Electricity and Magnetism Jeopardy

This is the term for a complete, unbroken loop through which electric current can flow.

What is a circuit?

In this type of circuit, all parts are connected along a single loop, so if one bulb goes out, the whole circuit stops working.

What is a series circuit?

In this type of circuit, parts are connected along multiple branches, so each part can keep working even if another one fails.

What is a parallel circuit?

This device is used to open or close a circuit, turning the flow of current on or off.

What is a switch?

This is the basic unit used to measure the rate of electric current flowing through a circuit.

What is an ampere?

This term describes a material, such as copper or other metals, that allows electric current to flow through it easily.

What is a conductor?

This term describes a material, such as rubber or plastic, that strongly resists the flow of electric current.

What is an insulator?

This precious yellow metal is an excellent conductor of electricity and is sometimes used to plate the connectors on high-quality cables.

What is gold?

Pure water is actually a fairly poor conductor, but dissolving this substance, found in table salt and sea water, in it makes it conduct electricity much better.

What is salt?

This nonmetal element, the basis of pencil lead in the form of graphite, is unusual among nonmetals because it conducts electricity.

What is carbon?

Every magnet has two of these, a north and a south, where the magnetic force is strongest.

What are poles?

This is what happens when two magnets are brought together so their two north poles, or their two south poles, face each other.

What is repulsion?

This metal, along with cobalt and nickel, is one of only a few elements strongly attracted to magnets at room temperature.

What is iron?

This invisible region surrounding a magnet, where its magnetic force can be felt, is often mapped out using iron filings.

What is a magnetic field?

This layer deep inside Earth, made of swirling liquid iron and nickel, is believed to generate the planet's magnetic field.

What is the outer core?

This type of magnet is temporary and can be switched on and off, created by running electric current through a coil of wire.

What is an electromagnet?

Wrapping a wire into this coiled shape, and running current through it, creates a magnetic field much like a bar magnet's.

What is a coil?

Placing this material, such as an iron nail, inside a wire coil dramatically strengthens the resulting electromagnet's field.

What is an iron core?

This everyday device uses an electromagnet to convert electrical energy into spinning mechanical motion, powering everything from fans to washing machines.

What is an electric motor?

This large, industrial electromagnet, often seen at scrapyards, is powerful enough to lift entire cars and can release its load simply by switching off the current.

What is an electromagnetic crane?

This buildup of electric charge on the surface of an object, often caused by rubbing two materials together, can make your hair stand up or give you a small shock.

What is static electricity?

These tiny, negatively charged particles are the ones that actually move from one object to another when you rub a balloon on your hair.

What are electrons?

On a dry day, walking across a carpet can build up a charge on your body that suddenly jumps to a doorknob, giving you this brief, familiar zap.

What is a static shock?

This dramatic natural example of static electricity discharging between a cloud and the ground can carry millions of volts and reach temperatures hotter than the surface of the Sun.

What is lightning?

This machine, often used in science demonstrations, uses a moving rubber belt to build up a very high static charge, making a person's hair stand on end when they touch its metal dome.

What is a Van de Graaff generator?

This American statesman and scientist famously flew a kite in a thunderstorm in 1752 to study the electrical nature of lightning.

Who is Benjamin Franklin?

This Italian scientist invented the first electric battery, called the voltaic pile, in 1800.

Who is Alessandro Volta?

This English scientist discovered electromagnetic induction and built the first electric generator, and the SI unit of capacitance is named for him.

Who is Michael Faraday?

This Scottish-born inventor, famous for a communication device, also carried out early experiments with electricity and sound.

Who is Alexander Graham Bell?

This American inventor and businessman developed a practical, long-lasting incandescent light bulb and held over a thousand patents.

Who is Thomas Edison?