Page 69 - Microsoft Word - LessonPlan-Overview.doc

A field is an area around a electrical, magnetic or gravitational source that
will create a force on another electrical, magnetic or gravitational source that
comes within the reach of the field. In fields, the closer something gets to
the source of the field, the stronger the force of the field gets. This is called
the inverse square law.

An integrated circuit, sometimes called an “IC” or a “chip” (as in
“computer chip”) is a complete circuit that has been miniaturized and put
into a small plastic block with wires coming out of it.

LED stands for “Light Emitting Diode”.

A common type of programmable chip is called a microprocessor. These
are the “brain” of a typical home computer. A cousin of the microprocessor
is the microcontroller. A microcontroller is like a whole computer on a
chip.

Diodes are commonly used to change AC current into DC current. These are
called rectifiers.

Resistors are one of the most common electronics components. Their job
is to resist the flow of electricity. Resistance is measured in ohms ().

A schematic is a simple line-drawing of an electrical circuit.

Objects that are electrically charged can create a temporary charge on
another object.

A transformer is a component that trades volts for amps and vice-versa.

A transistor is kind of like an electronic dimmer switch. Think of a light
dimmer – you know, the kind that you might have on the lights in a room in
your house, or a friend’s house. You turn a knob or slide a lever, and all the
lights dim.

The way we measure energy in electrical circuits is using units called watts.
Watts = Volts x Amps.

© 2010 Supercharged Science www.ScienceLearningSpace.com

471