COVER TO COVER Flashcards
(211 cards)
What is electricity?
Physical phenomenon arising from the existence and interactions of electric charge
What does electric current describe?
A flow of electric charge through a conductor
What is the unit of quantity of electric charge?
Coulomb (C)
What is the elementary charge (e)?
1.602 x 10^-19 C
According to Coulomb’s Law, what happens to like charges and opposite charges?
Like charges repel; opposite attracts
What is electric current defined as?
The flow of electric charge
What is an alternating current (AC)?
A current of varying magnitude and direction
What is voltage?
Driving force of electrical current between two points
What does Ohm’s Law state?
The voltage across a conducting material is directly proportional to the current flowing through it with resistance as the constant of proportionality
What is the formula for power in electrical circuits?
Power (W) = Voltage (V) x Current (I)
What is the difference between direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC)?
DC has a constant magnitude and flows in one direction; AC varies in magnitude and direction
What is the significance of Kirchhoff’s Current Law?
States that current flowing into a node must equal current flowing out of it
What is an insulator?
Materials that resist electric current by providing high resistance
What is the purpose of a capacitor?
To store electric charge
What is inductance?
A measure of the ability of a device to store energy in the form of a magnetic field
What is the definition of resistance?
The physical property of an element that impedes the flow of current
Fill in the blank: The unit of resistance is _______.
Ohm (Ω)
What are the four factors that affect resistance?
- Material
- Length
- Cross-sectional area
- Temperature
What is the definition of a series circuit?
A circuit with only one current path
What is a parallel circuit?
A circuit with more than one current path branching from the energy source
What is an ideal voltage source?
A circuit element where the voltage across the source is independent of the current through it
What does the power factor (pf) represent?
The ratio between real power and apparent power
What is reactive power (VAR)?
The power that generates the magnetic field required for inductive devices to operate
What is the formula for apparent power (VA)?
The vector sum of real power and reactive power