Electrical circuits Flashcards
What is current?
The amount of charge (Q) that flows past a given point in a given amount of time (t).
What causes current?
The movement of electrons between two points of significant potential difference of an electrical circuit.
What are ohmic conductors?
Atoms that electrons collide with and transfer energy to when passing through the electrical circuit.
What is ohm’s law?
V = / x R
What is resistance and what are the units?
The measure of opposition to the flow of electrons.
Unit is ohms (Ω)
1 ohm = 1 volt / ampere
What is the equation for current (/) and what is the unit?
Current (/) = Q/t
Unit is amperes (A)
1 ampere = 1 coloumb/second
What is the major characteristic of resistors in series?
They only have one point in common on the circuit.
What is the major characteristic of resistors in parallel?
They have two points in common on the circuit.
What is Kirchoff’s first law?
The Junctional theorem
when different currents arrive at a point, the sum of current equals zero.
What is Kirchoff’s second law?
The Loop Theorum
the sum of voltage charges in one continuous loop of a circuit is zero.
What are capacitors and what can they do?
They are dielectrics filled with materials that can increase capacitance. This helps them store and separate charge.
What is capacitance?
An inherent property of conductors.
The number of coulombs that must be transferred to a conductor to raise its potential by one volt.
What is the equation for capacitance?
Capacitance = charge / electrical potential
C = Q/V
What can affect the amount of charge stored in a conductor?
Shape of conductor,
Size of conductor
Surroundings
Type of conductor.
What are parallel plate capacitors made up of?
Made of two or more conductors with opposite but equal charges placed near each other.
