positive ions have more

protons than electrons.
Negative ions have more
electrons than protons.

+
+

Lightning that strikes the ground actually starts as a flow

of charge from the ground up to the cloud.

Electric Current
Lightning heats the air around it to about
30,000C (54,000F). Thats five
times hotter than the surface of the Sun!
Lightning also causes the air to expand
violently. That is what causes thunder.

An electric current is the flow of electrons

through a material. Materials that carry a
current are called conductors. Metals are the
best conductors, so electrical wires are made
of metal. Most wires that are used to carry
an electric current are made of copper.

Most lightning occurs up in the clouds.

But sometimes the separation of charges
happens between the ground and the clouds.
The particles then flow down to the ground.
This is the kind of lightning that strikes
buildings and trees.

Materials that do not conduct electricity

are called insulators. Rubber and plastic are
both good insulators. Most electrical wires are
wrapped in rubber. The rubber prevents shocks.

You can make a spark by scuffing your

shoes on a carpet when the air is dry. Doing
that causes your body
to pick up electrons
from the carpet.
Your body now has
a negative charge.
If you put your finger
near a metal object,
a spark will jump
from your finger.

insulators

conductors

insulators

Some tools have

plastic or rubber
handles to prevent
electric shocks.

Rubbing a balloon on your hair

can create a similar effect as
scuffing shoes on a carpet.

conductors

10

An electric current needs a complete path

in which to move. This path is called a circuit.
If a circuit is broken, the current stops flowing.

closed circuit
direct current

open circuit

With the circuit open,

or broken, electrons can
no longer flow, so the
lightbulb does not light up.

An electric current pushes against a force

in a wire. That force is called resistance.
Resistance causes a loss of energy. The
lost energy is released as heat.

11

alternating current

Youve learned that there are two kinds of

electricity. There are also two kinds of electric
current. They are called direct current (DC)
and alternating current (AC). Batteries use
DC. The wall outlets in your home use AC.
The electrons in a DC circuit always move
in the same direction. The electrons in an
AC circuit move rapidly back and forth.
Both kinds of current create a flow of
electrical energy. That flow moves very fast.
When electrons start moving in a circuit,
energy fills the entire circuit right away.
This explains why a lamp lights up as soon
as you flip a switch.
12

What Produces Magnetism?

Measuring Electricity
Electrons need a push to get moving in
a wire. This push is called voltage. Voltage
is measured in units called volts. In most
cases, the more volts an energy source has,
the greater the push and flow of energy.
Most flashlight batteries have just 1.5 volts.
House wiring is about 120 volts.
The flow of current in a circuit is measured
in units called amperes. These units are
usually called amps for short. The more
electrons that are in motion in a wire, the
higher the number of amps. Another measure
used in electricity is the watt. It measures how
fast electrical energy is being used.
1.5 volts

12 volts

As you have learned, electricity and

magnetism are related. They are the two parts
of a force called electromagnetism. Magnetism
comes from the electrons in atoms. Electrons
spin like little tops. Every electron has an
invisible area of magnetism around it. This
area is called a magnetic field. In some metals,
the spinning electrons turn each atom into a
tiny magnet. Those atoms can be made to line
up in the same direction. Then the entire piece
of metal becomes magnetic. Most magnets are
made of iron.
non-magnetized
+

+
+

+
+

+
+

N+
++
+
+
+ +
+

9 volts
Batteries and outlets have different
volt levels that reflect how much
power they can deliver.

magnetized

220 volts / 110 volts

13

Some metals, such as

iron, can be magnetized.
A magnetic field forms
around the magnet.

14

You can see a magnets field.

Put the magnet under a piece of
paper and sprinkle flecks of iron
on the paper. The iron bits will
arrange themselves in lines of
magnetic force.

Opposite poles attract.

S

lines of force

Magnetism and Electric Currents

Like poles repel.

Magnets are strongest at their ends. These

ends are called poles. Like Earth, a magnet
has a north pole and a south pole. If you
cut a bar magnet in two pieces, each piece
is a new magnet. Both of the new magnets
have a north and south pole.
A magnets poles behave like positive and
negative electrical charges. Two south or two
north poles repel each other. But the north
pole of a magnet is attracted to the south pole
of another magnet. A magnet is also strongly
attracted to iron and steel. That is because its
magnetic field creates a magnetic pull on the
atoms in the metal.
15

A magnet can be made with wire, an electric

current, and an iron bar. A wire carrying
current has a small magnetic field around it.
When a wire with current is coiled up, the
magnetic field gets stronger. If the wire is
wrapped around an iron bar, the bar becomes
a magnet. This type of magnet is called an
electromagnet. An electromagnet only works
when current
is moving
through the
wire. If the
current is
turned off,
the magnetism
What would happen to the paper clips
stops.
if the wire werent touching the battery?

