Mrs.

Hinrichs Grade 9 Science

Electricity Student Notes
Name: _________________

Lesson 1: The History of Electricity

 The effects of static electricity were first observed about 2500 years ago in ancient Greece.
 _________________, a fossilized resin from trees, was used by the Greeks for barter and for
decoration.
 The Greeks noticed that when amber was rubbed with cloth, the amber would attract and
pick up bits of dust, feathers, hair or other light material.
 The attractive nature of rubbed amber was not yet understood.
 2000 years later, the curious effects of rubbed amber and other materials were investigated
systematically by an English scientist named Dr. William Gilbert (1544-1603)
 Dr. Gilbert was the personal physician to _____________________________________________
 Gilbert noticed that amber and other materials would attract small objects if they were
rubbed with appropriate fabrics. Gilbert used the word electrified for materials that, when
rubber together, showed the attractive property of amber __________________________________
 The Greek word for amber is elektron. Modern words such as electron, electrified,
electricity, and electronics all come from the Greek word for amber.
 More than 100 years passed before French scientist Charles Du Fay (1698 – 1739) showed
that there are actually ________________________ of electrical charge.
 Charles Du Fay noticed that two pieces of amber, when rubbed with fur, repel each other.
Two pieces of glass, when rubbed with silk, also repel each other.
 However, if ‘electrified’ amber is brought near ‘electrified glass’ the amber and glass attract
each other. Du Fay concluded that there must be two kinds of electricity.
 Du Fay classed the charge on amber _____________________________________ (because amber is
hardened resin); he called the charge on glass vitreous electricity.
 Eventually these names were replaced with _____________________ and _____________________
electricity. (2 fluid model)
 The terms positive and negative electricity were first used by the American Benjamin
Franklin (1706-1790). Franklin actually thought there was only one kind of electricity.
 In his view, an excess of electricity was positive; a shortage of electricity was negative. His
theory was incorrect, but the terms positive and negative are still used today.
Models of Electricity
 Scientists use ___________________________ about nature to construct models and theories to
explain how nature works.
Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science
 These models can change over time when new observations are made.
 This is what happened to the theory that explains how electricity works.
 In the 1600’s, the theory to explain how electricity was called the one-fluid model.
 William Gilbert suggested that electricity was a fluid that could flow between objects.

 _______________________________________ explained that positive and negative charges were due to

the electric fluid.
 When an object lost fluid it became negatively charged, and when it gained fluid it became
positively charged.

Just Enough Fluid

Too little fluid

Too much fluid

 Over time the theory changed because of new observations by DuFay.

 The ____________________________________ of electricity was suggested. This model used two types
of fluid instead of just one.
 One of the fluids was thought to be positively charged while the other was negatively
charged.
 An object could gain a positive charge by either _____________________________________ or losing
negative fluid.
 An object could gain negative charge similarly.

Du Fay’s Theory

Two Fluids
• Equal amount – neutral
Two Fluids
• More blue – negative
Two Fluids
• More Red – positive

Attracted Objects
• Trading fluids
Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science
 Then, in 1897 J.J. Thomson discovered the ______________________ (which
you will learn about A LOT in the chemistry unit)
 This meant that the model of electricity had to be changed again, to
pretty much what we use now.
 This is called the ________________________________________________
 The particle model of electricity states that when two objects are
rubbed together, electrons are removed from the atoms of one object
and move to the second object, it becomes negatively charged.
 The first object is positively charged because it is missing some electrons.
 _____________________________________ in the nucleus moves!
 Negatively charged electrons move, while positive charges are stuck where they are.
 Some ______________ hold their electrons loosely while others hold on tight.

Particle Model of Electricity

(Electron Theory) Facts
KNOW THESE! MEMORIZE!
1. There are two kinds of charge, _________________________________________.

