Unit 3: Static Electricity and Electric Circuits Flashcards
Define ‘conductor’
An object that allows electrons to move freely from atom to atom
Define ‘Insulator’.
An object that prevents the movement of electrons from atom to atom
What is charge?
exerts an electric force, either positive or negative
What is a ground?
an electrical connection to the Earth that removes an electric charge from an object
What is discharge?
sudden flow of electricity from one object to another
What is static electricity?
The imbalance of electric charge on the surface of an object
What is current electricity?
the controlled flow of electrons through a conductor
What is a fuse? What is the difference between it and a circuit breaker?
fuse: a wire that melts when too much current flows through it, stopping the circuit
circuit breakers don’t melt, they can be reset
How do you charge something by friction?
rub together, electrostatic series determines which substance gains electrons
On an electrostatic series, will the higher or lower material gain electrons?
Lower
How do you charge by conduction?
object with different amounts of charge come in contact, object with more negative charge loses electrons to other object
How do you charge by induction?
no contact, charged by electric field and by attaching a ground wire
How does static electricity apply to electrostatic paint sprayers?
paint is given opposite charge to the object being painted, attracting it to the object
How does static electricity apply to electrostatic dusters?
use charging by friction, sweeping the duster causes charge buildup on duster, dust particles are neutrally charged so they are attracted to duster
How does static electricity apply to lightning?
electron buildup on bottom of cloud, repels electrons on ground below. ground now has positive charge. the charge imbalance causes discharge from cloud to ground in form of lightning
What is voltage? What is voltage measured in? What does this unit represent?
A measure of how much energy each electron carries as they flow through the circuit.
Volts, Energy (joules) per charge
Is voltage measured in series or parallel?
In parallel
What is current? What is current measured in? What does this unit represent?
Rate of electron flow past a point in the circuit.
measured in Amps, Charge per second
Is current measure in series or parallel?
In series
What is voltage measured with?
A voltmeter
What is current measured with? What is the symbol for current?
An ammeter, ‘I’
What is resistance? What is resistance measured in?
A measure of how difficult it is for electrons to flow through a conductor
Ohms
What is alternating current?
flow of electrons that alternates in direction through electric current
What is direct current?
flow of electrons in one direction through an electric current