16

Producing Electricity
Now you know how electricity can be used
to make a magnet. But did you know that
magnets can also be used to make electricity?
Scientists learned how to do this in the 1800s.
They discovered that if a coil of wire is moved
through a magnetic field, an electric current
flows through the wire. The same thing
happens in reverse, when a magnet is moved
through a coil of wire.
Scientists used that discovery to build
machines called electrical generators. Cities,
once mostly dark at night, became bright
with electric lighting. Today, generators with
large, powerful magnets are used to produce
electricity. This
important form of
energy is used to
provide light and
power for homes,
offices, and factories.

These generators inside a dam use water to spin giant magnets.

The electricity we use every day is

produced at power plants. These places
use huge generators to make AC current.
Electromagnets in the generators spin
inside coils of wire. One of three main
energy sources spins the magnets. They
are steam, rushing water, and wind.
Steam
Most power plants produce electricity
by boiling water to make steam. They do
this in one of several ways:
by burning coal or oil

Nikola Tesla supported using

AC current to deliver electricity
over long distances. He also
helped invent radios.

by releasing the energy in atoms

by using focused sunlight
17

18

The steam produced in power plants spins

large blades in a machine called a turbine.
The turbine is connected to the magnets in
a generator. As the turbine blades spin, they
make the magnets spin. The moving magnets
produce an electric current.

The largest dam in the world is the Three Gorges

Dam in China. This hydroelectric dam is 185 meters
(606 ft.) high and 2,335 meters (7,660 ft.) wide.

Water
Some power plants are part of large dams.
A dam stops the flow of a river. A big lake
forms behind the dam. Water from the lake
rushes through openings at the bottom of
the dam. The water spins the turbine blades.
The turbines are connected to magnets in
a generator. The spinning blades make the
magnets spin.

Wind
The power of wind
can also be used to
make electricity. This
is done with machines
called wind turbines.
They look like huge
airplane propellers.
The turbines transfer
their energy to
a generator.

19

20

The blades of some wind

turbines are as long as a truck.

Electricity and Magnetism in Todays World

Delivering Electricity
Current leaving a power plant has to go
a long way before it gets used. It is passed
through a large device called a transformer.
The transformer greatly increases the voltage
of the current. The extra volts push the
electricity long distances through cables.
The electricity in the cables is too strong
to be used in homes and factories. The voltage
must be reduced first. This is done by using
another kind of transformer that is far from
the power station. This transformer lowers
the voltage to about 120 volts.

Large cables called power lines can carry electricity hundreds

of miles to transformers that reduce the voltage for use.

21

For thousands of years, people had no

electricity. Work was done with the muscle
power of humans and other animals. Candles
and oil lamps provided light. Magnetism was
something in unusual rocks called lodestones.
Lightning was a mystery. No one understood
electricity or magnetism. And they had no
idea that the two things are related.
But today, electricity and magnetism are
well understood and widely used. Magnets
are used in computer hard drives, stereo
speakers, credit cards, and many other
devices. And as you just learned, large
magnets are used at power plants to generate
electricity. Electricity powers most of the
things we use in our everyday lives. More
than ever, we depend on electrical energy.

All cars use magnets

and electricity. Some use
electricity instead of gas.

22

Glossary

insulators materials, such as rubber and

plastic, that do not transmit
electricity (p. 10)

alternating
an electric current in which
current (AC) electrons move rapidly back
and forth (p. 12)

ion an atom that has gained or lost

electrons and has an electrical
charge (p. 7)

amperes (amps) a measure of the amount

of current in a wire (p. 13)
atoms the smallest parts of an element
(p. 5)
charge the property of matter that causes
it to be electrically positive or
negative, caused by losing or
gaining electrons (p. 5)
circuit a closed path along which an
electric current travels (p. 11)

magnetic field an area around a magnet where

magnetic force can be felt (p. 14)
magnetism a force that pushes and pulls
certain metals (p. 4)
neutrons particles in the nucleus of an
atom that have no electrical
charge (p. 5)
protons particles in the nucleus of an
atom that have a positive
electrical charge (p. 5)

conductors materials, usually metals, that

transmit electricity (p. 10)
direct
an electric current in which
current (DC) electrons move in one direction
(p. 12)

static electricity electricity caused by a buildup of

negative charges in one place and
positive charges in another (p. 8)

electric currents the movement of electrons

through matter (p. 8)

volts a measure of the amount of push

that gets an electric current
moving (p. 13)

electricity a form of energy made when tiny

parts move around in an atom;
energy that can power many
devices (p. 4)

watt a measure of the rate at which

electrical energy is being used
(p. 13)

electromagnet a magnet that can be turned on

or off and is made by sending
electricity through metal (p. 16)
electromagnetism a combined force of electricity
and magnetism (p. 14)
electrons particles in an atom that orbit
the nucleus and have a negative
electrical charge (p. 5)

23

Index
atoms, 57, 14, 15, 18
electrons, 57, 914
neutrons,57
protons,57
generators,1720

24

lightning, 4, 8, 9, 22
poles,15
power plants, 18, 19, 21, 22
turbines, 19, 20