Electricity Flashcards
What is an electric circuit?
A closed loop path through which charges can flow
What is an open circuit? What is a closed circuit?
An open circuit has one or more breaks in it, so current does not flow. The circuit is “Off” A closed circuit has no breaks in it, so current does flow. The circuit is “On”
What is a short circuit? What is an example of a short circuit?
A short circuit is a direct, low-resistance connection between high and low potential, such as when a wire touches both ends of a battery or both sides of an outlet at the same time
What is a circuit diagram? Why is it used?
It is a shorthand way to represent the components and connections of an electric circuit. It is used because it is easy to understand and draw.
What is electric charge?
A property of matter that is responsible for electrical events events
What are the types of electric charge?
Positive and negative
Describe the basic model of the atom, including the particles that make up the atom, their location in the atom, and their charge.
The nucleus of the atom is in the center of the atom and contains positively-charged protons and neutral neutrons.
Negatively charged electrons move around te outside of the atom
Neutral atoms have an equal amount of protons and electrons
How does a battery work?
Chemical potential energy is converted to electric potential energy as a chemical reaction, which causes charges to separate
What is static electricity?
An accumulation of electric charge
What does it mean for an object to be charged?
An object is charged if it has an unequal number of protons and electrons. An object with more electrons than protons is negatively charged; an object with fewer electrons than protons is positively charged
How does an object become charged?
Electrons are transferred from one object to another
How do like charged objects interact?
Like charged objects repeal each other
How do unlike charged objects interact?
Unlike (opposite) charged objects attract each other
What is an electric field?
A region where an electric force on a test charge can be detected
How is the strength of an Electric Field determined?
It is determined by measuring the force acting on a test charge and can be calculated if the source(s) of the field are known
Two pieces of tape are stuck together, then peeled apart. Afterward, they attract each other. Describe what happened that cause them to be attracted to each other.
One piece of tape took electrons from the other piece. The tape that received the “extra” electrons was then negatively charged. The tape that lost electrons was positively charged. The opposite-charged tapes are then attracted to each other
What is Voltage? What is this like?
Energy per unit charge, and it is like pressure since it is what drives charges to flow
What is current?
The rate at which charge flows
What is resistance?
A measure of how easily charges flow through a circuit or object
What is power?
The rate at which energy is transferred
Describe how energy is transferred in an electric circuit?
In a simple circuit, chemical potential energy is converted to electric potential energy in the battery. That electric potential energy is then converted to radiant and thermal energy in the light bulb
What is a conductor? What is an insulator? What is a semiconductor?
A conductor is a material that allows charges to flow easily.
An insulator is a material that does not allow charges to flow easily.
A semiconductor is in between; charges flow at a medium rate
Describe in words the relationship between Current, Voltage, and Resistance
This is Ohm’s Law. In a circuit with a given resistance, increasing voltage will increase current. In a circuit with a given voltage, increasing resistance will decrease current.
What is Watt’s Law? What is Ohm’s Law?
Watt’s law is P=IV (relates power, voltage, and current)
Ohm’s Law is R=V/I (relates resistance, voltage, and current)
What are characteristics of a parallel circuit?
- More than one current path
- Resistance decreases as devices are added
- Devices have the same voltage across them, but have different currents
What are the characteristics of a Series Circuit?
- Only one current path
- Resistance increases as devices are added
- Devices have the same current; but different voltage drops
