Electricity and Magnetism - Middle School

If circuits and batteries give you a charge, you'll want to learn this list of words related to electricity and magnetism. Just discharge any negative energy and get ready to study magnetic force, conductors, and ions. You might even develop a new attraction to this field of science.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. alternating current
    an electric current that reverses direction sinusoidally
  2. ampere
    the basic unit of electric current adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
  3. atom
    the smallest component of an element
  4. attract
    exert a force on
  5. attraction
    the force that one object exerts on another
  6. bar magnet
    a magnet in the form of a bar with magnetic poles at each end
  7. battery
    a device that produces electricity
  8. bioelectricity
    electric phenomena in animals or plants
  9. capacitor
    an electrical device characterized by its capacity to store an electric charge
  10. charge
    the quantity of unbalanced electricity in a body
  11. Charles Augustin de Coulomb
    French physicist famous for his discoveries in the field of electricity and magnetism; formulated Coulomb's Law (1736-1806)
  12. circuit
    an electrical device providing a path for current to flow
  13. closed circuit
    a complete electrical circuit around which current flows or a signal circulates
  14. compass
    navigational instrument for finding directions
  15. conduct
    transmit or serve as the medium for transmission
  16. conductivity
    the property of transmitting heat, electricity, or sound
  17. conductor
    a device designed to transmit electricity or heat
  18. current
    a flow of electricity through a conductor
  19. cycle
    the unit of frequency
  20. direct current
    an electric current that flows in one direction steadily
  21. electric field
    a field of force surrounding a charged particle
  22. electrical energy
    energy made available by the flow of electric charge through a conductor
  23. electricity
    a physical phenomenon that can produce light, heat and power
  24. electromagnet
    a temporary magnet made by coiling wire around an iron core
  25. electromagnetic
    pertaining to or exhibiting magnetism produced by electric charge in motion
  26. electromagnetic wave
    radiation consisting of waves of energy associated with electric and magnetic fields resulting from the acceleration of an electric charge
  27. electromotive force
    the rate at which energy is drawn from a source that produces a flow of electricity in a circuit; expressed in volts
  28. electron
    an elementary particle with negative charge
  29. electrostatic
    concerned with or producing or caused by static electricity
  30. electrostatic field
    electric field associated with static electric charges
  31. electrostatics
    the branch of physics that deals with static electricity
  32. ferromagnetism
    phenomenon exhibited by materials like iron (nickel or cobalt) that become magnetized in a magnetic field and retain their magnetism when the field is removed
  33. field
    space around a radiating body within which it exerts force
  34. force
    influence that results in motion, stress, etc. when applied
  35. frequency
    the number of occurrences within a given time period
  36. friction
    the resistance when a body is moved in contact with another
  37. generator
    engine that converts mechanical energy into electricity
  38. gravitational field
    a field of force surrounding a body of finite mass
  39. hertz
    unit of frequency with a periodic interval of one second
  40. induction
    an electrical phenomenon generating an electromotive force
  41. inductor
    an electrical device (typically a conducting coil) that introduces inductance into a circuit
  42. insulator
    a material with little electrical or thermal conductivity
  43. ion
    a particle that is electrically charged positive or negative
  44. magnet
    a device that attracts iron and produces lines of force
  45. magnetic
    of or relating to or caused by attraction for iron
  46. magnetic field
    the lines of force surrounding a permanent magnet or a moving charged particle
  47. magnetic flux
    a measure of the strength of a magnetic field over a given area
  48. magnetic force
    attraction for iron
  49. magnetic moment
    the torque exerted on a magnet or dipole when it is placed in a magnetic field
  50. magnetic pole
    one of the two ends of a magnet where the magnetism seems to be concentrated
  51. magnetism
    attraction for iron
  52. metal
    a chemical element or alloy that is usually a shiny solid
  53. Michael Faraday
    the English physicist and chemist who discovered electromagnetic induction (1791-1867)
  54. negative charge
    the state of having a surplus of electrons
  55. neutral
    having no net electric charge
  56. Nikola Tesla
    United States electrical engineer and inventor (born in Croatia but of Serbian descent) who discovered the principles of alternating currents and developed the first alternating-current induction motor and the Tesla coil and several forms of oscillators (1856-1943)
  57. nucleus
    the positively charged dense center of an atom
  58. ohm
    a unit of electrical resistance
  59. open circuit
    an incomplete electrical circuit in which no current flows
  60. parallel circuit
    a closed circuit in which the current divides into two or more paths before recombining to complete the circuit
  61. permanent magnet
    a magnet that retains its magnetism after being removed from a magnetic field
  62. positive charge
    the state of having a deficiency of electrons
  63. potential difference
    the difference in electrical charge between two points in a circuit expressed in volts
  64. proton
    a stable particle with positive charge
  65. repel
    cause to move back by force or influence
  66. resistance
    a material's opposition to the flow of electric current
  67. resistivity
    a material's opposition to the flow of electric current
  68. resistor
    an electrical device that resists the flow of electrical current
  69. semiconductor
    a substance as germanium or silicon whose electrical conductivity is intermediate between that of a metal and an insulator; its conductivity increases with temperature and in the presence of impurities
  70. series circuit
    a circuit having its parts connected serially
  71. solution
    a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances
  72. static electricity
    electricity produced by friction
  73. switch
    device for making or breaking the connections in a circuit
  74. terminal
    a contact on a device at which current enters or leaves
  75. Thomas Edison
    United States inventor
  76. volt
    a unit for measuring the force of an electric current
  77. voltage
    difference in electrical charge between points in a circuit
Created on Wed Feb 22 16:54:05 EST 2017 (updated Mon Apr 10 16:26:33 EDT 2017)

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