chapter 12 Flashcards
what is current electricity?
flow of electric charge through a conductor (wires)
what are electrical circuits?
a continous pathway where electrons could flow in
What does an electrical circuit need?
Energy source (battery)
Load (light bulbs)
Connecting Wires
A Switch - SOMETIMES:
Electrical Energy
energy provided by flow of electrons in an electrical circuit
measured in joules (J) or kilojoules (KJ)
Two main sources of electrical energy?
batteries - supply small amounts of electrical energy
electric generating stations - deliver large amounts of electrical energy
what is an electric cell?
device that converts chemical energy to electrical energy
primary cell: can be used only once
secondary cell: can be recharged
Fuel cells
special kind of electric cell where continuous supply of chemicals is pumped as the cell operates
ex. hydrogen fuel cell
Pros & Cons of hydrogen fuel cells
Con: doesn’t happen naturally requires alot of pollution to create
pros: light & compact
DC - Direct Current
electrons flow in one direction
- produced by battery to power portable devices
AC - Alternating Current
electrons move back and forth, alternating direction
- produced by generators
-efficent in distributing over long distances - wall outlets have AC
Electrical energy distribution grid
carries electricity from energy generating station to a consumer
generators
produces energy by rotating a wire coil near a magnet
Ammeter
- unit of measure is Ampere ( A )
- must be connected in SERIES
- measured using AMMETER
electric current?
measure of amount of electric charge that passes by a point in an electrical circuit each second
Potential difference
- Voltage
- difference in electric potential between two points in a circuit
- using VOLTMETER to measure
- must be in paralell with load or energy source
-unit is Volts (V)
