SP10 Flashcards
describe the mass and relative charge of a proton, neutron, electron
proton
mass - 1
charge - +1
neutron
mass - 1
charge - 0
electron
mass - 1/2000 or negligible
charge - -1
what direction does conventional current flow through in a circuit
- from the negative end of cell to the positive end of the cell
what direction does electrons flow
positive to negative terminal
what is a series circuit
a circuit where there is only one route where current can flow
what are the differences between series and parallel circuits
- parallel has multiple routes current can flow through and series has one direction
- in a series circuit, if a switch is switched off all the bulb go off due to one route of current
in a parallel circuit due to multiple routes, bulbs can be switched off individually
what is a parallel circuit
a circuit where there a junctions allowing for current to flow through different route
how is a voltmeter connected in a circuit
it is connected parallel to a component
---BULB--- I I I\_\_\_\_v\_\_\_\_I
what do voltmeters measure
- voltage / potential difference , in volts
what is meant by potential difference ( voltage)
the amount of energy per unit charge to move electrons from one point to the next
what is the unit of measure for voltage
volts
volt is a joule per coulomb
how is an ammeter connected in a circuit
it is connected in series with a component
what does an ammeter measure
current , amps
what is electrical current in a circuit
( what ammeters measure)
the flow of charge
what is the current in metals
the flow of electrons
what happens to current at a junction
current is conserved at a junction in a circuit
the total current flowing into a junction is equal to total current flowing out
what is resistance
the difficulty for current to flow
explain how changing resistance changes the current
- due to more difficulty for current to flow through
- higher potential difference is needed
- more energy in electrons to allow them to move
- therefore, more energy in the current
how can the resistance of a circuit change
using a variable resistor
(a resistor which electrical resistance values can be adjusted)
why is it that if 2 resistors are in series, the net resistance is increases
- the pathway becomes harder for current to flow through
- the potential difference from cells are not shared equally between the resistor
- there will be greater Pd across resistors with higher resistance
explain why if 2 resistors are in parallel, the net resistance decreases
- the resistance decreases in a parallels circuit with 2 resistors
- as there are more pathway for the current to flow in
Explain how current varies with potential difference for filament lamps, relate to resistance
- pd across a filament lamp causes current to flow through it
- more pd causes more current, cause it to get hot
- the hotter the bulb gets the more resistance increases
- so the pd will change but the current wont, so the bulb doesn’t break
what is a diode
it is a component which causes the current to flow in one way