2. Charge is conserved, it cannot be created nor destroyed.

3. A neutral body has an ___________________ number of positive and
negative charges.
4. Positive charges are fixed (cant move) and negative charges
(electrons) are ________________________________.
5. An excess of negative charges indicates a negatively charged body. A
deficit of negative charges leaves a positively charged object.
6. 6. Charge is shared by contact. Materials which allow charges to move easily are called
conductors. Materials in which charges do not move easily are called insulators.
7. 7. ______________ charges repel and unlike charges attract.
Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science
Lesson 2: Electric Charge and Static Electricity
Law of Electric Charges
 The law of electric charges states that like charges repel, and opposite
charges attract.
 ___________________ are positively charged and electrons are negatively
charged, so they are attracted to each other.
 Without this ______________________, electrons would not be held in atoms.
Electric Force
 The force between the charged objects is an ______________________________.
 The size of the electric force depends on _______________________:
1. The amount of charge (the greater the charge, the greater the force)
2. The distance between charges (the further the distance, the less the force)
Electric Field
 An __________________________________ is the region around a charged object
where electric forces can be exerted on another charged object. (Repelled
or attracted)

Charged Objects
 Atoms do not have a charge because the number of electrons and protons cancel each other
out.
Ex. 3 protons (+) & 3 electrons (-) = 0

 How do objects get charged?

 They either _____________ or ______________ electrons.
 Why not protons?
Ex. 3 protons (+) & 5 electrons (-) =

Ex. 7 protons (+) & 2 electrons (-) =

Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science

Law of Electric Charges

How to charge an object?

 There are 3 ways objects can be charged:
1. ____________________
2. Conduction
3. ____________________
**In each of these, only the electrons move. The protons stay in the nucleus**
Friction
 Charging by friction occurs when electrons are “_____________” from one object onto another.
Ex. If you use a cloth to rub a plastic ruler, electrons move from the
cloth to the ruler. The ruler gains electrons and the cloth loses
electrons.

Conduction
 Charging by conduction happens when electrons move from one object to another through
_________________________________________________________.
Ex. Suppose you touch an uncharged piece of metal with a positively charged glass rod.
Electrons from the metal will move to the glass rod. The metal loses electrons and becomes
positively charged. 

Induction
Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science
 Charging by induction happens when charges in an uncharged object are rearranged
______________________________________________ with a charged object.

Ex. If you charge up a balloon through friction and place the balloon near pieces of paper,
the charges of the paper will be rearranged and the paper will be attracted to the balloon.
What is Static Electricity?
 What do these things have in common?
o Crackles when combing hair

o Cling film sticking to your hands

o Clothes clinging to each other in a dryer

o Getting a shock when rubbing your feet on a carpet

o Lightning

 They are all caused by ____________________________________________.

 Static electricity is due to ______________________________________ that builds up on the surface of
an insulator.
 The charge that has built up cannot easily flow away from the insulator, which is why it is
called static electricity.
 Static electricity is the electric charge ____________________ on an object.
 ______________________________: The study of electricity.
 When something is static, it is not moving.
 The charges of static electricity do not move away from the object that they are in. So, the
object keeps its charge.

 Ex. Clothes taken out of a dryer

Where does static charge come from?

 Static charge can _________________________ when two materials are rubbed together, such as a
plastic comb moving through hair.
 When this happens electrons are ________________________________ from one material to the other:
o One material ends up with more electrons, so it now has an overall negative charge.

 One material ends up with fewer electrons, so it now has an overall positive charge.
Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science
Creating static charge
 What is the name of the force between two materials that are rubbed together?
___________________________
 An insulating material can be charged by friction.
 For example, if an insulator is rubbed with a cloth, it can become charged in one of two
ways:

B. Electrons move from

A. Electrons move from the the insulator to the cloth.
cloth to the insulator.

Conservation of Charge

 When you charge something by any method, no charges are

_____________________ or ___________________________.

 The numbers of electrons and protons stay the same. Electrons simply
move from one atom to another, which makes areas that have different
charges.

Conductors and Insulators

 An __________________________________ is a material in which charges can move easily.

 Most ______________ are good conductors because some of their electrons are free to
move.

 Conductors are used to make wires. For example, a lamp cord has metal wire and metal prongs.

 Copper, __________________________, and mercury are good conductors.

 An ________________________________________ is a material in which charges cannot move easily.

 Insulators _________________________________ charges very well because their electrons cannot flow freely.
The electrons are tightly held in the atoms of the insulator.

 The insulating material in a lamp cord stops charges from leaving the wire and protects you from
electric shock.

 Plastic, rubber, glass, wood, and air are good insulators.

Electrostatic Series Chart

Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science

Best conductor

Best insulator

Electric Discharge
 The loss of static electricity as charges move off an object is called ______________________________.
o Sometimes, electric discharge happens slowly.

