Physics Flashcards
What is electric current
Electric current is the flow of charge around a circuit
Can circuits’ energy flow if their incomplete?
No, a circuit had to be complete to work
What are the moving charges?
The moving charges in a circuit are negative electrons
What is convention current?
Conventional current is electron current which behaves as though it is positive charges that causes current flow, because it travels from the positive terminal to the negative, where as regular charge flows the opposite way
Is current ever used up?
No, current is never used up as it flows through s constant circuit. The total current in the circuit is always the same
What is potential difference across a circuit?
Potential difference in a circuit is the energy that flows between two points in a circuit
How is potential difference measured?
Potential difference is measured in volts, and if you add the voltage of each component in series, that gives you the voltage of the whole power supply
How do you calculate potential difference?
Potential difference can be calculated across a component using ohms law: Potential difference (V)= current (I)xresistance(R)
How is ohms law applicable to current and resistance?
Ohms law can be applied to both current and resistance as follows:
Current (I)=potential difference (V) ÷ resistance (R)
Resistance=potential difference (V) ÷current (I)
What is resistance in a circuit?
Resistance is anything in a circuit that slows down the flow of current.
What is resistance measured in?
Resistance is measured in ohms (Ω)
What does resistance mean in a circuit?
In a circuit as long as the potential difference stays the same, the higher the resistance of a component, the smaller the current that flows through it.
What do you call components and materials that electricity can pass through?
Conductors. Metals are the best form of these.
What are insulators?
Insulators are components or materials that don’t easily allow electricity to pass through them if at all (like wood).
Why are insulators good heat stores?
Because they trap the heat energy in itself as they do not allow free electrons to pass through them and transfer energy easily like conductors. So good conductors of electricity are bad ones of heat.
How can you tell which components in a circuit are better conductors?
The lower the resistance of a component, the better it is at conducting electricity because more electrons are being permitted to pass through easily.
What is the role of ammeters in a circuit?
Ammeters measure electric current around the circuit.
What is current measured in?
Current is measured in amperes (amps for short). You measure the current through a circuit by inserting the ammeter into the battery and the bulb. But because current didn’t get used up, the current through the ammeter’s the same as through the bulb