Electric current

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/electric-current

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific definition?The rate of flow of electric charge, measured in amperes (A)
2. What is the primary charge carriers in metals?Electrons
3. Why do electrons move when we turn on a light?When we connect a battery or plug in a device, an electric field pushes the electrons, making them drift in a direction and create a current that powers the light.
4. How fast do electrons actually move in a wire?The electrons drift very slowly, only a few millimeters per second, but the electric field travels almost at the speed of light, so the light turns on right away.

Amperes (A): The standard unit of electric current, representing one coulomb of charge passing a point per second.
Resistance (R): A material's opposition to the flow of electric current, measured in ohms (Ω).
Semiconductor: A material with electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator, crucial for electronics.