Electricity and Magnetism Flashcards
(26 cards)
Voltage
How much energy the electrons in a circuit are carrying
measured in: Volts (V)
Current
A measure of how much electric charge flows through a circuit
measure in: Amps (A)
Electricity
The flow of electrical power or charge
Power
The amount of energy transferred per second
measured in: Watts (W)
Resistance
The measure of how much a component restricts the flow of current in a circuit
measure in: ohm’s
Conductor
A material that has a low resistance allowing the electrical current to pass through easily
Insulator
A material that has a high resistance making it difficult for the electrical current to go through.
Series circuit
Electrons have only one path/branch/loop to flow through
Parallel circuit
Electrons have more than one path/branch/loop to flow through
Cell
ONE battery
Power supply
MORE THAN ONE battery
Voltmeter
Measures the potential difference (how much energy electrons have before entering the component and how much energy they have after)
Ammeter
Measures the current in a circuit
Is a voltmeter connected in series or parallel?
Parallel
Is an ammeter connected in series or parallel
Series
Volt
Unit for voltage
Watt
Units for power
Ohm’s
Unit for resistance
Amps
Unit for current
Resistor
Slows down current. This is important as too much current can generate heat, causing a fire or insulation to melt, leading to a short circuit
Current in series
stays the same
Current in parallel
splits
Voltage in series
splits
Voltage in parallel
stays the same
