Topic 10 - Electricity and circuits Flashcards
(59 cards)
Symbols needed for circuits
Cell, battery, open switch, closed switch, filament lamp, fuse, LED, power supply, resistor, variable resistor, ammeter, voltmeter, diode, LDR, thermistor, motor
Series circuits are
Circuits where components are connected from negative to positive in one line(except voltmeters)
If one component of a series circuit disconnects,
The whole thing stops working
Series circuits rules
Bigger supply voltage when there are more cells
The current is the same everywhere
The total voltage is shared between components
The total resistance increases when resistors are added
Parallel circuits are
Circuits where each component is seperately connected to the + and - of the supply(except ammeters)
If one component disconnects in parallel,
It doesnt affect the whole circuit
Parallel circuits rules
Potential difference is the same across all components
Current is shared between brances, so the total current is each parts current added together
There are junctions where the current splits and rejoins with equal magnitude at the end
The total resistance of circuit decreases if another resistor is added in parallel
Voltage/Potential difference is
The force driving the charge round. The energy transferred per coulomb of charge passed
1V =
1J per Coulomb
Energy transferred(J) =
Charge Moved(C) x Potential Difference(V)
Voltmeters measure
Voltage
Voltmeters are always connected in
Parallel
Ammeters measure
Current
Ammeters are always connected in
Series
Current is
The flow of electrical charge around the circuit
Current only flows if
There is a potential difference and the circuit is complete
Charge(C)=
Current(A) x time(s)
When current splits at a junction and rejoins after,
The current is conserved
Resistance is
Anything that flows the current down
The higher the resistance,
The lower the current
Potential difference(V)=
Current(A) x Resistance(Ohms)
How do resistors work
The electrons collide with the ionic lattice , so it is harder to flow through.
Temperature increases due to ions vibrating
This makes it harder for current to flow
Adding resistors in series means……, why?
The total resistance increases.
The voltage is shared between resistors. This reduces voltage and current.
The current is the same everywhere so total current decreases, leadign to resistance increasing
Adding resistors in parallel means…. ,why?
The total resistance decreases.
Adding an extra loop, and the potential difference is the same as the total
This means that the total current increases