chapter 2 Flashcards
advantages of microsensors
unobstructive and convenient
how do charged particles move?
by other charged particles attracting and repelling them
define potential difference
the difference in electric potential between 2 points in a circuit
what is p.d measured in?
volts
what is 1 volt defined as?
1 joule of energy per coulomb of charge = 1 JC^-1
give 3 examples of potential difference
1) a dry cell: the chemical reaction drives electrons to one pole leaving positive charge at the other. the difference in distribution of charges creates a p.d between the poles
2) a storm cloud: strong air currents rub ice crystals against one another separating charges. the pd between top and bottom of the cloud can be millions of volts
3) a nerve cell: ‘pumps’ in the walls of the cell drive sodium ions outside the cell. This difference leads to a pd of about 70mV between inside and outside. Changes in this pd provide the electrical signals for our nerves
what makes potential difference?
uneven distributions of charge
how is a coulomb moved in a circuit?
the coulomb is pushed by electric forces generated by the battery. these forces grip it wherever it is in the circuit and drive it round, transferring electrical energy from the battery
why don’t charges get used up?
because they exist in the wires of a circuit at all times, but they are not moving. When a battery is connected to a circuit, it causes the charges to move from the positive terminal towards the negative terminal
why does current increase when voltage increases?
1 volt will give each coulomb of charge an energy of 1 joule. The charge will then travel around the circuit but only spends that energy when it comes across resistance in the circuit. so when voltage is increased, each charge receives more joules of energy to spend and travels around the circuit faster, so current increases as it is the rate of flow of charge
what happens when resistance increases in a circuit?
current decreases because it takes longer for the charges to spend their energy
equation for current, charge and time
current I = charge Q / time t
equation for pd
v= energy E / charge Q
what is power and its equation?
power is the rate of transfer of energy, the rate of work done, power = energy E/ time t p= W/ t
energy =
charge Q x voltageV
current =
number of ions arriving per second x charge
I= NQ
what is the mass of an electron?
9.1 x 10^ -31 kg
what is the charge on an electron?
1.6 x 10^-19 C
in 1 coulomb of charge, how many electrons are there?
6.2 x 10^18
what does 1 amp = in terms of electrons per time
6.2 x 10^18 electrons passing per second
why are electrons speed fast but their velocity is slow?
because, electrons move randomly due to the positively charged ions which they collide with and are attracted to and they collide with each other, so are constantly changing direction meaning their velocity is slow
what does an ammeter measure?
the amount of coulombs passing per second in amps- measuring the current in amps
if the ammeter has no resistance, how does this affect the circuit?
it doesn’t because you want as little voltage to be dropped as possible while conducting current so it doesn’t affect the circuit
what does a voltmeter measure?
the amount of energy each coulomb of charge has before the component and after
why do you want voltmeters to have high resistance?
to take a tiny amount of current to measure the difference in energy so it won’t affect the circuit
what does e stand for?
charge on 1 electron
1 amp=
1 Cs^-1
current and charge are related because?
current is the rate of flow of charge measure in coulombs per second= Amps so 1 A= 1C/ s
what is resistance?
The resistance of an electrical component is a measure of its opposition to current.
what is the equation for resistance?
R= V/I
what is conductance?
the inverse of resistance= it is the measure of how good an electrical conductor a component is
what is conductance measured in?
ohms ^-1 or siemans, S
what is the equation for conductance?
G= I/V = 1/ R
if a component has a resistance of 1 ohm and a pd of 1 v, what is the current flowing through it?
1A
if V=IR what does P=?
P= I^2 R and P= V^2/ R
what is power dissipation?
the rate that component converts electrical energy into other types of energy