Ch. 6 Electricity Flashcards
Electric field
Is a region around a charged objects where the objects.
Electric force
The fore between charged objects.
Static electricity
In static electricity,charges build up on an object, but they do not flow continuously.
Conservation of charged
An object can’t become charged by destroying or creating its own electrons.
Friction
Is the transfer of electrons from one uncharged objects to together.
Conduction
Is the transfer of electrons from one object to another by direct contact.
Induction
The opposite happens if the other object is positively charged
Polarization
The process through which electrons are attracted to or repelled by an external electric field, causing the electrons to move within their own atoms.
Static discharge
The loss of static electricity as electric charges transfer from one object to another.
Electric current
The continuous flow of electric charges through a material.
Conductors
A material that conducts heat well. 2. A material that allows electric charges to flow.
Insulators
A material that does not conduct heat well. 2. A material that does not easily allow electric charges to flow.
Voltage
The difference in electrical potential energy per charge between two places in a circuit.
Resistance
The measurement of how difficult it is for charges to flow through an object.
Ohm’s law
The law that states that resistance in a circuit is equal to voltage divided by current.
Series circuit
An electric circuit in which all parts are connected one after another along one path.
Parallel circuit
An electric circuit in which different parts of the circuit are on separate branches.
Short circuit
A connection that allows current to take the path of least resistance.
Third prong
The round prong of a plug that connects any metal pieces in an appliance to the safety grounding wire of a building.
Grounded
Allowing charges to flow directly from the circuit into the building’s ground wire and then into Earth in the event of a short circuit.
Fused
A safety device with a thin metal strip that will melt if too much current passes through a circuit.
Circuit breakers
A reusable safety switch that breaks the circuit when the current becomes too high.
