P3 - Electric Circuits Flashcards
What is the charge on an electron?
Electrons are negatively charged
relative charge: -1
What happens when two objects are
rubbed together?
They become charged because negatively charged electrons are transferred from one object (which becomes positive) to the other (which becomes negative).
Where are electric fields found?
Around every electric charge.
What is an electric field?
A region of space in which the effects of
charge can be felt.
Objects with the same charge…
…repel.
Objects with the same charge repel
Objects with opposite charges…
…attract.
Objects with opposite charges….attract.
Define an insulator
An object which does not conduct
electricity. Electrons cannot flow through
the material.
How is static electricity produced?
When two insulators are rubbed
together, transferring electrons, to form a
positive and a negative charge.
How does sparking occur?
Sparking occurs when enough charge builds up between two statically charged objects. A spark is produced by the charge jumping through the air from the negative to the positive object to restore the charges (back to two neutral objects).
Define a conductor
A conductor is a material which can
conduct electricity; electrons are able to
flow through it.
Why can conductors not produce static
electricity?
Electrons flow through the materials
when they are rubbed together to cancel
out any charging effect.
Define an electric current
Current is the rate of flow of charge in an
electric circuit.
What is required in order for a
charge/current to flow?
● A potential difference
● A closed circuit
Describe the value of current across a
circuit
Current has the same value at any point
in a closed (series) circuit.
Give an equation linking charge and
current, giving SI units
charge (C) = current (A) x time (s)
Give an equation linking current and
voltage, giving all SI units
p.d. (V) = current (A) x resistance (Ω)
Define conductors in an electrical circuit
The components of the circuit (including
wires) which carry a charge and conduct
electricity.
Define resistors in an electrical circuit
Components such as resistors, lamps
and motors which resist the flow of
charge through them.
Why are wires not considered resistors?
Their resistance is so small it is
considered negligible.
How does resistance affect the current
flowing through a circuit?
The larger the total resistance in the
circuit, the smaller the current will be.
Describe an experiment to investigate
the resistance of a wire
● Use a length of wire connected to an ammeter (in series), a
voltmeter (in parallel) and a power supply.
● Connect two crocodile clips to the wire, one at each end, and
record the current and voltage.
● Vary the length of the wire (moving one of the clips),
recording V and I.
● Plot a graph of V against I; the gradient = resistance of wire.
Describe the key features of an ohmic
conductor
Resistance is constant, meaning the
conductor’s IV characteristic (graph of
current against voltage) has a linear
(straight line) gradient.
How does resistance change with
temperature?
As temperature increases, ions and electrons
have more kinetic energy. This results in more
collisions between the stationary metal ions,
making it more difficult for electrons to move
through the wire and carry a charge. Therefore
resistance increases with temperature.
What is a thermistor?
A resistor in which resistance decreases
as temperature increases.