4) Electricity Flashcards
Current electricity
Form of energy that involves movement of electrons from one atom to another
As electrons are negative charged, they move towards positively charged areas, creating an electrical current
Insulator
Material which doesn’t allow electrons to pass through it
Conductor
material which allows electrons to pass
Static electricity
Not moving - where electrons collect on the surface of an object (typically an insulator)
All 9 types of energy
Electrical
Kinetic
Sound
Light
Heat
Gravitational potential
Chemical potential
Nuclear
Elastic potential
Series circuit
All components are connected end-to-end, forming a single path for current flow
Current
rate of flow of charge in a circuit
Unit - Amps (A)
Voltage
measure of energy carried by the charge (electrons)
Units - Volts (V)
Different between current in a series/parallel circuit
In a series circuit - current is the SAME at any point
In a parallel circuit - current SPLITS UP down each “stand/path/loop”.
Different between voltage in a series/parallel circuit
In a series circuit - voltage SPLITS UP over each component
In a parallel circuit - voltage is SAME across each “strand/path/loop”.
Resistance
Measure of how much a material tries to stop electricity passing through it
Units - Ohms (Ω)
What does resistance do
As resistance increases, the flow of electrons through the wire decreases, or slows down.
Resistance in insulators / conductors
Insulators have HIGH resistance and conductors have LOW resistance
Forces
Cannot be seen but you can see how a force affects an object
Twist/push/pull
Unit - Newtons (N)
Forces act in pairs (Support/weight, friction/thrust)
What does friction do
Friction always tries to slow objects down
