Series and Parallel Circuits - Electricity Flashcards
What is voltage/potential difference?
A measure of the difference in energy between 2 points in a circuit
What is current?
The rate of flow of charge
What is charge?
A property of body which experiences a force in an electric field - it is measured in Coulombs
What is resistance?
How easy it is for electrons to flow through, it can slow down the flow of electric charge. It’s measured in Ohms
What is the formula for charge flow? Include what each letter means and its unit.
Q = it
Q = Charge flow (Coulombs)
i = current (Amps)
t = time (seconds)
How many mA in an A?
1000
What direction does the current flow in a circuit?
Positive to Negative
What happens to the current in series?
Remains the same throughout
What happens to the current in parallel?
Shared between components
What happens to the voltage in series?
Shared between components
What happens to the voltage in parallel?
Remains the same throughout
What factors affect resistance?
- Length of wire
- Diameter of wire
- Material of wire (copper is a metal inside because it is a good conductor)
What is an Ohm?
An Ohm is one volt per ampere (1 V/ A)
Does every electrical component have a resistance, including wires?
Yes
What is resistance caused by?
Resistance is caused by electrons colliding with metal ions. Increasing the thickness of a wire increases the cross sectional surface area that the electrons can flow through, this decreases the chance of collisions with metal ions.
