Chapter 3 Flashcards
A flow of charged particles produces an [ ]
Electric current
Each electron has the same [ ] measured in [ ]
Charge (Q)
Coulombs (C)
What equation links I, Q and t?
I = ΔQ/Δt
Current is measured in [ ]
Amperes (A)
The [ ] is the same at all points along the stream of [ ]
current
charged particles
Describe current when a wire forks
The current splits
I = I₁+I₂
What is Kirchhoff’s first law?
That the current at a junction must add up
When will charges move?
When attracted by charges of the opposite sign or when repelled by charges of the same sign
What happens inside a battery cell?
Chemical reactions produce an electrical potential energy difference between the 2 terminals resulting in a +ve charged terminal and a -ve charged terminal
If the poles of the cell are joined by a [ ], charges will flow
conducting path
Describe which charges flow in which directions
+ve charges flow from the +ve pole to the -ve pole, and -ve charges move the other way
Which charges are more likely in circuits?
As metals contain free electrons, which are -ve charged, the movement of -ve charges is more usual in a circuit
When charges move between 2 points in a circuit, their [ ] changes by amount ΔE
electrical potential energy
What is the equation of voltage (Using E,Q and W)?
V = ΔE / Q = W/Q
The P.d between ends of a wire will [ ] the free elctrons
Accelerate
What obstructs the free electrons moving down a wire?
By their interactions with the +ve ion cores of the metal atoms, so they don’t gain kinetic energy
What does the p.d lost by electrons obstructing do? What’s this called?
The p.d lost does work on the wire, heating it
This ‘wasted’ energy is called dissipation and the process is called ‘Joule Heating’
What is power?
It is the rate at which energy is transferred