Electrical Circuits Flashcards

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1
Q

What is current?

A

Current is the flow of electric charge

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2
Q

When will current only flow?

A

Will only flow around a complete (closed) circuit if there’s a potential difference

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3
Q

What is the unit for current?

A

ampere, A

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4
Q

In a series circuit, current has the … value current everywhere in circuit

A

In a series circuit, current has the same value current everywhere in circuit

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5
Q

What is potential difference (voltage)?

A

Is the driving force that pushes charge around

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6
Q

What is the unit for pd?

A

volt, V

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7
Q

What is resistance?

A

Anything in a circuit that slows the flow down

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8
Q

What is unit for resistance?

A

ohm, Ω

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9
Q

What happens to the current if you increase the resistance across a component?

A

Less current will flow through it (for a given potential difference across the component)

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10
Q

Draw the circuit diagram symbol for a cell

A
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11
Q

Draw the circuit diagram symbol for a battery

A
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12
Q

Draw the circuit diagram symbol for an open switch

A
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13
Q

Draw the circuit diagram symbol for a closed switch

A
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14
Q

Draw the circuit diagram symbol for a filament lamp/bulb

A
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15
Q

Draw the circuit diagram symbol for a fuse

A
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16
Q

Draw the circuit diagram symbol for a LED

A
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17
Q

Draw the circuit diagram symbol for a resistor

A
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18
Q

Draw the circuit diagram symbol for a variable resistor

A
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19
Q

Draw the circuit diagram symbol for an ammeter

A
20
Q

Draw the circuit diagram symbol for a voltmeter

A
21
Q

Draw the circuit diagram symbol for a diode

A
22
Q

Draw the circuit diagram symbol for a LDR

A
23
Q

Draw the circuit diagram symbol for a thermistor

A
24
Q

What happens when a bigger current flows through a circuit

A

More charge passes around circuit

25
Q

State the units for this equation Q = It (Charge = Current x Time)

A

Current = amperes (A)

Charge = coulombs (C)

Time = seconds (s)

26
Q

What is Ohm’s Law?

A

Current through a resistor is proportional to the potential difference provided the temperature is constant

27
Q

Does resistance of ohmic conductors (e.g. Wire or resistor) change with current?

A

No

28
Q

Why does resistance of filament lamps change?

A
  1. When an electrical charge flows through a filament lamp, it transfers some energy to thermal energy store of filament (designed to heat up)
  2. As current increases, filament lamp heats up more and resistance increases
29
Q

Why does resistance in diodes change?

A

They let current flow in one direction, but have a very high resistance if it’s reversed

30
Q

Explain how increasing the temperature of component, increases the resistance?

A

Metal ions in wire will have more energy = more collisions with electrons = more resistance

31
Q

In a LDR, as light intensity increases, resistance…

A

decreases

32
Q

Draw a graph for a LDR

A
33
Q

In a thermistor, as temperature increases, resistance…

A

decreases

34
Q

Draw a graph for thermistor

A
35
Q

In a series circuit, if you remove or disconnect one component, what will happen?

A

The circuit is broken and they all stop

36
Q

What are series circuit good for?

A

To measure quantities and test components

37
Q

In a series circuit, potential difference is…

A

shared

38
Q

In a series circuit, current is…

A

the same

39
Q

In a series circuit, total resistance…

A

is the sum of the resistance of each component

40
Q

In a parallel circuit, potential difference is…

A

the same

41
Q

In a parallel circuit, current is…

A

shared

42
Q

At junctions, in a parallel circuit, current either…

A

splits or rejoins

43
Q

Adding a resistor in parallel, has what effect on the total resistance?

A

It reduces the total resistance

44
Q

Explain why if you add 2 resistors in parallel, their total resistance is less than resistance of the smallest of the 2 resistors

A
  1. In parallel, both resistors have same potential difference across them as the source
  2. ‘Pushing Force’ making current flow is the same as source of potential difference for each resistor that you add
  3. By adding another loop, current has more than one direction to go in
  4. Increasing total current that can flow around circuit. Using V = IR, an increase in current means a decrease in total resistance of circuit
45
Q

How do you work out the total resistance of parallel circuit when there’s 2 resistors?

A
46
Q

How do you work out the total resistance of parallel circuit when there’s more than 2 resistors?

A
47
Q

What do you need to remember for resistance in a parallel circuit?

A

The combined resistance is less than that if either component