 Ex: static on clothes

o Sometimes, electric discharge happens _____________________.

 Ex. wearing rubber-soled shoes on carpet, lightning

Lightning
 Lightning usually strikes the ____________________________________ in a
o charged area because that point provides the
o _______________________________ for the charges to reach the ground.
 Anything that sticks up or out in an area can
o provide a path for lightning.
 A _____________________________________ is a pointed rod connected to the
o ground by a wire.
 Objects, such as a lightning rod, that are joined to Earth by a conductor, such as a wire, are
“grounded.” Any object that is grounded provides a path for electric charges to move to
Earth.
 Because Earth is so large, it can give up or absorb charges without being damaged.
 When lightning strikes a lightning rod, the electric charges are carried safely to Earth
through the rod’s wire. By directing the charge to Earth, the rods prevent lightning from
damaging buildings.

Lesson 3: Charging by Friction

Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science

Electrostatic Series Chart

 A list used to determine the kind of electric charge produced on
each substance when any two substances are ___________________
together.
o Substances higher on the list lose electrons and become
positively charged.
o Substances ______________ on the list _______________ those
same electrons and becomes negatively charged.
Example: Combing your hair!
 _________________________ has stronger
attraction to electrons, so it
removes some from hair.
 Hair (+) charged, plastic (-)
charged.

Electron Affinity
 The presence of different atoms in objects provides different objects with different electrical
properties.
 One property is known as __________________________________.
 Electron affinity is the relative amount of love that a material has for electrons.
 A material that has a high electron affinity will have a relatively high love for electrons
 A material that has a low electron affinity will have a relatively low love for electrons.
Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science
Lesson 4: Charging by Conduction
Charging by _________________ (touch)
- Electrons are transferred from one object to another by
contact.
- Only a _________________________ can charge a conductor.

 Charge naturally tries to ‘__________________________’. Electrons move away from a more

negative area toward a more positive area, until a balance has been reached.
 When a charged conductor comes in contact with a neutral conductor, electrons move from
one to the other until both have an equal charge. This is called charging by ____________________.

Charging by Conduction Using a Negatively Charged Object

 ______________________________________ metal sphere to charge a neutral needle electroscope.
o The negatively charged sphere has to many electrons, and those electrons want to get
as far away from each other as possible.
o When the negative sphere comes into contact with the _______________________
electroscope, electrons use this as a way to get farther away from each other and
move into the electroscope.
o In the end, the sphere still has a negative charge but it is less negative then before
contact. The electroscope now has a slightly negative charge because of the increase
in electrons.
Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science
Charging by Conduction Using a Positively Charged Object
A positively charged aluminum plate has an _______________________________.
 When looked at from an electron perspective, a positively charged aluminum plate has a
shortage of electrons, but the protons can not go in search of electrons because they are
strongly held to the _____________________.
 When the positively charged aluminum plate touches the neutral sphere the electrons
migrate towards the protons in the plate.
 The sphere now has a _____________________________ because the electrons left.
 The aluminum plate still has a positive charge but it is less positive.

The Electroscope
 The ____________________________ is a tool for determining whether an electrical charge is
present in an object.
 It can provide 3 kinds of measurement:
o detect the presence of an electrostatic charge.
o determine the _______________ of charge on an object.
o determine the amount of charge on an object.

The Electroscope (steps)

1. Charging by Friction (The Electrostatic Series)
-Two _____________________ objects are rubbed together, which transfers electrons
resulting in charged objects.
Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science
2. Conduction
-Electric charge can travel by touching a
________________ object to a neutral object.
-Results in a neutral object gaining a charge.
-Electrons move towards the more positive
object - imparting charge.

Assignment: Electroscope Lab

Lesson 5: Charging by Induction

Induction: Charging with no contact

• If a charged object is brought near a ________________________ but does not touch it, electrons are
influenced to move around on the surface.
• Electrons move - causes __________________________________.

