P2 Electricity Flashcards
What is alternating current?
Electric current in a circuit that repeatedly changes direction
What is direct current?
Electric current in a circuit that flows in one direction only
What is power?
The energy transformed or transferred per second
What is the unit for power?
Watts, W
What is efficiency?
Useful energy transferred by a device / total energy supplied to a device
What is potential difference?
A measure of the work done or energy transferred between 2 points in an electrical circuit
What is the unit for potential difference?
Volts, V
What is the national grid?
The network of cables and transformers used to transfer electricity from electricity producers to electricity consumers
What is the unit for energy?
Joules, J
What are the 3 equations to calculate power?
- Power = Energy / Time (P = E / T) - PET
- Power = Current x Voltage (P = I x V) - Penguins in Vegas
- Power = Current^2 x Resistance (P = I^2 x R) - Penguins in a square room
What are the 2 equations to calculate energy?
- Energy = Power x Time (E = P x T)
- Energy = Charge x Voltage (E = Q x V) - Every Queen Vacuums
What are the 2 equations to calculate efficiency?
- (useful energy out / total energy in) x 100
- (useful power out / total power in) x 100
What colour is the live wire?
Brown
What is the function of the live wire?
Carries a current that alternates between negative and positive voltage - current flows in through
What colour is the earth wire?
Green/yellow
What is the function of the earth wire?
A safety feature that is needed to earth electrical appliances with metal casing. This makes it safer to touch an appliance if it develops a fault - only has current if there is a fault
What is the function of the neutral wire?
Completes the circuit. Kept at 0 voltage by the electricity company - current flows out through
What colour is the neutral wire?
Blue
What is the function of the fuse in a plug?
Can melt (blow) if too much current flows through - breaks the circuit
What type of supply is mains electricity?
a.c. supply
What is the voltage of mains electricity?
230V
What is the frequency of mains electricity?
50Hz
What does the frequency of mains electricity mean (50Hz)?
That it changes direction and back again 50 times a second (analogue signal graph)
What does directly proportional mean?
Double one, doubles the other
What does inversely proportional mean?
Double one, halves the other
What does a diode do?
Only lets current flow one direction - very high resistance in the ‘wrong direction’