Current, Voltage & Circuits Flashcards
What is a series circuit?
The components are connected side by side, one after the other; ONLY ONE LOOP
What is a parallel circuit?
Each component is on a different branch.
What happens if you disconnect one component in a series circuit?
The whole circuit stops working.
What happens if you disconnect one component in a parallel circuit?
The other components are unaffected.
How is the total voltage shared in a series circuit?
The total voltage of the power supply is shared between the various components.
How is the total voltage in a parallel circuit?
The total voltage is available to every component.
What is the current like in a series circuit?
The current is the same everywhere.
What happens to the total current in a parallel circuit?
The total current splits up with some going along each branch.
What happens to the brightness of bulbs in a series circuit as more are added?
The bulbs get dimmer and dimmer as more are added.
What happens to the brightness of bulbs in a parallel circuit as more are added?
There is no change to the brightness of the bulbs as more are added.
What is an ammeter?
A device used for measuring current.
Is an ammeter or a voltmeter placed in series with the circuit?
An ammeter is placed in series with the circuit.
Is an ammeter or a voltmeter used to measure voltage?
A voltmeter is used to measure voltage.
Whats a Current?
The rate in which a charge passes by a point on the circuit
Electric Current
Electric current is the rate of flow of charge through a conductor:
Unit of Electric Current
Unit of electric current: the ampere, A.
1 A = 1 C/s.
Electrons flow from the ____ end (anode) of a battery towards the ____ end (cathode)!
Electrons flow from the negative end (anode) of a battery towards the positive end (cathode)!
Direct Current
Current from a battery flows steadily in one direction (direct current, DC).
Alternating Current
Current from a power plant varies sinusoidally (alternating current, AC).
What is voltage?
Voltage is the “water pressure” that helps move current through the ride.; Voltage is the electrical potential difference between two points.
Ohm’s Law predicts the change in voltage
where I is the current and R is the resistance.
Resistivity
The ratio of voltage to current is called the resistance. The resistance of a wire is directly proportional to its length and inversely proportional to its cross-sectional area:
R= P L/A
Power
Power (as in kinematics) is the energy transformed by a device per unit time.
The unit of power?
is the watt, W.
Current moves from areas of ____ electrical potential to ___ potential.
Current moves from areas of high electrical potential to low potential.
