Earth, Sun and Moon

Introduction

The Earth travels around the Sun. The Moon travels

around the Earth.
Day and night are caused by the Earth spinning on its
axis.

This section includes:

The Earth
The Moon
The Sun

The Earth

The Earth is round, like a ball, but it is also slightly squashed.

We say that its shape is roughly spherical.
The Earth travels around the Sun once every year.
The Earth also spins on its own axis. The axis is an imaginary
line through the centre of the Earth from the North Pole to the
South Pole. The Earth spins round once every 24 hours. This
causes day and night on Earth.
It is day on the part of the Earth that is facing the Sun.
It is night on the part of the Earth that is facing away
from the Sun.

The Moon

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The Moon is roughly spherical, but it is a lot smaller than the
Earth.
The Moon travels around the Earth. It goes round once every 28
days.
We only see the part of the Moon that is lit by the Sun. So
sometimes we see the whole Moon and sometimes we only see
part of the Moon.

The Sun
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The Sun is a star and gives out heat and light.
It is roughly spherical in shape and is much, much bigger than
the Earth.

The planets

The Earth is just one of eight planets that travel around the
Sun. The other planets are called Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
Electrical circuits
Introduction

Electricity can flow through the components in a

complete electric circuit. We can use symbols to draw
circuits.
You can make bulbs brighter by adding more batteries to
the circuit. But if you add more bulbs instead they will
get dimmer.

This section includes:

Circuits
Symbols
Switches
Changing circuits

Circuits
A circuit always needs a power source, such as a battery, with
wires connected to both the positive (+) and negative (-)
ends. A battery is also known as a cell.
A circuit can also contain other electrical components, such as
bulbs, buzzers or motors, which allow electricity to pass
through.
Electricity will only travel around a circuit that is complete.
That means it has no gaps.

Incomplete circuit
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Symbols
We use these symbols to draw diagrams of circuits:
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Switches
When a switch is open (off), there is a gap in the circuit.
Electricity cannot travel around the circuit.
When a switch is closed (on), it makes the circuit
complete. Electricity can travel around the circuit.

Switch close (on). Bulb does light.

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Switch open (off). Bulb doesn't light.

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Changing circuits
Adding more batteries to a simple circuit will increase the
electrical energy, which will make a bulb brighter.

More bulbs
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Adding more bulbs to a simple circuit will reduce the electrical
energy and make the bulbs dimmer.

Longer wires

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Lengthening the wires in a simple circuit will reduce the
electrical energy, as it has further to travel. The extra distance
will make the bulb dimmer.

Adding a motor
If electrical energy is flowing around the circuit, the motor will
rotate.
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Electrical conductors
Introduction

Electricity travels easily through electrical conductors,

like metals.
Materials that do not let electricity pass through them
easily are called electrical insulators. Plastic, wood, glass
and rubber are good electrical insulators.

This section includes:

Electrical conductors
Electrical insulators

Electrical conductors
Some materials let electricity pass through them easily. These
materials are known as electrical conductors.
Many metals, such as copper, iron and steel, are good electrical
conductors. That is why the parts of electrical objects that need
to let electricity pass through are always made of metal.

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Metal is used in plugs to allow electricity to transfer from the
wall socket, through the plug, and into a device such as a radio
or TV.
In a light bulb, the metal filament conducts electricity and
causes the light bulb to light up.

Electrical insulators
Some materials do not allow electricity to pass through them.
These materials are known as electrical insulators.
Plastic, wood, glass and rubber are good electrical insulators.
That is why they are used to cover materials that carry
electricity.
The plastic covering that surrounds wires is an electrical
insulator. It stops you from getting an electrical shock.
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Light
Introduction

The Sun, fires and lamps are all sources of light. Mirrors
and other objects reflect light. They do not make their
own light.

This section includes:

Sources of light
How we see things

Sources of light

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A source of light makes light. The Sun and other stars, fires,
torches and lamps all make their own light and so are examples
of sources of light.
When a television is turned on, it produces light.

Remember! You must never look directly at the Sun. It is so

bright that it can damage your eyes very quickly.

Some animals, such as fireflies and glow-worms, are light

sources. They make their own light to attract mates.
Reflection

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A mirror is not a source of light. It doesn't make its own
light, it just reflects light.
The moon is not a source of light. It reflects light from the
Sun.
You would not be able to see a reflector of light, such as a
mirror, in a completely dark room.

How we see things

Light travels in straight lines. When light hits an object, it is
reflected (bounces off) and enters our eyes. This is how we see
the object.
When light from an object is reflected by a surface, it changes
direction. It bounces off the surface at the same angle as it hits
it.
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Smooth, shiny surfaces such as mirrors and polished metals
reflect light well. Dull and dark surfaces such as dark fabrics do
not reflect light well.

