Moving electric charge
I can explain how an electric field causes electric current to flow in a circuit.
Moving electric charge
I can explain how an electric field causes electric current to flow in a circuit.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Two unlike electric charges attract each other.
- Two like electric charges repel each other.
- In an electric circuit, electrons are forced towards the positive terminal of a battery.
- Electric current is the amount of charge that passes a point in a circuit in each second.
- Current can be found using the equation: current = charge ÷ time.
Common misconception
Magnetic field effects are often mistaken for electric field effects.
Be explicit in teaching that electric charges and charged objects are not magnetic.
Keywords
Van de Graaff generator - A device that produces electric charge and is used in electrostatic experiments.
Charge - An electrical property; it can either be positive or negative.
Electric field - The invisible field around a charged object that causes another charged object to experience a force.
Coulomb - The unit of electric charge.
Ampere - The unit of electric current.
Equipment
Van de Graaff generator and discharge ball for demonstration.
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Video
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