Name ____________________________Class ___ Magnetism and Electricity Study Guide
1. Magnetism
 Only things made of iron/steel will stick to a magnet
 The force of magnetism is weaker when you put more distance between the magnet and
the object it is trying to attract
 Induced magnetism happens when an iron/steel object is stuck to a permanent magnet.
The object is induced (forced) to act like a magnet as long as it is in contact with the
permanent magnet.
 Induced magnets behave (act) like magnets – they stick to iron/steel.
2. Circuit Vocabulary
 The D-cell is the electric source
 The light or the motor is the electric receiver
 The switch opens and closes the circuit
 Closed circuits will allow electricity to flow (lights light, motors run). Open circuits
will NOT allow electricity to flow (no lights light, motors won’t run)
3. Electric Circuits
 Electricity leaves the negative end of the battery and returns to the positive end – it
flows in a complete circle called a circuit
 A complete circuit has a wire that touches the negative end and a wire that touches the
positive end of a battery. If all the wires touch only one end, the circuit is NOT complete
 More than one D-cell (battery) can be in a circuit. However, the opposite ends of the
batteries must be connected to each other. (negative to positive / positive to
negative) If the batteries have the same end connected to each other, electricity will NOT
flow
 Light bulbs give off light when their filaments get hot enough to glow. This happens
because thermal (heat) energy is created when the electricity is flowing.
 Electric circuits produce a magnetic force while the electricity is flowing.
4. Insulators and Conductors
 An insulator is any material that will NOT allow electricity to flow.
 The read plastic coating on the wires is an insulator.
 Straws, plastic, sponges and cardboard acted as insulators in our circuit.
 Conductors allow electricity to flow.
 Copper is a great conductor of electricity. That is why we used copper wires.
 When we tested for conductors and insulators, we used a circuit with a light bulb. If the
bulb lit up, we had a conductor. If the bulb would not light, we had an insulator.
5. Circuits and Magnetic Force
 When electricity flows through a circuit, a magnetic force is created.
 This magnetic force can be shown by holding a compass near the closed circuit. The
magnetic force in the circuit will cause the compass needle to move, spin, jiggle.
6. Electromagnets
 To make an electromagnet, we need electricity (D-cell), wires and a piece of iron/steel
 Electromagnets get stronger when the wire is wrapped MORE times around the steel.
That means that more winds = stronger electromagnets
 Wire wrapped around an iron nail will form an electromagnet ONLY WHEN electricity
is flowing through the wire
 In an electromagnet, the steel acts like a magnet and sticks to iron/steel because of the
magnetic force created by an electric circuit