Electricity

=**Electricity Pathfinder** =

Welcome to our Electricity Pathfinder. When using databases, you will need to log in to Moodle to get the user names and passwords. When using ebooks, all you need to do is click on the **Read Online** button to start reading. If you need to print something, just click on the page you want to print and the print button will appear. If you see **(audio)** next to a source, that means you can listen to and read the information.

**Search Terms**

 * Electricity
 * Electromagnetism
 * Electrons
 * Static electricity
 * Electrical + Current
 * Voltage

Glossary This glossary is from Grolier Online, New Book of Knowledge

A Glossary of **Electricity** Terms

 * **ALTERNATING CURRENT** || An electric current in which the direction of flow reverses many times a second. //See also// DIRECT CURRENT. ||
 * **AMPERE** || The basic unit of electric current flow. ||
 * **BATTERY** || A device that converts chemical energy into electrical energy. ||
 * **CIRCUIT BREAKER** || A device used to protect electrical circuits. If a short circuit or other circumstance causes too much current to flow through a circuit, the circuit breaker opens a switch, thus breaking the circuit and ending the flow of current. //See also// SHORT CIRCUIT. ||
 * **CONDUCTOR** || A material, such as silver or copper, through which **electricity** will easily pass. A conductor offers little electrical resistance. ||
 * **DIRECT CURRENT** || An electric current which flows in a single direction. //See also// ALTERNATING CURRENT. ||
 * **ELECTRIC CIRCUIT** || The path along which an electric current flows, running from a source of electrical energy and back to it in a loop or circuit. ||
 * **ELECTRIC CURRENT** || A flow of electrically charged particles, such as electrons or ions. ||
 * **ELECTRIC MOTOR** || A device that changes electrical energy into mechanical energy. ||
 * **ELECTRON** || A tiny particle with a negative electric charge. Electrons are parts of all atoms. ||
 * **FUSE** || A device used to protect electrical circuits. If a short circuit or other circumstance causes too much current to flow through the circuit, the current causes a part of the fuse to melt, breaking the circuit and ending the flow of current. //See also// CIRCUIT BREAKER. ||
 * **GENERATOR** || A device that changes mechanical energy into electrical energy. ||
 * **INSULATOR** || A device or material that is a poor conductor of **electricity** . Wires are covered with insulating materials to prevent the leakage of electric current. ||
 * **ION** || An atom that has an electrical charge because it has gained or lost one or more electrons. ||
 * **KILOWATT** || A unit of electric power equal to 1,000 watts. ||
 * **KILOWATT-HOUR** || A measure of electrical energy generated or used. It equals the work done by a kilowatt of power in one hour. ||
 * **OHM** || The basic unit of electrical resistance. ||
 * **RECTIFIER** || A device that changes alternating electric current into direct current. ||
 * **RESISTANCE** || Opposition that a material offers to the flow of **electricity** . Materials that offer little resistance are called conductors. Materials that offer much resistance are poor conductors. ||
 * **SEMICONDUCTOR** || A material that is a poor conductor under some conditions and a good conductor under other conditions. This special electrical property makes semiconductors useful in creating electronic circuits for computers, television sets, and other devices. ||
 * **SHORT CIRCUIT** || A malfunction in an electrical system that allows current to flow against little resistance. A short circuit can cause wires to overheat and even start a fire. //See also// CIRCUIT BREAKER and FUSE. ||
 * **SUPERCONDUCTOR** || A material that, under special conditions such as very low temperature, offers almost no resistance to electric current. ||
 * **TRANSFORMER** || An electrical device that can increase (step up) or decrease (step down) the voltage of an alternating current. ||
 * **VOLT** || The unit of electrical pressure. ||
 * **WATT** || A measure of power, often used for measuring electrical power. //See also// KILOWATT and KILOWATT-HOUR. ||

All about Electricity

media type="custom" key="7447009" media type="custom" key="7447031"

[|The shocking world of electricity with Max Axiom, super scientist]**(ebook)** [|Electricity]**(online encyclopedia)** [|Static Electricity] **(online encyclopedia)**

History

[|The Nature of Electricity] **(online encyclopedia)**

Batteries

Important People

[|James Watt] **(online encyclopedia)**