Electricity Flashcards
Conductor
An object that allows charges to flow freely (many metals)
Insulator
An object that hinders the flow of charge (such as wood, plastic, and rubber)
Electric Charge
Occurs when an object gains/loses e-. Object becomes +/- charge by losing/gaining e-.
Coulombs (C)
1e=1.6x10^-19 C or 1C=6.25x10^18e
Electric Field
The space around a charged object where forces of attraction/repulsion occur. Shown using arrows. Arrows show direction that a +charge would move. Distance between lines indicate field strength.
Coulomb’s Law
The magnitude of an electric force between 2 objects varies directly with the product of their masses and inversely with the square of the distance between their centers.
I=q/t
I= current in amperes (A), q= amount of charge in coulombs (C), t= time in seconds.
Electrical Potential Difference
Amount of work required per unit charge to move one unit of positive charge between two points in a circuit. Measured in volts (v) 1v= 1J/1C
Equation: E = VIt
Fundamental Laws of Electric Charge
Opposites charges attract, similar charges repel, charged objects will attract some neutral objects.