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Year 8

Electric current

I can describe the flow of electric current from one end of a battery, through a circuit and back to the other end of the battery.

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Year 8

Electric current

I can describe the flow of electric current from one end of a battery, through a circuit and back to the other end of the battery.

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Share activities with pupils
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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. One end of a battery has a positive charge and one end has a negative charge, because of chemical reactions inside it.
  2. A battery pushes electric charge (electrons) one way round a complete circuit.
  3. There are electric charges in all atoms of the wires and components in a circuit, even when it is not turned on.
  4. When a circuit is turned on, electrons everywhere in the circuit start moving at the same time.
  5. Individual electrons move round a circuit slowly, at a speed of just a few millimetres each second.

Keywords

  • Battery - A battery is a component that uses a chemical reaction to make electric charge flow round a circuit.

  • Charge - Things can have an electrical charge that is positive or negative. If there is no charge, they are neutral.

  • Electron - Electrons are the charges in conductors that flow to give an electric current.

  • Electric current - Electric current is the flow of electric charge in a circuit.

Common misconception

Many pupils imagine electric current to emerge from a battery or a power supply and to move round a circuit in a sequential way. This leads to a consumption model of electricity.

Give pupils opportunities to test different incorrect models (e.g. the unipolar and clashing current models as well as the consumption model).


To help you plan your year 8 science lesson on: Electric current, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Use demonstration circuit examples to show pupils which models are not correct. Encourage pupils to make predictions and explain why they think these are true. Test the predictions to show whether or not they are correct.
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Supervision

Adult supervision required

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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
In which circuit will the bulb light?
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q2.
A motor is connected to a battery and spins. What would cause the motor to spin faster?
adding a bulb to the series circuit
adding a switch to the series circuit
adding another motor to the series circuit
Correct answer: adding another battery to the series circuit
Q3.
What mistake has been made in this circuit diagram?
An image in a quiz
The switch is open.
The motor is before the switch.
The ammeter should be beside the motor.
Correct answer: The battery is not connected to the lead.
Q4.
Which component is represented by the circuit symbol shown?
An image in a quiz
a lamp
a motor
Correct answer: a buzzer
a resistor
Q5.
Which statements describe ways to fix a faulty circuit?
disconnecting all the components and reconnecting them
changing the direction of the batteries
Correct answer: testing each component with a test circuit
Correct answer: replacing each component one by one with a working one
switching the circuit off and then on again
Q6.
Why are there certain rules for drawing circuit diagrams?
Correct answer: so that scientists and engineers around the world can understand them
to make them look nicer
so they are easy to mark in exams
to make them more professional looking

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which statement correctly describes the terminals of a battery?
Correct answer: A battery has one positive terminal and one negative terminal.
A battery has two positive terminals.
A battery has two negative terminals.
A battery has a neutral terminal and either a positive or a negative terminal.
Q2.
What is inside a battery that pushes the electric charges round a circuit?
small magnets
mini-pumps
microscopic motors
Correct answer: chemicals that react
Q3.
What is the name of the moving charges that carry electric current through a metal wire?
protons
Correct answer: electrons
magnetrons
neutrons
Q4.
What is the normal speed of electrons flowing through a metal wire?
Correct answer: a few millimetres per second
a few metres per second
a few kilometres per second
a few million metres per second
Q5.
Which objects can be used to make a simple battery?
two pieces of the same metal, liquid oil and some wires
two pieces of the same metal, a weak acid solution and some wires
two different metals, liquid oil and some wires
Correct answer: two different metals, a weak acid solution and some wires
Q6.
Which two of these objects have free electrons that can carry an electric current?
plastic ruler
Correct answer: copper wires
air in the room
Correct answer: steel paperclips
wooden pencil