Electricity Basics (T2) Flashcards
What is electric current measured in?
Amperes
Amps
A
What is electric charge measured in?
Coulombs
What is electric charge measured in?
Coulombs
C
What is energy measured in?
Joules
J
What is electrical resistance measured in?
Ohms
Ω
What is potential difference measured in?
Volts
V
What is power measured in?
Watts
W
What is a chemists definition of electricity?
The basic property of all matter as the atoms’s nucleus has a positive charge and is surrounded by electrons with a negative charge.
What are the basic properties of a series circuit?
Electrical charge needs to loop around the whole circuit and any break, the circuit will not work.
If more than one bulb, all light up at once.
If one bulb or component does not work, the circuit is broken.
There are charges in all the components all the time and the charges are ‘shared’ so, for example, the more bulbs you add to a series circuit the dinner they all become.
What are the properties of a parallel circuit?
Components are found in parallel rings instead of a line.
Each component can be switched on and off independently.
Current is NOT constant throughout.
Each branch of a parallel circuit receives the same voltage so if more bulbs are added they all stay bright.
Describe electricity flow..
All about the flow of electrons.
Electrons emerge from the negative end of a power source (-ve) and travel around the circuit to the positive end (+ve).
In a complete circuit this happens continuously.
Flow is always -ve to +ve.
An insulator is..
A substance that cannot transfer electrons and blocks the flow of electricity.
A conductor is..
A substance which can transfer electrons.
To check for a complete circuit…
Follow the wire coming out the battery, through the components and back to the battery.
To check for a short circuit…
See if you can find a way past and round the lamp / component without going through any other component. If you can then there isa short circuit and the lamp will not light.
