Electricity Flashcards
Define current
- The rate of flow of charged particles
What is the equation for current?
- I = ΔQ / Δt
What is the equation for Voltage?
- V = W / Q
- or
- V = E / Q
Define Resistance
- R = V / I
Define Voltage
- One volt is one Joule per coulomb
- It is what makes the current flow
- V=W/Q
What is Ohms law?
- Special case where current is directly proportional to voltage for constant temperature
What is the the ditribution of current a consequence of?
- Conservation of charge
- Total current into a junction = Total current out
What is the distribution of potential difference a consequence of?
- Conservation of energy
- Total emf from cells = Total p.d in circuit
Derive the equation for combining resistances in parallel
- IT = I1 + I2 (conservation of charge)
- VT / RT = V1 / R1 + V2 / R2
- 1 / RT = 1 / R1 + 1 / R2
Derive the equation for combining resistances in series
- VT = V1 + V2 (Conservation of energy)
- ITRT = I1R1 + I2R2 (I cancels as current is the same in series circuit)
- RT = R1 + R2
What are the seven base units?
- Second
- Metre
- Kilogram
- Amp
- Kelvin
- Mole
- Candela
What does V and I do in series?
- V splits (Conservation of energy)
- I is same (Conservation of charge)
What do V and I do in parallel
- V is same across each branch (conservation of energy)
- I splits between branches (conservation of charge)
What are the equations for power
- P = IV
- P = I2R and P = V2 / R
What is the resistivity equation?
R = pl / A
What is the equation which includes charge carrier density?
- I = nAve or I = nAvq
What is the difference between potential difference and potential
- P.D is difference in potential between two points
- Potential is joules per coulomb at a point
Define emf
- emf is the energy per coulomb converted into electrical energy by the cell
Define internal resistance
- Resistance in battery itself which causes lost volts as heat
Define terminal p.d
- Terminal p.d is the electrical energy converted per coulomb into other forms
Define Resistivity
- A constant for a given material at a given temperature
What does emf stand for?
- Electromotive force
What are Thermistors and LDRs (in general)?
- Semiconducters
- They are resistors whose resistance is based on local conditions
What is the rule for Thermistors for a negative thermal coefficient?
- As temperature increases, resistance decreases

