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physics paper 1 revision > Electricity > Flashcards

Electricity Flashcards

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1
Q

What is direct current (d.c)?

A

The current only flows in one direction and is produced by a direct potential difference.

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2
Q

What provides direct current?

A

A cell or battery.

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3
Q

What provides an alternating current?

A

Mains electricity.

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4
Q

What is alternating current (a.c)?

A

The current repeatedly reverses direction and is produced by an alternating potential difference.

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5
Q

What is the frequency of the mains electricity supply in the UK?

A

50Hz.

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6
Q

What is the voltage of the mains electricity supply in the UK?

A

230V.

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7
Q

What is the colour of the live wire in a plug?

A

Brown.

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8
Q

What is the colour of the neutral wire in a plug?

A

Blue.

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9
Q

What is the colour of the earth wire in a plug?

A

Green/yellow.

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10
Q

What does the fuse in a plug do?

A

It melts and blows if too much current flows after the live wire touches the neutral wire.

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11
Q

What is the role of the neutral wire?

A

Provides a return path for the current to the

substation.

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12
Q

What is the role of the earth wire?

A

A safety wire to prevent the appliance from becoming live and provides a low resistance path to the ground.

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13
Q

What is the potential difference of the live wire?

A

230v

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14
Q

What is the potential difference of the neutral wire?

A

0v

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15
Q

What is the potential difference of the earth wire?

A

0v and only carries current if there is a fault.

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16
Q

What is used the wire coatings in a plug and why?

A

Plastic because its a good electrical insulator.

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17
Q

What is used for the wires in a three-core cable and why?

A

Copper because its a good electrical insulator and bends easily.

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18
Q

What is the National Grid?

A

A network of cables and transformers that carries the electricity generated by power stations and renewable energy generators to homes and other buildings.

19
Q

What are transformers?

A

Devices that can change the potential difference of an alternating current.

20
Q

How much do power stations produce electricity at an alternating potential difference of?

A

25,000v.

21
Q

How much electrical power do the cables in the National Grid transfer?

A

400,000v.

22
Q

What are step-up transformers used for?

A

Used to increase the potential difference from the power station to the transmission cables.

23
Q

What are step-down transformers used for?

A

Used to decrease the potential difference from the transmission cables to the mains supple in buildings so it is safe to use.

24
Q

What are the advantages of using overhead electrical cables?

A
  • Cheaper to install.

- Easier to repair.

25
Q

What are the disadvantages of using overhead electrical cables?

A
  • Damaged by wind.

- Visual pollution.

26
Q

What are the advantages of using underground electrical cables?

A
  • No visual pollution.
  • Not damaged by wind.
  • No one gets electrocuted.
  • Cannot be pulled out by people.
27
Q

What are the disadvantages of using underground electrical cables?

A
  • More expensive to install.

- Harder to repair.

28
Q

What charge does an atom have and why?

A

No charge because it has an equal numbers of positive protons and negative electrons.

29
Q

When can insulating materials become charged?

A

When they are rubbed with another insulating material because electrons are transferred from one material to another.

30
Q

What happens if a charged object is placed in the electric field of another object?

A

It experiences electrostatic force and the 2 charged objects exert a non-contact force on each other.

31
Q

What does a series circuit look like?

A

The components are connected one after the other in a single loop.

32
Q

In a series circuit what happens if one component stops working?

A

The whole circuit stops working.

33
Q

What does a parallel circuit look like?

A

Made up of 2 or more loops.

34
Q

What happens in a parallel circuit if one branch stops working?

A

The other branches will not be affected.

35
Q

What are the rules of a series circuit?

A
  • Resistance is added together.
  • Current is the same everywhere.
  • Voltage is shared.
36
Q

What are the rules of a parallel circuit?

A
  • The resistance gets lower the more resistors you add and is never higher than the lowest resistor value.
  • The current is shared.
  • The voltage is the same everywhere.
37
Q

What is Ohms law?

A

The current through a component depends on the resistance and the potential difference. The greater the resistance of the component, the smaller the current for a given potential difference.

38
Q

What is resistance?

A

A measure of how difficult it is for current to flow through a resistor.

39
Q

What happens to the current in an electrical circuit if the resistance is increased?

A

The current decreases.

40
Q

What happens to the current in an electrical circuit if the potential difference is increased?

A

The current will also increase.

41
Q

What is current?

A

The movement of electrons.

42
Q

What is an electrical insulator?

A

A material that doesn’t allow the flow of electric charges/currents to pass through it.

43
Q

what is a conductor?

A

A material that allows electric currents to pass through it.

44
Q

what is potential difference?

A

A measure of how much energy is transferred between 2 points in a circuit.

physics paper 1 revision (4 decks)

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