Electrical Flashcards
This component of matter is the smallest part that matter can be divided into without changing its makeup.
Molecules
What are molecules made up of?
Atoms
What are atoms made up of?
- Protons
- Neutrons
- Electrons
The protons and neutrons are located in the nucleus of the atom.
What parts of an atom are located in the nucleus of the atom?
Protons and neutrons
Which parts of an atom are located outside of the nucleus?
Electrons
What components of an atom exert a force known as an electric charge?
Protons and electrons.
Protons are positively charged, and electrons are negatively charged.
Which component of an atom has no charge?
Neutrons
Neutron = neutral.
True or false: Normal atoms have the same number protons and electrons and are neutral in charge.
True
If an object has more protons than electrons, it is ____________ charged.
Positively
If an object has more electrons than protons, it is ____________ charged.
Negatively
What are free electrons?
Electrons that are loosely bonded around the nucleus and can readily be knocked loose.
These are conductors.
____________ is a useful form of energy derived from unbalanced electrical charges in materials.
Electricity
When electricity does not move, it is called:
Static electricity
The Law of Electric charges states that like charges ___________ (attract/repel) on another.
repel
The Law of Electric Charges states that unlike charges ____________ (attract/repel) one another.
attract
What are the two aspects of electromagnetism?
- Magnetism
- Electricity
This is one of the fundamental natural forces.
______________ is a physical phenomenon caused by electron movement.
Magnetism
This movement causes a magnetic field around the magnet.
What causes a magentic field to develop around a material?
Electron movement
True or false: A strong magnetic field occurs when a formation of aligned atoms occurs in a material.
True
This type of magnet is caused by spinning electrons in the atoms that make up the material the magent is formed out of.
A permanent magnet
What causes the magnetic property of an electromagnet?
Electrons moving through a coil of wire wound around a core material.
Why is the magnetic field the strongest at the north and south poles of a bar magnet?
This is where the magnetic lines of flux are densest.
The more lines of flux, the greater the magentism.
What happens to the end of an iron bar as it is brought close to a magnet?
The end of the iron nearest the magnet assumes the opposite polarity of the magnet.
This causes the iron bar to become attacted to the magnet.
Remember that opposite charges attract while like poles repel
Placing a compass near a wire carrying an electric current causes the comapss needle to deflect at right angles to that wire. The direction this deflection depends upon:
the direction (polarity) of current flow
True or false: Moving electrically charged particles create magentic fields.
True
The greater the volume (amperage), the greater the magnetic field.
True or false: Magentic fields attract or repel moving charged particles.
True
This depends on the charge of the particles.
True or false: Moving magentic fields near charged particles causes current to flow.
True
- When current passes through a conductor, the closer to the conductor, the ____________ the magnetic field.
- Why is this,
- Stronger
- This is because the lines of flux are more concentrated closer to the conductor.
How is EMF generated?
By passing a conductor through a magentic field (or vis versa).
This is voltage.
What is the current called that is caused by passing a conductor through a magentic field (or vis versa).
induced current
What effect does inserting a soft iron core into the windings of an electromagnet have?
It increases the strength of the electromagnet
The permeability of the iron allows the lines of flux to establish more easily, resulting in a greater density of flux lines ⟶ more flux = stronger magnet.
The ease with which a material can be magnetized by a solenoid is a measure of its:
permeability.
This physical characteristic is an indication of how well a material can “conduct” or “permit” magnetic field lines to pass through it.
This type of material exhibits low resistance to current flow.
A conductor
1 to 3 valence electrons.
This type of material exhibits high resistance to current flow.
An insulator
5 to 8 valence electrons.
What type of atoms have virtually no free electrons on their outer rings, and the outer rings have their full count of electrons.
Insulators.
5 to 8 valence electrons.
This type of material is neither a good conductor nor a good insulator.
semi-conductors
4 valence electrons
What are the two most common semi-conductor materials?
- silicon
- Germanium
How can the conductivity of semi-conductors be increased?
By doping them with impurities.
This changes the number of free electrons in the valence shell of the atom.
What are the two common types of semi-conductor materials?
- n-type
- p-type
What is a transistor?
An electrical switch
When voltage is applied to the gate, the semiconductor will pass voltage and current through it.
What is needed in order for a transistor to conduct electricity?
A voltage applied to the gate (trigger)
When voltage is applied to the gate of transisitor, this semiconductor will act like a:
conductor
When voltage is removed from the gate of a transistor, this semiconductor will act like a:
insulator
This type of electrical current flow is always in the same direction.
direct current (DC)
Which type of current flow has a fixed polarity: AC or DC?
DC
Direct Current
Which type of current flow has a changing polarity: AC or DC?
AC
Alternating Current
What the instantaneous polarity of an AC circuit?
The polarity of the circuit at that instant in time
As a conductor rotates through magnetic lines of flux, when does maximum induced voltage occur?
When the conductor is travelling at right angles to the lines of flux
In this case, at points 3 and 9.
As a conductor rotates through magentic lines of flux, when is there no induced voltage in the conductors?
When the conductor is travelling parallel to the lines of flux.
In this case, at points 0 and 6.
In an AC circuit, what is one cycle?
0V ⟶ Max (+) V ⟶ 0V ⟶ Max (-) V ⟶ 0V
This is a complete sine wave, or one cycle.
In electrical circuits, the ________ is the number of cylcles an alternating current generates per second.
frequency
In North America, how many AC cycles happen in one second?
60
This is the frequency, which is measured in Hertz (Hz).
What is frequency measured in?
In Hertz (Hz)
As it pertains to electricity, ________ indicates the relationship in time (in degrees of rotation) between current and voltage.
phase
________-phase refers to a single voltage (rising and falling potential) that creates a potential difference between only two conductors.
Single-phase
________-phase refers to three different voltages (rising and falling potential) that interact to produce potential differences between the three conductors.
Three-phase
True or false: Automobile alternators generate three-phase AC current, recitify this to a DC current, then regulate it to a standard DC output.
True
For an electrical current to flow, there must be a potential difference between two points. This potential difference is called:
voltage (EMF)
The mathematical symbol for voltage is E.
What is the unit of measurement for voltage?
volts
The mathematical symbol for volts is E.
With electricity, one ________ causes one ampere to flow through a resistance of one ohm.
One volt
This electrical property is similar to pressure in hydraulic circuits.
voltage
It’s the force that pushes electric charges through a conductor.
With electricity, ________ is the rate of flow of electrons in an electrical circuit.
amperage (amps)
The mathematical symbol for amps is I.
With electricity, one ________ flows when an EMF of one volt is applied across a resistance of one ohm.
one amp