The Properties of a Circuit Flashcards
What is current?
The rate of flow of charge around the circuit
What usually carries the charge?
Electrons - negatively charged particles
Current will only flow through a component if there is?
A voltmeter across that component
What is voltage?
What drives the current round the circuit - like ‘electrical pressure’
You may also see voltage called?
Potential difference
What is resistance?
Anything in the circuit which slows the flow down
What is the unit of voltage?
V volts
What happens to the resistance if you add more components to the circuit?
There will be a higher overall resistance
What is the unit of resistance?
Ohms Ω
What is the voltage trying to do, and what is the resistance trying to do?
The voltage is trying to push the current round the circuit, and the resistance is opposing it
What do the relative sizes of the voltage and resistance decide?
How big the current will be
What happens if you increase the resistance?
The less current will flow
What happens if you increase the voltage?
The more current will flow
