Physics Ch 6. Circuits Flashcards
Current
Movement of charge that occurs between two points that have different electrical potentials, by convention defined as the movement of positive charge from a high potential end of a voltage source to a low potential end, in reality it is negatively charged particles/electrons that move in a circuit from low potential to high potential
Conductive material
Allows current to flow
Metallic conduction
Relies on uniform movement of free electrons and metallic bonds
Electrolytic conduction
Relies on ion concentration of a solution
Insulators
Materials that do not conduct a charge
Kirchhoffs laws
Express conservation of charge and energy
Kirchhoffs junction rule
States that sum of currents directed into a point within a circuit equals the sum of currents directed away from that point
Kirchhoffs loop rule
States that in a closed loop the sum of the voltage sources are always equal to the sum of the voltage drops
Resistance
Opposition to the movement of electrons through material, calculated using resistivity, length, and cross-sectional area of the material
Resistors
Conductive materials with a moderate amount of resistance that slow down electrons without stopping them
Ohms law
States that for a given resistance, the magnitude of the current through resistor is proportional to the voltage drop across the resistor
Resistors in series
Are additive in some together to create the total resistance of a circuit
Resistors in parallel
Cause a decrease in the equivalent resistance of a circuit
Resistor power dissipation
The amount of power dissipated through each resistor in a circuit is dependent on the current through the resistor and the voltage drop across the resistor
Capacitors
Have the ability to store and discharge electrical potential energy
