Chapter 3 - Electricity Flashcards
a path for electrons to follow, consisting of a power supply, one or more loads, and conductors joining the power supply and loads.
Electrical circuit
device used to measure the voltage across a component in a circuit. Voltmeters are placed in parallel with the components.
Voltmeter
device used to measure the amount of current in a circuit. Ammeters are placed in series with other components in a circuit.
Ammeter
a path for electrons to follow, consisting of a power supply, one or more loads, and conductors joining the power supply and loads.
Electric circuit
physical property of matter that causes it to experience a force when near other electrically charged matter. Electric charge can be positive or negative.
Electric charge
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.
Nucleus
negatively charged, very light particles in an atom. Electrons move around the nucleus of the atom.
Electrons
the charge on an atom or object with more electrons than protons.
Negative electric charge
positively charged particles found in the nucleus of an atom.
Protons
the charge on an atom or object with fewer electrons than protons.
Positive electric charge
particles with no electrical charge that are found in the nucleus of an atom.
Neutrons
having more protons than electrons (more positive charges than negative charges).
Positively charged
having more electrons than protons (more negative charges than positive charges).
Negatively charged
having the same number of protons and electrons.
Neutral
a build-up of charge in one place.
Static electricity
a device that can provide an electric current.
Power supply
that uses electrical energy and converts it into other forms of energy.
Load
connected series of materials along which an electric current can flow.
Conducting path
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.
Electric current
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.
Filament
device that opens and closes the conducting path through which a current flows.
Switch
measure of the electrical energy required for an electric current to pass through an object. The energy is changed to heat.
Resistance
diagram using symbols to show the parts of an electric circuit.
Circuit diagram
a circuit with the components joined one after the other in a single continuous loop.
Series circuit
