11.1 Electrical Energy and Power Plants Flashcards
Electricity
refers to electrical energy and the movement of charge
electrical power
the rate of transformation of electrical energy
kilowatt hour
measure of electrical energy
efficiency
a measure of how well a technology transforms energy
Electrostatics
The study of electric charges that are stationary. (not moving)
Electric Charge
property of matter that is responsible for all
electric and magnetic forces and interactions.
Electric charge is described as …
negative
or positive.
Static Electricity
A buildup of stationary electric charge on a
substance.
Matter is composed of sub-microscopic particles
called ______.
atoms
Electric charges are carried by particles within the
atom that are called ______and ______
electrons and protons.
Protons are found in a small central region of the
atom called the ________.
nucleus
protons are small, heavy
particles, and each one carries a positive electric
charge of a specific magnitude, called the
_______________.
elementary charge
If an atom gains an extra electron, it is no
longer neutral but has an excess of
electrons and a net negative charge. Such
an atom is called a negative _____.
ion
If an atom loses an electron, it will have a
deficit of electrons and a net positive
charge. Such an atom is called a positive
____.
ion
opposite electric charges…
attract
similar electric charges…
repel
charged objects (positive or neg)…
attract neutral objects
Charging an object involves the ____
or ______ of electrons.
addition; removal
If electrons are removed from an object,
the object will be charged …
positively
If electrons are added to an object the
object will be charged …
negatively
Conductors are solids in which charge
flows freely
examples of conductors
copper, gold
Insulators are solids that…
hinder the flow of charge
example of an insulator
rubber
Electric charges exert forces that can
______ and _____ each other even when
they are not in direct contact.
attract; repel
Every charged object creates an electric
_________ in the space around it and any
other charged object in that field will feel a
force of electrical _______ or __________.
field of force; attraction; repulsion
The electric field is represented by
drawing a many “field” lines around the
charged object.
Field lines show the _____ of the
electric force on a ______ test charge
placed at every point in the field.
direction; positive
Field lines closer together tell us the
electric field is very ________.
strong
The unit we use to measure electric
charge is called the ________.
Coulomb (C)
what number does e represent
e = 1.60 x 10^-19 Coulombs
Q
Q is the amount of charge on an object
(measured in Coulombs)
N
N is the number of elementary charges
When there are extra electrons, e and
Q are ________.
negative
When there are electrons missing, e and Q are
____________.
positive
_______ are continuous paths in which
electric current can flow.
Circuits
Circuits need to consist of a ______ loop
in which the electric charge can
continuously ______.
closed; move
If there is a break in
the path, the electrons will _____ flowing.
stop
battery function
Source of electric energy
wires function
Provide a path for the electrons to travel on.
resistor or load function
Uses up the energy – often dissipates it as heat.
voltmeter function
Measure electric potential difference
ammeter function
Measure electric current
Circuits are classified as either ________________ depending on how they are
connected.
parallel or series
series circuit
When a circuit is
connected in series,
there is only one way
the electrons can go.
parallel circuit
When a circuit is connected
in parallel, there is more
than one way the electrons
can go.
short circuit
A “short circuit” happens when electricity is allowed
to move through a path of least resistance, in
essence, not using up any energy.