Charging by Induction using a Positively Charged Object

 When a 2 conducting spheres are brought together, electrons are free to move between them
- If a positively charged object is brought close to the spheres, electrons will move towards
the positive object and the ____________________ will be forced away.
- When the 2 spheres are moved away from each other, they will have opposite charges,
one with an overall negative charge and one with an overall positive charge.
Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science
Charging by Induction using a Negatively Charged Object
 When a 2 conducting spheres are brought together, electrons are free to move between them
o If a negatively charged object is brought close to the spheres, electrons will move away from
the negative object and the proton will be forced towards the object.
o When the 2 spheres are moved away from each other, they will have opposite charges, one
with an overall negative charge and one with an overall positive charge.

Induction and Conductors

  In both cases, a ___________________________________ is induced, and the near side gets a charge
opposite to that of the charged object, which results in ______________________.
 This explains why neutral objects are attracted to either charge.

Induction and Insulators

 On ________________________ electrons are not free to move between atoms.
 Instead electrons are positioned such that the atoms/molecules have positive ends that all
face in one direction and negative ends that face in the opposite direction.
 This is called ____________________________________________, and it also results in attraction.
- Electrons move - causes ________________________________________

Induction and Grounding

• To place a permanent induced charge on an object requires ____________________________.
• To “ground” an object means to connect the object and the ________________.
Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science
• Earth easily absorbs or releases negative charges.
• Electrons either flow up from the Earth into an object, or flow down from the object into
the Earth.
• Grounding is also used to ______________________ a charged object.

Assignment: Pop Can Race

Quiz Next Class
Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science
Lesson 6: Current
• Electrical devices need a steady flow of _________________________. The flow continues until the
energy source is used up, or disconnected.
• ___________________________________ is a measure of the rate at which electric charges move past a
given point in a conductor per second. Simply put, it is the speed that the electrons are
moving at.
• Ammeter is a tool used to measure the electric current in a circuit.
Calculating Electric Current
Symbol What does it mean? Units
I Current Amperes (A)
Q Amount of Charge Coulombs (C)
t Time Seconds (S)

Current – I
- Units are Ampere (A)
- Ammeters only record the huge number of electrons passing through the conductor –
current.
- 1 coulomb equals (6.25 x 1018) electrons.
- 1 coulomb per 1 second = 1 A

• An easy way to calculate current is by using the following equation:

• The triangle can be put into three equations:

Calculating Electric Current

• The symbol for current is I and the units are amperes(A).
• The symbol for quantity of electric charge is Q and the units are ___________________ (C).
• Time is measured in ______________________.
• Current is measured using an ammeter.
Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science
Converting Time to Seconds
• Remember time needs to be in seconds. Convert the following into seconds:
Eg. Convert 20 minutes into seconds
– Think about it? How many seconds are in a minute?
– 20 minutes x 60 s
1 min.
= 1,200 seconds in 20 minutes

Eg. Convert 3 hours into seconds

– Think about it? How many seconds are in an hour?

G. U. E. S. S. Method for Solving Problems

• Use the G. U. E. S. S. method to solve problems.
G: Given
U: Unknown
E: Equation
S: Substitution
S: Solution
Example 1:
• How much time does it take for 80 C to pass through a light that draws on 0.4 amperes?

Example 2:
• How many electric charges pass through an appliance that draws 40 Amps over 30 minutes?

From Static to Current Electricity

What is static electricity? What is current electricity?

Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science

• Electric charge builds up • Electrons flow

on an object
• The charge is ________
• Electrons move when
discharged to another
object by contact
• Electrons move through a conductor
such as a wire
• Moves from the negative to the
positive
• Requires _________ to move the
electrons

Chemical reactions in the cell constantly produce free electrons –

accumulate on ___________________ electrode.
Electrons move from the (-) electrode (repelled) through the
conducting loop to the (+) electrode (_____________________).
_________________: Tool to measure the electric current in a circuit.

Electric Current and Hazards

0.8A – charge needed to light a 100W bulb
0.2 A – severe burns, heart stops, lungs stop.
(“let go” threshold)
0.02 A – breathing affected, muscles contract
0.002 A – muscles tingle.

Dry Cell:
- Electrolyte is a thick paste (acid or salt).
- Makes for easy handling – batteries.

