Electricity Key Words Flashcards
Ammeter
A device used to measure electrical current.
Ampere
Unit of current, e.g. the current in the bulb is 4 amps or amperes (A).
Battery
A chemical supply of electrical energy. Common battery voltages include 1.5V and 9V.
Cell
A store of internal energy that can be transferred as an electrical current in a circuit.
Circuit
A closed loop through which current moves-from a power source, through a series of components, and back into the power source.
Circuit Diagram
A diagram that represents an electrical circuit using lines and symbols.
Conductor
A material which allows charge to move easily through it.
Electric Charge
The electrical state of an object, which can be positively charged or negatively charged.
Electric Current
The movement of electrically charged particles, for example, electrons move through a wire or ions moving through a solution.
Electron
Subatomic particle, with a negative charge and a negligible mass relative to protons and neutrons.
In parallel
In a parallel circuit, the current divides into two or more paths before recombining to complete the circuit. Lamps and other components in these different paths are said to be in parallel.
Insulator
Material that does not allow charge or heat to pass through it easily.
Ohms
The unit of electrical resistance, whose symbol (looks like a horse shoe).
Potential Difference
The potential difference (or voltage) of a supply is a measure of energy given to the charge carriers in a circuit. Units = volts(V). This is the voltage between two points that makes an electric current flow between them.
Resistance
The opposition in an electrical components to the movement of electrical charge through it. Resistance is measured in ohms.
