Chapter 6: Electricity Flashcards
the accumulation of excess electric charge on an object
static electricity
states that charge can be transferred from object to object, but it cannot be created or destroyed
law of conservation of charge
surrounds every electric charge and exerts the force that causes other electric charges to be attracted or repelled
electric field
a material through which electrons move easily
conductor
a material in which electrons are not able to move easily
insulator
the process of transferring charge by touching or rubbing
charging by contact
the rearrangement of electrons on a neutral object caused by a nearby charged object
charging by induction
a device that can detect electric charge
electroscope
the net movement of electric charges in a single direction
electric current
related to the force that causes electric charges to flow; amount of energy that charge carriers have between two points in a circuit
voltage difference
a closed path that electric current follows
electric circuit
the tendency for a material to resist the flow of electrons and to convert electrical energy into other forms of energy (ex. thermal energy)
resistance
according to this law, the current in a circuit equals the voltage difference divided by the resistance
Ohm’s law
an electric circuit with only one branch
series circuit
contain two or more branches for current
parallel circuits