Voltage:
Rod: + electrode
electrolyt
(cathode)
Units are volts (V) – measured by a e paste
voltmeter
Energy per 1 coulomb of e- = 1 V Casing: - electrode
550 V – potential energy of a Power
(anode)
station.
120 V – potential energy of home wall outlet.
9V – smoke alarm battery
1.6 V – AA battery

Review:
Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science
- Metals or electrolytes allow electrons to flow.
- Electric current is the movement of electrons in a circuit.
- Cells have positive and negative electrodes.
- Electrons build up on the negative electrode.
- Current is the amount of e- moving – coulomb
- Current is measured in Amperes.
- Voltage is the difference between the potential energy of electrons at two point in circuit.
- Voltage is measured in Volts.
- Circuits can been drawn in symbols – schematic.

Assignment: Current Word Problems

Lesson 7: Electrical Potential

• Why is it safe to touch a 1.5 volt battery at both ends but it is not safe to touch two wires
sticking out of a 120 volt outlet?
• In both cases, you are completing a circuit. But in the case of the 1.5 volt battery, the amount
of energy each electron has is much less than that of the electrons leaving the outlet.
• The amount of _______________________________ is higher in the 120 volt outlet.

Electrical Potential Energy

• The ____________________ the potential energy of a power source, the greater the force applied
to the electrical ____________ in the circuit.
• This is why a 1.5 volt battery will not light a 60 watt bulb. The electrons leaving the battery
do not have enough energy to create light.
• We can describe potential energy as ________________________. Once the stored energy or
potential energy is released it is capable of doing work.

Potential Difference
• ____________________________________is the difference of electrical potential between two points of
an electrical circuit.
• The greater the potential ________________________ between two points, the greater the current
that will flow between them.
• _________________ (Volts (V)) is the difference between the potential energy of electrons at two
points in a circuit.
• Voltage is measured with a voltmeter.
Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science
Potential Difference Analogy
• A waterfall is used, as a model, to demonstrate voltage. Water flows when there is a change
in the gravitational potential
energy (elevation). Electricity
will not flow unless there is a
change in electrical potential
(voltage). The higher the
voltage, the higher the waterfall
(or water tower).

Measuring Electric Potential

Symbol What does it mean? Units
V Difference in electric potential energy per unit charge Volts(V)
measured at two different points.
Q Charge Coulombs (C)
E Energy Joules (j)

• An easy way to calculate electrical potential is by using the following equation:

• The triangle can be put into three equations:

Example 1: A battery converts 1200 joules of chemical energy into electrical energy. This places 15
coulombs of negative charge at the negative terminal. What is the potential difference between the
negative and positive terminals of the battery?

Example 2: If a gas generator produces 85 volts with a charge of 12 coulombs at the negative terminal, how
many joules of energy are produced?
Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science

Potential Difference
• To establish an electric potential difference between two charges we separate them. Again,
if we release them they are attracted to each other. Generally, positive charges are fixed, so
it is the negative charges that move. As soon as the charges move together we lose our
potential.
• If we can continually add charges and let them flow through a conductor we have an electric
current. To maintain an electric current we must maintain a potential difference by adding
charge at one end of the conductor.
• We use the word voltage (volts (V)) to tell us how much energy is needed to do the work of
moving electrons through the circuit.

Assignment: Potential Energy Word Problems

Lesson 8: Resistance & Ohms Law

Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science
• In order for us to use electricity, electrical energy is ______________ into heat, sound, light, and
mechanical energy. Devices used to do this are called _________________________________.

Electrical Resistance
1. Energized electrons flow through a circuit. They transfer energy to the conductors and to
the _____________________________________
2. The ability of conductors and electrical loads to slow down the flow of electrons is called
electrical resistance(R).
3. A ___________________ is a component of an electrical load that resists the passage of
electrons (electrical current) and converts electrical energy into other forms (ex. filament of
light bulb).
4. Resistors are sometimes used to reduce the energy of a circuit for _______________ reasons.
5. Electrical resistance causes a loss of electric potential (voltage).
6. Electrical Resistance (R) is measured in _________________ Ω.

Resistance Analogy
 A neat analogy to help understand these terms is a system of plumbing pipes. The voltage
is equivalent to the water pressure, the current is equivalent to the flow rate, and the
resistance is like the pipe size.

Ohms Law
Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science
• ___________________________ was a scientist who experimented with electricity and resistance.
The unit of resistance, called ohms, was named after him. While he was experimenting with
electricity, he discovered a law that links amperes, volts, and ohms. This law is called Ohm’s
Law.

