Chapter 8 - Charge & Current Flashcards
Define current
The rate of flow of (positive) charge.
Define 1 coulomb
The amount of charge that passes in 1 second at a current of 1 ampere.
Define mean drift velocity
The average velocity of electrons moving through a wire.
Why is drift velocity only an average?
Electrons will be moving in different directions at different speeds.
State Kirchoff’s first law
Total current entering a junction = total current leaving it.
What is the direction of flow of conventional current?
Positive to negative.
What is the elementary charge?
The charge of a proton (1.6x10^-19)
Why is the charge of an object always a multiple of e?
The number of electrons in an object is always an integer.
What are the charge carriers in an electrolyte?
Ions
What is the difference between conventional current and electron flow?
Electrons flow negative to positive, current flows positive to negative
How many charge carriers would a perfect insulator have?
Zero
