ampere: A rate of electrical current equal to one coulomb per second.
battery: A device that can convert chemical energy into electrical energy.
biologist: A scientist involved in the study of living things.
capacitor: An electrical component used to store energy. Unlike batteries, which store energy chemically, capacitors store energy physically, in a form very much like static electricity.
circuit: A network that transmits electrical signals. In the body, nerve cells create circuits that relay electrical signals to the brain. In electronics, wires typically route those signals to activate some mechanical, computational or other function.
eel: A fish with a snake-like body and no scales. Many migrate from freshwater to salt water when it’s time to spawn.
electricity: A flow of charge, usually from the movement of negatively charged particles, called electrons.
LED: (short for light emitting diode) Electronic components that, as their name suggests, emit light when electricity flows through them. LEDs are very energy-efficient and often can be very bright. They have lately been replacing conventional lights for home and commercial lamps.
organ: (in biology) Various parts of an organism that perform one or more particular functions. For instance, an ovary is an organ that makes eggs, the brain is an organ that makes sense of nerve signals and a plant’s roots are organs that take in nutrients and moisture.
predator: (adjective: predatory) A creature that preys on other animals for most or all of its food.
prey: (n.) Animal species eaten by others. (v.) To attack and eat another species.
radar: A system for calculating the position, distance or other important characteristic of a distant object. It works by sending out periodic radio waves that bounce off of the object and then measuring how long it takes that bounced signal to return. Radar can detect moving objects, like airplanes. It also can be used to map the shape of land — even land covered by ice.
species: A group of similar organisms capable of producing offspring that can survive and reproduce.
TASER: A brand-name of version of a “conducted electrical weapon” used by police, the military, prisons, security guards and others. It sends out electrodes that deliver a stunning discharge of electricity into a person to incapacitate them. Such devices are popularly referred to as stun guns.
voltage: A force associated with an electric current that is measured in units known as volts. Power companies use high-voltage to move electric power over long distances.