Calculating Ohm’s Law

• An easy way to calculate resistance is by using the following equation:

V= Volts
I= Current (Measured in Amps)
R= Resistance

• The triangle can be put into three equations:

Example 1: A bulb that has 2.4 A flowing through it, has a resistance of 16 Ω. Calculate the voltage
drop (energy lost by the electrons to light up the bulb) across the load.

Example 2: A 9 V battery is hooked up to a metal wire to make a circuit. If the metal wire has a
resistance of 6.5 Ω, calculate the current in the wire.

Voltmeter:
Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science
• Placed ________________ across the circuit
• Measures potential drop of the load.

Ammeter:
• Placed in _______________ with the circuit.
• Measures current traveling through.

Resistors in Series
• Current is the ______________ through each resistor.
• Voltage across each resistor is different.
• Total resistance of the circuit equals the added up values of the individual resistors:

Equivalent resistance of resistors in series :

R = R1 + R2 + R3 + ...
If the values of the three resistors are:
R1 = 8 Ω 10 V
R1 = 8 Ω
R1 = 4 Ω

Resistors in Parallel
• _____________ in a parallel circuit splits up.
• Voltage across each resistor in parallel is same.
• Total resistance of the circuit equals the added up reciprocals of the resistance values, and
then taking the reciprocal of the total:
Equivalent resistance of resistors in parallel: 1 / R = 1 / R1 + 1 / R2 + 1 / R3 +...

If the values of the three resistors are:

R1 = 8 Ω
R1 = 8 Ω
R1 = 4 Ω 10 V

Amount of current through each resistor depends on the resistance:

Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science
Individual currents can be found with V = IR:
I1 = 10 / 8
I2 = 10 / 8
I3 = 10 / 4
Note that the currents add together to 5 A, the total current.

Assignment: Resistance Word Problems

Extra Word Problems
QUIZ NEXT CLASS

Lesson 9: Circuits
• A _________________ is a pathway that allows the flow of electricity.
• Most electrical circuits use wires (as conductors), although others may use gases, other
fluids or materials.
• A circuit consists of an energy source, a load, a connector, and an electric circuit control
device.
Parts of an Electric Circuit

Part of Circuit Function Examples 

 Energy Source Provide energy to the electrical Batteries, generators, nuclear

Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science
load in the circuit. power plants, etc.

 Connectors Provide a controlled path for Connecting wires, copper

electric current to flow to each
  part of the circuit.
Convert electrical energy into
 Load
whatever form we need.
strips on printed circuit
boards.
Toaster, lamp, stereo, stove,
microwave, etc.

Electric Circuit Control To control the flow of electric Switches, automatic timers,
Device current in the circuit. thermostats, etc.

• Electric current flows in a continuous loop from the ___________________________________ of the

cell, through the wires, the switch, and the electric load (light), and returns to the cell at the
____________________________________.
• From NEGATIVE  Positive

Closed Circuit
A circuit in which everything is __________________________ and current is flowing.

Open Circuit

Series Circuit
Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science
 A series circuit is when the elements in a circuit are connected so that there is only a
__________________________________ for the current to flow.

Characteristics of a Series Circuit

1. As each load is added to a series circuit, the total ______________________ of the circuit increases. If
the voltage remains the same and the resistance increases, the __________________ flowing in the circuit
decreases.
2. The electric current is the same in all parts of the circuit.
3. If the path of the current in a series circuit is ___________________ at any point, the current stops
flowing (If _____________________ goes out, all bulbs go out).
4. Each time a dry cell is connected in series, the voltage is increased by 1.5V (Voltage is the sum
of the cells in series).
• 2 - 1.5 volts cells in series = 3.0 volts in the circuit.

Schematic Drawing
Make sure to show
positive and negative ends.

Parallel Circuit
A parallel circuit is when the elements in a circuit are connected in such a
way that there is ____________________________________________ for the current to
flow.

Characteristics of a Parallel Circuit

Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science
1. Each separate circuit is called a _____________________________ because each one is connected to its
own branch circuit, it does not affect the other ones (if one lamp goes out, the others stay lit.)
2. Note that each time another bulb is added in parallel to the circuit, the __________________ from the
battery increases. In any parallel circuit, the total current flowing from the source of the electrical
energy equals the sum of all the separate branch currents in the circuit.
3. An interesting effect of connecting loads in parallel is that the total current always
___________________ when you add another load.

