Electricity Flashcards
(20 cards)
What is electricity?
It is a flow of negative charge
When a push is provided, what happens to the negative electrons in an atom?
They are pushed away from their atom and flow as negative charge. This is electricity.
Name 2 sources of ‘push’ for electricity.
Cell (Battery) or Mains (Socket)
Are atoms positive, negative or neutral?
Neutral
What does electricity flow through in a circuit?
Wires (Electrical Conductors)
Where does electricity begin and end in a circuit?
The Cell (Battery)
How are the battery’s power ‘rated’?
Volts (V)
In which direction does electricity flow?
From the positive terminal to the negative terminal
For an electrical circuit to work, what must you have?
A full circuit.
What things do you need to have a complete circuit?
No breaks in the circuit. All components to be fully functional.
Define these words: Current, Electron, Circuit, Terminals, Cell, Volt, Component and Poles.
Flow of negative charge, Tiny particle that has negative charge, Complete route from positive terminal to negative terminal of power source, Positive and negative ends of a power source, Chemical source of electrical energy, Unit for power sources, one part of an electrical circuit, Positive and negative ends of a component.
How does a complete circuit work?
The power source gives energy to the electrons which flow around the circuit and power components and make their way back to the power source.
How does an SPST (Single Pole Single Throw) switch work?
When there is a gap, the circuit is not complete. Components do not operate.
When gap is closed, electricity travels through the metal and all of the components are able to operate.
What is the instrument for measuring size of current?
Ammeter
What is the unit for the size of current?
Amps (A)
In a series circuit, what would you notice about the ammeter reading anywhere in the circuit?
There is always the same current throughout the whole circuit. This proves that components do not use up electrical current, but it passes through it.
What would happen to the power of a component if you add an extra cell?
It would become more powerful.
Why would the ammeter reading for 1 Cell : 1 Bulb be more than the reading for 1 Cell : 2 Bulbs?
In Circuit 2, both of the components are sharing the same voltage, meaning less current passes through the battery.
If in a parallel circuit there are 2 bulbs and 2 cells, would the bulbs be dim, normal brightness or bright.
Bright. This is because although there are 2 bulbs to 2 cells, the electricity has another path to follow which allows more current to flow through. It will have to produce double the amount of voltage it would normally produce.
In a parallel circuit, is the ammeter reading different or the same throughout a circuit?
Different. It depends where you take the reading as the current is being shared by 2 or more components.
