Contents
Key Stage 2
Meaning
Lightning is electricity travelling through the air.
Electricity is a way that energy can be moved from one place to another.
About Electricity
- We use electricity to power appliances in the home.
- Electricity usually flows through metal wires.
- Sometimes electricity travels through the air. If it travels a short distance it is called a spark. If it travels from the clouds to the ground it is called lightning.
- If electricity travels through an animal the animal feels an electrical shock.
Key Stage 3
Meaning
Electricity is a flow of electrons that allows energy to be transferred (usually along a wire) from one Energy Store to another.
About Electricity
- Different Electrical Components can transfer energy to different Energy Stores or can cause other Energy Transfers.
Examples
| Filament Bulb | Buzzer | Motor |
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| Electricity transfers energy into the Thermal Energy Store of the filament inside the bulb. Some energy is then transferred away from the bulb by light radiation. | Electricity causes the buzzer to transfer energy away by sound radiation. It also transfers energy into the Thermal Energy Store of the buzzer as the buzzer gets hotter. | Electricity transfers energy into the Kinetic Energy Store of the motor when it accelerates. It also transfers energy into the Thermal Energy Store of the motor as the motor gets hotter. If the motor is used to lift an object then energy is transferred into the Gravitational Potential Energy Store of the object. |