Drawing Schematic

Circuit Symbols
Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science
Lesson 10: Electrical Power
Electrical Power
______________________________ is the rate at which electrical energy is being used by a circuit/load.
• Note: The rate of an appliance using electrical energy varies. Refrigerators use more energy
because they run all the time.

3 Formula’s for Calculating Energy Consumption

Note: There are three formula's generally used for calculating energy consumption. Some situations
will require us to find ______________ in the first equation, then we can use it to find time or energy in
the second equation.

Steps to follow:
1. Choose the appropriate formula.
2. Make sure all the units are correct in your equation.
3. Use the G.U.E.S.S. method to solve the problems.

Calculating Electrical Power – Formula 1

Symbol What does it mean? Units

P Power Watts (w)
I Current Amps (A)
V Potential Difference Volts (V)

• An easy way to calculate power is by using the following equation:

• The triangle can be put into three equations:

Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science

• Example 1: An electric kettle uses 120 volts and 15 amps. How much power is used?

• Example 2: An electric toaster uses 960 watts of power on an 8 amp electrical line. What is the
voltage in the line?

• Example 3: A hair dryer uses 120 volts and 1,200 watts of power. How much current in
amps does it use?

Calculating Energy Consumption Formula 2 and 3

Symbol What does it mean? Units

P Power Watts (W)

P Power Kilowatts (kW)

E Energy Joules (J)

E Energy Kilowatt-hours (kWh)

T Time Seconds (s)

T Time Hours (H)

OR
Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science
• An easy way to calculate energy consumption is by using the following equation:

• The triangle can be put into three equations:

• Note: Because we use large amounts of energy joules and seconds are not practical
measurements; the numbers would be TOO big!!!!
• Instead we use hours and kilowatts-hours.
Helpful Conversions
• kilowatts to watts multiply by 1000
Ex. 0.5 kW = 0.5 x 1000 = 500 watts
• watts to kilowatts divide by 1000
Ex. 500 W/1000 = 0.5 kilowatts
• watts to joules multiply watts by seconds
Ex. 30W x 3s = 90 Joules
• joules to watts we divide joules by the seconds
Ex. 90 J/3 = 30watts
• kilowatts to kilowatt hours multiply kilowatts by hours
Ex. 5kW × 3h = 15 kWh
• kilowatt hours to kilowatts divide kilowatt hours by hours
Ex. 15 kWh / 3 h = 5 kW
• To calculate watts multiply volts by amps
Ex. 7.5A X 120V = 900 watts

Assignment: Energy Consumption Word Problems

Handout: Energy Consumption Formula Overview Handout

Calculating Electrical Energy Costs for Appliances

• kWh x unit cost = amount owing to MB Hydro
• Example 1: I have a 100 watt light bulb on my front porch that is turned on approximately 5 hours
every evening. How much do I pay each month on my electric bill for this appliance if it costs $0.10
per kilowatt?
Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science
(watts  kilowatts = divide by 1000)

• Example 2: I have a 12 cup coffee maker that is on approximately 2 hours every morning. The label
on the bottom of the coffee maker reads 7.5 amps, 120 volts. How much do you pay on your electric
bill each month for this appliance?

Watts = volts x amps

Assignment: Appliance Power Costs

Reading your Hydro
Meter
• If the dial hand is between two numbers,
record the LOWER number
• If the dial is between 9 and 0 then 9 is the
lower number
If the dial is between 0 and 1 then 0 is the lower
number

Example 1:

Example 2:
Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science

What to look for when buying an appliance?

1. The annual energy consumption of this appliance
2. The energy consumption indicator. Shows you how this model
compares to others in its class
3. This bar shows you the energy consumption of the most &
least energy efficient models in its class

• Example 1 – Find the time in seconds if an electric hair dryer uses 1200 watts power and
84,000 joules of energy.

• Example 2 – Find the power in watts if a microwave uses 105,00 joules of energy for 75
seconds to cook our pizza pop.

• Example 3: An electric toaster uses 10 amps of current at 120 volts.

a) Find the power in watts that is used by the toaster.

b) Find the energy in joules used by the toaster in one minute

Mrs. Hinrichs Grade 9 Science

c) Find the energy in joules used by the toaster if it is used for 6 minutes.