vocab #3 Flashcards
(18 cards)
Brush
a conductor that makes contact inside a motor or a generator
Circuit
a pathway for the flow of electricity
Closed Circuit
a complete circuit through which electricity flows
Commutator
a switching mechanism on a motor or generator
Constraint
a restriction or limitation
Contact point
the place on a component where connections are made to allow electricity to flow
core
in an electromagnet, the material around which a coil of insulated wire is wound
criterion
(plural: criteria) a standard for evaluating or testing something
Electromagnetic force
a fundamental force of nature that acts between charged particles and creates electric and magnetic fields
filament
the material in a light bulb (usually a thin wire) that makes light when heated by an electric current
Green house gas
a gas that absorbs and radiates energy in the atmosphere, effectively trapping heat
Incandescent light bulb
a device that gives off light and heat when electric current runs through a filament
Induced magnetism
the influence of a magnetic field on iron, which makes the iron a temporary magnet
maglev
a device utilizing magnetic levitation
Power grid
a complex network of wires that delivers electricity to homes and other buildings
semiconductor
a material, such as silicon, that has less electric conductivity than a conductor but more than an insulator
Solar cell
a silicon structure that converts sunlight into electrical energy and is used as a power source
Temporary magnet
a piece of iron that behaves like a magnet only when it is under the influence of an external magnetic field