Reflective surfaces
Reflective surfaces can be very useful.
Mirrors inside cars reflect light to help drivers see objects
behind them.
Reflective strips on clothing and bikes help cyclists to be
extra visible at night.
'Cat's eyes' on the road reflect light from car headlamps to
help the driver see the road at night.

Shadows
Introduction

A shadow is made when an object blocks light. The

object must be opaque or translucent to make a shadow.
A transparent object will not make any shadow, as light
will pass straight through it.

This section includes:

Transparent, translucent and opaque materials
 Shadows
Shadows made by the Sun

Transparent, translucent and opaque materials

Transparent

Transparent materials let light pass through them in straight

lines, so that you can see clearly through them. Glass is an
example of a transparent material.

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Translucent

Translucent materials let some light through, but they scatter

the light in all directions, so that you cannot see clearly through
them. Tissue paper is an example of a translucent material.

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Opaque

Opaque materials do not let any light pass through them. They
block the light. Wood is an example of an opaque material.

Shadow
A shadow is made when an object blocks light. The shadow
appears on the side of the object furthest from the light source.
The object must be opaque or translucent to make a shadow. A
transparent object will not make any shadow, as light will pass
straight through it.
Opaque objects make dark shadows. Translucent objects make
faint shadows.
If an object is moved closer to the light source, the
shadow gets bigger.
If an object is moved further away from the light source,
the shadow gets smaller.
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Shadows made by the Sun

The Sun is a very bright natural light source. It seems to move
across the sky during the day. In fact it just looks like it does
that because the Earth is spinning.
The Sun casts (makes) the longest shadows at the beginning
and end of the day, when the Sun is lowest in the sky.
The Sun casts the shortest shadows at midday, when the Sun
is highest in the sky.

Early morning - the Sun is low in the sky and casts a long
shadow

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Early morning - the Sun is low in the sky and casts a long
shadow

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Forces
Introduction

Forces are pushes or pulls. They are measured in

newtons.

Unbalanced forces change the way something is moving.

The mass of an object is how much matter it contains.
The weight of an object is the force caused by gravity
pulling down on the mass.

This section includes:

Gravity
Mass and weight
Balanced forces
Unbalanced forces
Springs

Gravity

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The force that makes things fall to the ground on Earth (and
other planets) is called gravity.
Gravity also holds Earth and the other planets in their orbits
around the Sun.
The force of gravity also exists on the Moon but it is not as
strong as it is on Earth. This is because the Moon is much
smaller than our planet.

Mass and weight

The mass of an object is how much matter it contains. It is
measured in grams (g) or kilograms (kg) but is NOT a force.
The weight of an object is the force caused by gravity pulling
down on the mass of an object. It is measured in newtons (N).

Measuring weight

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Weight is measured using a forcemeter. The bigger the weight
attached to the forcemeter, the more the spring inside the
forcemeter stretches.

Balanced forces
Forces are just pushes and pulls in a particular direction.
Forces are shown by arrows in diagrams. The direction of the
arrow shows the direction in which the force is acting. The
bigger the arrow, the bigger the force.
If two forces are balanced, it means the forces are the same
size but are acting in opposite directions.

Balanced forces do not change motion

If two balanced forces are acting on an object, that object will

not change its motion.
If it is still, it will stay still.
If it is moving, it will continue moving, in the same
direction and at the same speed.

Unbalanced forces
Unbalanced forces do change the way something is moving.
Unbalanced forces can make objects start to move, speed up,
slow down, or change direction.
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Springs

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When a spring is stretched or squashed, it creates a force in the
opposite direction because the spring tries to get back to its
original shape.
For example, when you squash a spring downwards on a table,
you will feel a push upwards on your hand. The more you
squash the spring, the bigger the push you will feel.
Friction
Introduction

Friction is a force between two surfaces that are sliding,

or trying to slide, across each other.
Friction always slows a moving object down. Air
resistance is a type of friction.

This section includes:

What is friction?
Useful friction and reducing friction
Air resistance

What is friction?

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Friction is a force between two surfaces that are sliding, or
trying to slide, across each other. For example, when you try to
push a book along the floor friction makes this difficult.
Friction always works in the direction opposite from the
direction the object is moving, or trying to move. Friction
always slows a moving object down.

More or less friction

The amount of friction depends on the materials from which the
two surfaces are made. The rougher the surface, the more
friction is produced.
For example, you would have to push a book harder to get it
moving on a carpet than you would on a wooden floor. This is
because there is more friction between the carpet and the book
than there is between the wood and the book.

