MYP Integrated Sciences Electricity and Magnetism Key Definitions

A device used to measure electric current in a circuit.

An aurora is a natural light display caused by charged particles interacting with Earth’s atmosphere.

A cell is a device that provides electrical energy to a circuit.

A compass is a device that uses a magnetised needle to show direction using Earth’s magnetic field.

A method of storing energy by using surplus electricity to compress air into a cavern or vessel, then releasing it later to drive a turbine and generate electricity.

A material in which electrons can move easily through the material.

A property of matter that can be positive or negative and causes electrical interactions (attraction or repulsion) between objects.

An electric circuit is a complete, closed path that allows electric current to flow.

Electric current is the flow of electric charge through a conductor.

Electrical power is the rate at which electrical energy is transferred.

The production of a voltage in a conductor when it experiences a changing magnetic field (or when it moves through a magnetic field).

A force of attraction or repulsion between electric charges.

Change of energy from one form to another within a system or across interacting systems.

Fleming’s left-hand rule is a method used to predict the direction of force on a current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field.

Grounding (earthing) is the process of transferring excess charge safely to the Earth.

A way of reasoning where general principles are drawn from specific observations.

A material in which electrons do not move easily, so transferred charge tends to remain localized.

At any junction in a circuit, the total current flowing into the junction equals the total current flowing out.

A load is a component that transfers electrical energy into another form.

A tiny region inside a magnetic material where many atomic magnets (mainly due to electron behavior) are aligned in the same direction, so the region acts like a small magnet.

A region of space around a magnet (or other source) where magnetic forces act on magnetic materials or moving charges.

A line drawn so that its direction at any point shows the direction a compass needle would point; closer spacing of lines indicates a stronger magnetic field.

A parallel circuit is a circuit in which components are connected on separate branches.

The energy transferred per unit charge between two points in a circuit: $V=\dfrac{E}{Q}$.