Chapter 10 - Electricty Flashcards
circuit
a path for electrons to follow, consisting of a power supply, one or more loads, and conductors joining the power supply and loads
Electric Charge
physical property of matter that causes it to experience a force when near other electrically charged matter. Electric charge can be positive or negative.
Nucleus
central part of an atom, made up of protons and neutrons; roundish structure inside a cell that acts as the control centre for the cell. Plural = nuclei.
Electrons
negatively charged, very light particles in an atom. Electrons move around the nucleus of the atom.
Negative electric charge
the charge on an atom or object with more electrons than protons
Protons
positively charged particles found in the nucleus of an atom
Positive electric charge
the charge on an atom or object with fewer electrons than protons
Neutrons
particles with no electrical charge that are found in the nucleus of an atom
Positively charged
having more protons than electrons (more positive charges than negative charges)
Negatively charged
having more electrons than protons (more negative charges than positive charges)
Neutral
having the same number of protons and electrons
Static electricity
build-up of charge in one place
Power supply
a device that can provide an electric current
Load
device that uses electrical energy and converts it into other forms of energy
Conducting path
connected series of materials along which an electric current can flow
Electric current
A measure of the number of electrons flowing through a circuit every second. An increase in current means an increase in the rate of flow of electrons in the circuit.
Filament
coil of wire made from a metal that glows brightly when it gets hot. The filaments in light globes heat up when electricity flows through them.
Switch
device that opens and closes the conducting path through which a current flows
Resistance
measure of the electrical energy required for an electric current to pass through an object. The energy is changed to heat.
Circuit diagrams
diagram using symbols to show the parts of an electric circuit
Electric current
The flow of electrons, measured by an ammeter and in units of amperes and Amos
Series circuit
A circuit with the components joined one after the other in a single continuous loop
Parallel circuit
a circuit that has more than one path for electricity to flow through. If one of the paths has a break in it, the others will still work.
Ammeter
device used to measure the amount of current in a circuit. Ammeters are placed in series with other components in a circuit.
Parallax error
error caused by reading a scale at an angle rather than placing it directly in front of the eye
Voltmeter
device used to measure the voltage across a component in a circuit. Voltmeters are placed in parallel with the components.
Random errors
an error that occurs due to estimation when reading scales, or when the quantity being measured changes randomly
Systematic errors
errors that are consistently high or low due to the incorrect use or limitations of equipment
Resistance
Is the slowing down and reduction of electrons flowing thorough a circuit
Insulators
Material tightly bound, electrons dont transmit electrical energy
Voltage
The amount of energy needed to make electrical charge from one point to another
Current
Is how much and how quick and electric charge passes by a certain point in a conductor
Watt
A unit of power that measures how quickly energy is being used in a circuit
Resistance
A measure of how difficult it is for an electron to travel/flow
Ohms law
Current travelling through a circuit is proportional to the voltage drop across the resistance.
Conductor
A material or device that conducts or transmits heat or electricity, especially when regarded in term of its capacity to do this.
Friction
The resistance that one surface or object encounters when moving over another
Electric motor
Converts electrical energy to mechanical
Magnetic field
A region around a magnetic material or a moving electrical charge within witch the force of the magnetism acts
Electro magnet
A soft metal core made into a magnet by the passage of electric current through a coil surrounding it.