Heat
Friction also produces heat. If you rub your hands together
quickly, you will feel them get warmer.

Useful friction and reducing friction

Friction can be a useful force because it prevents our shoes
slipping on the pavement when we walk and stops car tyres
skidding on the road.
When you walk, friction is caused between the tread on shoes
and the ground. This friction acts to grip the ground and
prevent sliding.

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Ice causes very little friction, which is why it is easy to slip over
on an icy day. However this is a good thing for ice skating and
sledging.

Reducing friction
Sometimes we want to reduce friction. For example, we use oil
to reduce the friction between the moving parts inside a car
engine. The oil holds the surfaces apart, and can flow between
them. The reduced friction means there is less wear on the car's
moving parts, and less heat produced.

Air resistance`
Air resistance is a type of friction between air and another
material. When an airplane flies through the air, for example,
air particles hit the aeroplane, making it more difficult for it to
move through the air.

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Some shapes, known as streamlined shapes, cause less air
resistance than others. Aeroplanes and cars are streamlined, so
that they move through the air as easily as possible.

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Magnets - Read
Introduction

Magnets have north poles and south poles. These attract

each other. But two north poles will repel each other, as
will two south poles.
Iron is magnetic, so any metal with iron in it will be
attracted to a magnet. Most other metals, like aluminium,
copper or gold, are not magnetic.

This section includes:

Magnetic poles
Ring magnets
Magnetic materials

Magnetic poles
When two magnets are close, they create pushing or pulling
forces on one another. These forces are strongest at the ends
of the magnets. The two ends of a magnet are known as the
north pole and the south pole.

Same poles repel

If you try to put two magnets together with the same poles
pointing towards one another, the magnets will push away from
each other. We say they repel each other.
In this picture two north poles are pushing away from each
other (repelling each other).
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Different poles attract
If you put two magnets together with different poles pointing
towards one another, the magnets will pull towards each other.
We say they attract each other.
In this picture a north and a south pole are pulling towards each
other (attracting each other).

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Some magnets are stronger than others. Strong magnets will
create bigger pushing or pulling forces than weak magnets.
Ring magnets
Ring magnets also have a north and a south pole. The north
pole is found at the top of the ring magnet and the south pole is
found at the bottom. Ring magnets attract and repel each other
in the same way that the bar magnets on the previous page
showed.
The south pole of one magnet attracts the north pole of the one
below.

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If a ring magnet is turned upside down, the north pole on each
magnet will repel the other.

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Magnetic materials
Magnets can attract other magnets but they can also attract
magnetic materials.
Magnetic materials are always metals but only a few metals are
magnetic.
Iron IS magnetic, so any metal with iron in it will be attracted
to a magnet. Steel contains iron, so a steel paperclip, for
example, will be attracted to a magnet.
Most other metals, for example Aluminium, copper and gold,
are NOT magnetic. An aluminum drinks can, for example, will
not be attracted to a magnet.
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Sound
Introduction

Sounds are vibrations that can travel through different

materials. The pitch of a sound is how high or low the
sound is. The loudness of a sound is how loud or soft it
is.

This section includes:

Sounds are vibrations
Sound vibrations can travel through different
materials
Pitch of a sound
Loudness of a sound

Sounds are vibrations

Sounds are made when objects vibrate. The vibration makes
the air around vibrate, and the air vibrations enter your ear. You
hear them as sounds.
You cannot always see the vibrations, but if something is
making a sound, some part of it is always vibrating.
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Sound vibrations can travel through different

materials
Sounds as vibrations can travel through many different
materials.
Sound can travel through solids, like metal, stone and
wood.
Sound can travel through liquids, like water.
Sound can travel through gases, like air.
Sound vibrations travel better through some materials than
others. For example, sound vibrations travel very well along
metal pipes.
Sound cannot travel through a completely empty space (a
vacuum), which has nothing, not even air, in it. If there is a
vacuum between a sound-making object and our ears, we won't
be able to hear the sound.

Pitch of a sound
The pitch of a sound is how high or low the sound is. A high
sound has a high pitch and a low sound has a low pitch.
A short string gives a higher-pitched sound than a long
string when they are plucked.
A tight drum skin gives a higher-pitched sound than a
loose drum skin.

Loudness of a sound
The loudness of a sound is how loud or soft the sound is.
A guitar string plucked strongly makes a loud sound. A guitar
string plucked gently makes a soft sound.
A drum skin hit hard makes a loud sound. A drum skin hit
gently makes a soft sound.
Loud sound

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A recorder blown hard makes a loud sound.

Soft sound

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A recorder blown gently makes a soft sound.