Electricity: Potential Difference in Series Circuits (DONE) Flashcards
Explain what is meant by potential difference. Describe how we can measure potential difference. Describe potential difference in series circuits.
What are the energy stores and transfers involved in a series circuit?
The cell has a store chemical energy this is transferred to electrical energy which is carried by the electrons passing out of the cell.
The lamps electrical energy is transferred to thermal and light energy.
What does a potential difference of one volt tell us?
What is meant by Potential Difference? (voltage)
A potential difference of 1 volt tells us that 1 joule of energy is transferred for each coulomb of charge that is moving through a circuit.
The total energy being transferred is nine volts. The electrons are transferring nine joules of energy per coulomb of charge.
The total potential difference across both lamps is the same as the potential difference across the cell.
The total energy carried by the current has been shared between two lamps, causing the lamps to be dimmer than if all the current passed through one lamp.
It does not matter how the voltage is shared as long as it’s the same voltage of the cell.
(the lamp with a P.D of 6V will be brighter as its transferring more energy than the lamp with the P.D of 3V.
How can we measure voltage? (potential difference)
We can measure potential difference by using a voltmeter.
