Electricity and Magnetism Flashcards
Magnetic field lines tell you what?
- The relative strength of the magnetic field (closer=stronger)
- The direction of force on a north pole of an object when placed at that position
Electrical field
A force field that surrounds a charged object (objects experience a force due to its charge)
What are the three advantages of an electromagnet over a normal magnet?
- It can be turned off and on when the current is turned off and on.
- The direction of the magnetic field can be reversed when the current is reversed.
- The strength of the magnetic field can be varied by changing the strength of current.
Objects with opposite charges
Attract each other
Resistance (R)
A measure of how easily current can flow through an object. Measured in ohms.
Electrical charge
Unit - q, measured in coulombs C
In a series circuit, current is the… around the circuit
The same
Why do more turns on a solenoid lead to a stronger magnetic field?
Each turn of the wire interacts to create a stronger magnetic field.
What two ways can a charged object be discharged?
- Electrical discharge to the air
- Earthing
Electromagnetism
When a current flows through a wire, a magnetic field is created as the electrons move.
Electron flow
Electrons flow from the negative end of a power supply to the positive end
Current (I)
The rate of flow of electrical charge. (How many electrons flow past a point per second). Measured in amperes (A)
Parallel circuit
Connected side by side
Objects with like charges
Repel each other
Magnetic field
A region where magnetic forces can be detected.
Circuit breaker
A safety device that is designed to flip a switch when a set current is reached. This breaks the circuit and prevents current from flowing
Conductor
An object with free electrons. Eg - metal
Power (P)
How much electrical energy is converted to other types of energy per second. Measured in joules per second (js-1)or watts (W)
In a parallel circuit, the current.. around the circuit
Splits up
Conventional Current
Electrons flow from the positive end to the negative end. Use when working out magnetic fields.
The strength of electrical field is based on what?
- The distance from the charged object
- How charged the charged object is
Voltage (V)
A measure of how much energy electrons lose or gain around a circuit. Measured in volts (V).
Electrons can be lost or gained in two ways:
Charged by contact, charged by friction