Electricity Flashcards
What is electricity?
is the change in potential energy caused by the movement of electrons from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration.
The flow of electricity is from a surplus of ______ to a deficit of the same.
electrons
What is important to know about the OR?
has many electrical safety hazards, you must be able to identify and avoid them
What is the SI unit for electric charge?
coulomb (C)
Describe the relationship of coulomb’s law.
One coulomb is the amount of electric charge transported in one second by a steady current of one ampere.
What is the equation for coulomb’s law?
1 C = 1A x 1 s
What is the electrical potential energy unit?
Volt
What is a volt?
represents electrical ”pressure” or the gradient of charges that could potentially flow
What is coulomb’s law?
like charges repel each other and opposite charges attract each other inversely to the square of their distance
Coulomb’s Law: Opposite charges ______ more when closer together
attract
Coulomb’s Law: Like charges _____ more when closer together
repel
What is Ohm’s Law?
For electricity to flow, there must be a completed circuit.
What is the formula for Ohm’s Law?
V = I x R V = Electrical Potential (in volts) I = Current (in ampere) R = Electrical Resistance (in ohms)
What does ohm’s law form?
The basis for the physiologic equation: BP = CO x SVR
BP = Pressure (analogous to voltage) CO = Cardiac output (analogous to current) SVR= Systemic vascular resistance (resistance)
What is electrical potential?
the difference in the concentration of electrons on one side compared to the other
What is the measurement for electrical potential?
The difference in the concentration of electrons on one side compared to the other
What is current?
Current is a measure of the amount of electric charge passing a given point per unit of time or in other words the amount of electrons that move through the conductor (electrical wire) per second.
What is the measurement for current?
Ampere (A)
What is resistance?
Resistance in a measure of the opposition to the flow of electrons in an electric circuit.
What does resistance determine?
How much current can flow in relationship to electrical potential
What is resistance measured in?
Ohm (Ω)
How do electrons flow in an electrical current?
From a surplus of electrons to a deficiency of electrons
What must happen for electrical flow to occur?
Electricity must have a complete circuit
What are three components of a simple circuit?
A positive side (live, hot), a negative side (neutral), and a ground
What effect does the ground have in electrical flow?
A conductor that is connected to the earth (ground) and provides a low, resistive, alternate route for electricity to flow through in the case of an electrical surge
What are the the different types of electrical flow?
Direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC).
What is DC circuits?
the flow of electrons is always in one direction
What is AC circuit?
the flow of electrons reverses direction (alternates) at a set frequency
What type of electricity is delivered by the power company?
AC because its voltage can easily be maintained while traveling long distances to customers via the power grid
What type of electricity is present in the operating room equipment and most residential equipment?
AC
What is the difference between AC and DC circuit?
Except resistance is more complex with AC circuits, and the positive side alternates between both wires
What is resistance referred to in AC circuits?
Impedance and is the total of all forces that impede electrical flow
What contributes to AC impedance?
To the inherent characteristics of the conductive material, capacitance and inductance
What is capacitance?
the capacity to store charge
What is a capacitor?
Composed of two parallel conductive plates separated by an insulator
What will occur when a capacitor is exposed to a voltage source in an open circuit?
One plate will store a positive charge, and the other will store a negative charge
Capacitors have useful applications in electronic devices, but can leak stray _______-.
capacitance
What can be created from stray capacitance?
There are no absolute insulators, and stray capacitance may create an unintended charge in the casing of electrical equipment.
What is electromagnetic inductance?
The transfer of an electric current between circuits without physical contact, using induced magnetic waves
Any conductors carrying an electric current will also carry a ________ field.
Magnetic
What is important about the charge in AC circuits?
the charge is alternating, and so the magnetic field will change too
What can occur as a result of a changing magnetic field?
May induce a small electric current in nearby conductive materials such as equipment metal casings, even in the absence of physical contact between the circuit and the casing.
What can stray capacitance and inductance cause?
may contribute a low risk of shock, because they are low-current flows
What constitutes a high risk of electric shock?
Direct contact with exposed electrical wiring because of higher voltages
What are three mechanisms that electrical shock could occur to patients and operating room personnel?
- Direct wire contact with metal casing due to insulation damage or faulty construction
- Inductance due to the magnetic field of the AC, producing a small electrical flow in the surrounding metal casing despite no direct contact
- Stray capacitance from the buildup of electrical potentials with an AC circuit despite no closed circuit electrical flow
Potential Shock OR:
_____________ with metal casing due to insulation damage or faulty construction
Direct wire contact
Potential Shock OR: _________ due to the magnetic field of the AC, producing a small electrical flow in the surrounding metal casing despite no direct contact
Inductance
Potential Shock OR: _________ from the buildup of electrical potentials with an AC circuit despite no closed circuit electrical flow
Stray capacitance
What must happen for shock to occur?
a complete circuit must be made
What is a complete circuit?
If a patient or a member of the operating room personnel makes contact with both a live wire and the ground, they may complete an electric circuit and receive a shock.
What types of electric shock are there (2)?
macroshocks or microshocks
What is a macroshock?
refers to large amounts of current conducted through the patient’s skin and other tissue
What type of injuries can occur in macroshock?
Injuries may be minor or severe
What two factors effect the injury obtained for a macroshock (2)?
The amount of current and the duration of exposure
Describe the flow of electrical current within the body.
Electric current seeks the path of least resistance, and is often dissipated throughout the body tissues.
What effect do macroshocks have on the heart?
The amount that reaches the heart is often insufficient to cause arrhythmias
What is microshock?
The delivery of small amounts of current directly to the heart
What can increase the injury obtained from microshocks?
Conductive materials in a patient’s body may place that patient at greater risk by providing a low resistive path for electricity to flow to the heart.
What range of electrical currents can induce VF?
20 – 100 (microamperes) μA
What are two objects that can increase the intensity of a microshock?
pacemaker leads or invasive monitoring catheters
What causes injury in electrical shock?
Occurs from a release of thermal energy from the ES and disruption of nervous, muscular and cardiac function
Effects of Macroshock: 1 mA
Threshold of perception
Effects of Macroshock: 5 mA
Maximum harmless current
Effects of Macroshock: 10-20 mA
“Let go” current before sustained muscle contraction
Effects of Macroshock: 50 mA
Pain, LOC and possible mechanical injury
Effects of Macroshock: 100-300 mA
Ventricular Fibrillation
Effects of Microshock: 20-100 uA
Ventricular Fibrillation in humans (100)