Charge and Current Flashcards
What is electric current?
The rate of flow of electric charge
What is the unit for current?
Amperes (A)
How do you measure current?
With ammeters connected in series with the component being measured
What is charge?
The flow of electrons
How do you calculate charge?
Charge = Current X Time
What is the current like in a series circuit?
The current is the same at any point, so all components in the series circuit will have the same current
What can lead to a change in amount of current flowing?
The voltage
The amount of components
What does increasing levels of voltage do to the current in a series circuit?
As voltage increases more current goes around the circuit. And vice versa
What does increasing the amount of componets do to the current in a series circuit?
Increasing the amount of components, leads to higher resistance. Hence less current flows through the circuit
What is current like in a parallel circuit?
-The total current is larger that the individual current in the branches
-The sum of the current in branches is equal to the total current in the circuit
-Current is conserved at junctions
What does current being “conserved” at junctions mean?
The amount of current flowing into the junction is equal to the amount flowing out of it
