It is very important to understand the definition of electricity and magnetism before working on their vocabularies.
So, Electricity is the presence and motion of charged particles. Our understanding of electrical energy should begin with the nature of matter. The matter is made up of molecules. All molecules are composed of atoms, which are also composed of electrons, protons, and neutrons.
Whereas, Magnetism is the concept of understanding the basic interactions in nature, the interaction between moving objects. Like gravity and the force of electricity, the magnetic field travels far and wide.
Electricity and Magnetism Vocabulary Terms
Let’s explore common words related to Electricity and Magnetism.
- Attract: To pull together – When opposite poles are put near each other, attraction occurs.
- Alternators: A dynamo that generates an alternating current
- Alternating Current (AC): electric current that reverses its direction of flow in a regular pattern.
- Blackout: Total loss of electric power from the power distributor.
- Brownout: A temporary reduction of voltage supplied by the electric power distributor.
- Direction: An indication of the point toward or from which an object is moving
- Cell: Device that is a source of electric current
- Circuit Breaker: A device that protects a circuit from current overloads
- Conductor: material, such as copper wire, in which electrons can move easily.
- charging by contact: process of transferring charge between objects by touching or rubbing.
- charging by induction: process of rearranging electrons on a neutral object by bringing a charged object close to it.
- Capacitance: The ability of a component to store an electrical charge.
- Current: A flow of electrical charge carriers, usually electrons or electron-deficient atoms.
- Coal: A combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock with a high amount of carbon and hydrocarbons
- Circuit: A closed loop through which charges can continuously move.
- Charged: A characteristic of a unit of matter that expresses the extent to which it has more or fewer electrons than protons
- Conductors: As materials that allow electricity to flow through them easily.
- circuit: closed loop through which an electric current can flow
- Diamagnetic: Diamagnetic materials work very differently from ferromagnetic and paramagnetic metals, as they respond to magnets in an opposite way.
- Direct current (DC): electric current that flows in only one direction.
- electric motor: device that converts electrical energy to mechanical energy by using the magnetic forces between an electromagnet and a permanent magnet to make a shaft rotate.
- electromagnet: temporary magnet made by wrapping a wire coil, carrying a current, around an iron core.
- electromagnetic induction: process in which electric current is produced in a wire loop by a changing magnetic field.
- Electrolyte: Substance that conducts electric current as a result of a dissociation into positively and negatively charged particles called ions
- Electrodes: A conductor through which electricity enters or leaves an object, substance, or region
- Electricity: The flow of charged particles from atoms.
- Electromagnetism: The combined effects of electricity and magnetism
- Electric Current: The net movement of electric charges in a single direction, measured in amperes (A).
- Electric Charge: An electrical property of matter that creates a force between objects
- Electric Force: The force of attraction or repulsion between objects due to charge
- Electron: The negatively charged particle of an atom
- Electrical: Relating to or concerned with electricity
- Electrons: A stable subatomic particle with a charge of negative electricity, found in all atoms and acting as the primary carrier of electricity in solids
- Electronic: Relating to or operating by a controlled current
- Electric: Using or providing the flow of charge through a conductor
- Ferromagnetic: A term used to describe materials that are strongly attracted by magnetic force
- galvanometer: device that uses an electromagnet to measure electric current
- Geothermal Energy: A type of renewable energy taken from the Earth’s core. It comes from heat generated during the original formation of the planet and the subsequent radioactive decay of materials.
- Gas: A state of matter that has no fixed shape and no fixed volume
- Greenhouse Gases: Any of the gases whose absorption of solar radiation is responsible for the greenhouse effect
- Joule: Unit of work or energy in the International System of Units
- Generator: A device that uses electromagnetic induction to convert mechanical energy to electrical energy
- Parallel Circuit: A circuit that provides two or more paths for electrical current to flow.
- Series Circuit: A circuit where there is only one path for electricity to flow.
- Resistance: tendency for a material to oppose electron flow and change electrical energy into thermal energy and light; measured in ohms (O). Caused by internal friction
- Filament: This physical component of a light bulb controls the brightness of the light.
- Friction: The resistance when a body is moved in contact with another
- Ohm: SI unit for resistance
- Voltage: SI unit for electrical potential difference
- Fuse: A device containing a metal strip that melts when current in the circuit becomes too great.
- Proton: The positively charged particle of an atom.
- Neutron: The neutrally charged particle of an atom
- electric power: rate at which electrical energy is converted to another form of energy; expressed in watts (W).
- insulator: material in which electrons are not able to move easily.
- law of conservation of charge: states that charge can be transferred from one object to another but cannot be created nor destroyed.
- Non Renewable Resources: A natural substance that is not replenished with the speed at which it is consumed.
- Negative Charge: The state of having a surplus of electrons
- Natural: Any of the sciences such as physics, chemistry, or biology that deal with matter, energy, and their interrelations and transformations or with objectively measurable phenomena
- Ohm’s law: states that the current in a circuit equals the voltage difference divided by the resistance.
- Paramagnetic : Materials that are weakly attracted to a magnetic force. .
- Permanent Magnet: A substance with magnetic domains that are always lined up and therefore always has magnetic properties
- Positive Charge: The state of having a deficiency of electrons
- Particles: The branch of physics that deals with the properties, relationships, and interactions of subatomic particles
- Poles: The opposite ends of a magnet. The poles are the strongest areas of the magnet.
- Repel: To push away – When two similar magnetic poles are near each other, they repel one another.
- static electricity: the accumulation of excess electric charge on an object.
- Solar: A branch of astrophysics that deals with the constitution of the sun.
- Solar Energy: The radiation from the Sun capable of producing heat, causing chemical reactions, or generating electricity
- Short Circuit: An electrical circuit that allows a current to travel along an unintended path with no or very low electrical impedance
- Static: Not in physical motion
- Scientist: A person with advanced knowledge of empirical fields
- Temporary Magnets: A substance with magnetic domains that line up and become magnetized for a short period of time after being held in a magnetic field.
- Voltage: A representation of the electric potential energy per unit charge
- Ions: Any atom or group of atoms that bears one or more positive or negative electrical charges
- magnetic domain: group of atoms in a magnetic material with the magnetic poles of the atoms pointing in the same direction
- magnetic field: surrounds a magnet and exerts a force on other magnets and objects made of magnetic materials.
- Magnet: An object that attracts iron and other magnetized objects
- Magnetic Domain: A group of atoms in a material that behaves like a small magnet.
- Maglev: A type of train made possible by electromagnets
- magnetic pole: region on a magnet where the magnetic force exerted by a magnet is strongest; like poles repel and opposite poles attract
- magnetism: properties and interactions of magnets.
- solenoid: wire wrapped into a cylindrical coil
- Vibration: Periodic back-and-forth motion of the particles of an elastic body or medium
- voltage difference: related to the force that causes electric charges to flow; measured in volts (V).
- transformer: device that uses electromagnetic induction to increase or decrease the voltage of an alternating current.
- turbine: large wheel that rotates when pushed by steam, wind, or water and provides mechanical energy to a generator.
- Watt: Is a unit of power or radiant flux
Keep exploring EnglishBix to learn vocabulary related to different science topics.
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