Electic Circuits Flashcards
What does potential difference, current, and resistance mean
Potential difference - is also known as voltage (V), is the difference in electric potential between 2 points in an electrical circuit
Current - is the flow of electric charge through an conductor or circuit and its measured in amps
Resistance - is measure of opposition to the flow of electric current in a material and its measured in ohms
What does electrical charge mean
Electrical charge is a property of matter, which can be positive, negative, or neutral. Positive charges are carried by protons, negative charges by electrons, and neutral charges by neutrons. Its unit is coulomb (C)
What is IV characters
IV characters - also known as current-voltage (IV), describes the relationship between current (I) and voltage (V) in an electrical component or circuit
What is a series circuit
Series Circuit - components are connected end-to-end. The total resistance in a series circuit is the sum of the individual resistances of each component. If one component fails or is disconnected, the entire circuit is interrupted, and no current flows. Voltage is divided among the components in proportion to their resistance.
What is parallel circuit
Parallel Circuit - components are connected across common points, so that the voltage across each component is the same. The total resistance in a parallel circuit is less than the resistance of the smallest individual resistance. If one component fails, the others continue to operate, as they are independent branches of the circuit. Current is divided among the components according to their resistance, while voltage remains the same across all components.
Explain the use of a circuit to measure the resistance of a component by measuring the current through, and potential difference across, the component.
To measure the resistance of a component in a circuit, you can use an ammeter to measure the current (I) flowing through the component and a voltmeter to measure the potential difference (V) across it.
explain why adding resistors in series increases the total resistance whilst adding resistors in parallel decreases the total resistance.
Series - the total resistance increases because the current has to pass through each resistor sequentially, increasing the overall opposition to the current.
Parallel - the total resistance decreases because the current has multiple paths to take, reducing the overall opposition to the current.
