Circuits Definitions Flashcards
Current
The amount of charge passing a fixed point in a circuit per unit time
Charge
The quantity of charge that passes any section of a conductor in 1 sec when 1A of current is flowing
Kirchhoffs 1st Law
Any point in an electrical circuit the sum of currents entering that point is equal to the sum of currents leaving that point
Conservation of charge
Potential Difference
Energy converted from electrical energy to other forms of energy per unit charge.
EMF
Electromotive Force
Energy from a cell or battery or other that is transferred to electrical energy per unit charge
Kirchhoffs 2nd Law
The sum of the EMF equals the sum of the PDs around a closed loop
Conservation of energy
Resistance
The ratio of PD across a conductor to the current flowing through it
Drift Velocity
Speed of electron migration through a conductor
Attracted to positive terminal
Collide constantly
I = nAve
Current = !!!!! charge carriers per m^3 !!!!!!
x area x velocity x e
Potential Divider
A pair of resistors in series which will divide the pd between them depending on their resistance ratio.
Resitivty
Electrical property of material that determines resistance.
Internal Resistabce
Resistance within battery or other pd source that causes drop in emf when there is current
Electrolytes
Liquids that can carry current, not flow of electrons but ions. Molten ionic compound or ionic solution.
Power
Rate of energy transfer by each electrical component.
Lost Volts
Energy wasted per coulomb overcoming internal resistance
Intensity (circuits)
Energy per unit area per second
