Week 6: Electricity and Conductors

Students classify objects into categories of conductor or insulator. Which group correctly classifies the objects?

• Group 1

• Group 2

• Group 3

• Group 4

Hair dryers are electric, handheld appliances designed to dry damp hair by speeding the evaporation process. Which of the following statements best explains why hair dryers should never be used near water?

• Water is an insulator and will cause the electricity to stop flowing from the outlet to the hair dryer.

• Water will cause the metal parts of the hair dryer to rust over time and stop working.

• Water is a conductor of electricity and the person holding the hair dryer could be shocked.

• None of the above

Which statement best explains why most electrical wires are coated with plastic?

• The wire is an insulator of electricity and the plastic coating provides protection.

• The wire is a conductor of electricity and the plastic coating insulates the electricity to provide protection.

• The plastic coating covers the wire inside so that it will not become tangled and difficult to use.

• The plastic coating provides a stronger current of electricity for the appliance.

Which of the following is an example of an insulator?

• Copper pan

• Glass window

• Metal fork

• Iron nail

A student and his mother are making macaroni and cheese. They are using a metal pan to boil water on the stove. The student notices that the handle of the pan is covered in rubber. The reason the handle is covered in rubber is most likely because —

• the metal pan is too heavy and the rubber covering lightens the mass

• the rubber covering is a conductor and helps heat the metal pan

• the metal pan is both a conductor and an insulator

• the rubber covering is an insulator and keeps the handle from becoming too hot

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-3

Students collect data to discover the difference between conductors and insulators. They test various objects and classify them as conductors or insulators. Which is the best choice for recording information collected during this investigation?

• Line graph

• Pie chart

• Table

• Bar graph

A student makes the following statement: "Plastic toy cars are better insulators than metal toy cars." Which investigation will best determine if the statement is true?

• Place one plastic and one metal toy car outside in the sun. Use a Celsius thermometer to measure the temperature of both cars and compare the temperatures of the plastic car to the metal car.

• Place one plastic and one metal toy car in the freezer for 5 minutes. Touch the cars to determine which is warmer.

• Place many types of plastic and metal toy cars in the freezer for 30 seconds. Touch each of the cars to compare the temperatures of the plastic cars to the metal cars.

• Place many types of plastic and metal toys outside in the sun. Use a Celsius thermometer to measure the temperature of each toy and compare the temperatures of the plastic toys to the metal toys.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-4

NGSS.MS-PS3-4

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Fourth-grade students test different containers for their ability to insulate thermal energy. Students use a cardboard shoebox to create a solar cooker. The temperatures in the cooker are observed throughout the day. Which statement describes the data students collected with their solar cooker?

• Every two hours the temperature in the cardboard solar oven doubled.

• The cardboard shoebox was an efficient insulator of thermal energy, allowing temperatures to rise.

• The solar cooker was unable to maintain enough heat to cook food.

• The cardboard shoebox was not an efficient insulator of solar energy, causing temperatures to decrease.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-4

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Lewis Latimer was an African-American inventor who developed a better way to make lightbulb filaments in the 1880s. He worked for Thomas Edison and became one of the first members of the Edison Pioneers. Lewis Latimer contributed to the further development of —

• the telegraph

• the electric lamp

• the airplane

• the telescope

What is the main purpose of using a Celsius thermometer in the investigation about toy cars?

• To measure the weight of the cars

• To measure the temperature of the cars

• To measure the speed of the cars

• To measure the size of the cars

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-4