Electricity Flashcards
Electric circuit
a path for electrons to follow, consisting of a power supply, one or more loads, and conductors joining the power supply and loads
Electric charge
physical property of matter that causes it to experience a force when near other electrically charged matter. Electric charge can be positive or negative.
Power supply
a device that can provide an electric current
Load
that uses electrical energy and converts it into other forms of energy
Conducting path
connected series of materials along which an electric current can flow
Electric current
a measure of the number of electrons flowing through a circuit every second. An increase in current means an increase in the rate of flow of electrons in the circuit.
Filament
coil of wire made from a metal that glows brightly when it gets hot. The filaments in light globes heat up when electricity flows through them.
Switch
device that opens and closes the conducting path through which a current flows
Resistance
measure of the electrical energy required for an electric current to pass through an object. The energy is changed to heat.
Voltage
an electromotive force or potential difference expressed in volts.
Current
Flow of electrons which is measured with a ammeter and is measured by amperes
Series current
a circuit with the components joined one after the other in a single continuous loop
Parallel circuit
a circuit that has more than one path for electricity to flow through. If one of the paths has a break in it, the others will still work.
Ammeter
device used to measure the amount of current in a circuit. Ammeters are placed in series with other components in a circuit.
Parallax error
error caused by reading a scale at an angle rather than placing it directly in front of the eye
