Circuits Flashcards
What does an ammeter measure?
The flow of electrons
What does a voltmeter measure?
Measures the voltage (the energy)
What does a FIXED resistor do?
reduces the current
What does a VARIABLE resistor do?
reduces the current- can be changed
What does an LDR do?
Dark=high resistance=low current
Light=low resistance=high current
What does a thermistor do?
Cold=high resistance=low current
Hot=low resistance=high current
What does a diode do?
Only lets current flow one direction. Can change alternating current into direct current.
What happens to the voltage in a SERIES circuit?
Will share depending on how many components there are
What will happen to the voltage in a PARALLEL circuit?
treat each loop separately = one bulb on the loop = voltage doesn’t share. More than one bulb = voltage does share.
What will happen to the current in a PARALLEL circuit?
Current splits at a junction.
What will happen to the current in a SERIES circuit?
Current is the same everywhere.
What is the heating effect?
*As current flows through a wire, the electrons collide with the ions.
*This causes friction generating waste heat.
*Now its heating up the ions start to vibrate.
*This causes the resistance to increase because the electrons now struggle to flow through.
What is the brown wire?
Live wire
carries 230volts
found on the right
What is the stripy wire?
Earth wire
It attaches the casing to the Earth. If there is a fault instead of the casing becoming live the current flows to Earth.
Found at the top
What is the blue wire?
Neutral wire
it completes the circuit carrying 0V electricity back.
Found on the left
