Get Charged! Introduction to Electrical Energy
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Students are introduced to the idea of electrical energy. They learn about the relationships between charge, voltage, current and resistance. They discover that electrical energy is the form of energy that powers most of their household appliances and toys. In the associated activities, students learn how a circuit works and test materials to see if they conduct electricity. Building upon a general understanding of electrical energy, they design their own potato power experiment. In two literacy activities, students learn about the electrical power grid and blackouts.
Engineers are continually devising new ways to store, transport and create electricity. They develop new types of batteries, safer transmission lines and power plants. Examples include solar power, small compact batteries and rubber-insulated power lines. Electrical and computer engineers design the systems that produce electricity and transport it to your home. Electrical engineers work with electricity in all its forms, from tiny electrons to large-scale magnetic fields to everyday appliances. Teams of engineers develop complex devices such as lasers used in medical treatments, or robots that perform complex operations in space.
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- Explain from where electricity comes and how we use it.
- Define electrical energy in terms of charge, voltage, current and resistance.
- Identify the types of engineering careers that work primarily with electrical energy.