Chapter 8: Static and Current Electricity Flashcards
(19 cards)
Alternating Current (AC)
an electric current that repeatedly reverses its direction
Ampre
Unit for electric current; The rate of flow of 1 Coulomb of charge per second
Conductor
A material having free charged particles that easily flow through it when an electrical force acts on them
Coulomb
The SI unit of electric charge; 1 Coulomb (C) is equal in magnitude to the total charge of 6.25E18 electrons
Coulomb’s Law
The relationship among electrical force, charge, and distance. if the charges are alike in sign, the force is repelling; if the charges are unlike, the force is attractive.
Direct Current (dc)
An electric current flowing in one direction only
Electric Current
The flow of electric charge that transports energy from one place to another.
Electric Field
Force per unit charge;
An energetic aura surrounding charged objects
Electric Potential
Electric potential energy per amount of charge, measured in volts and often called voltage
Electric Potential Energy
The energy a charge possesses by virtue of its location in an electric field
Electric Power
The rate of energy transfer, or the rate of doing work in watts or kilowatts;
the amount of energy per unit time given by:
Power = current X voltage
Electrical Resistance
The property of a material that resists the flow of an electric current through it; measured in Ohms
Electrically Polarized
Describes an atom or molecule whose charges are aligned such that one end has a slight excess of positive charge and the other end has a slight excess of negative charge
Ohm’s Law
The current in a circuit varies in the direct proportion to the potential difference or voltage and inversely with the resistance:
Current = voltage/resistance
Parallel Circuit
An electric circuit with two or more devices connected in such a way that the same voltage acts across each one, and any single one completes the circuit independently of all the others
Potential Difference
The difference in potential between two points, measured in volts and often called voltage difference
Series Circuit
An electric circuit with devices connected in such a way that the current is the same in each device
Superconductor
Any material with zero electrical resistance in which electrons flow without losing energy and without generating heat
Charge (electrical charge)
Characteristic of matter that describes the extent to which it has more or fewer electrons than protons
