Scribd
Upload
14 views2 pages

Electricity Definitions

The document provides definitions and explanations of key electrical concepts such as current, potential difference, resistance, and various components like ammeters, voltmeters, diodes, and resistors. It also covers fundamental laws and principles like Ohm's Law, the junction and loop rules, and the characteristics of series and parallel circuits. Additionally, it introduces concepts like power, potential dividers, superconductivity, and internal resistance.

Uploaded by

mickeymike2101
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
14 views2 pages

Electricity Definitions

The document provides definitions and explanations of key electrical concepts such as current, potential difference, resistance, and various components like ammeters, voltmeters, diodes, and resistors. It also covers fundamental laws and principles like Ohm's Law, the junction and loop rules, and the characteristics of series and parallel circuits. Additionally, it introduces concepts like power, potential dividers, superconductivity, and internal resistance.

Uploaded by

mickeymike2101
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Electricity Definitions

Current- the rate of flow of charge

Potential difference- the work done per unit charge

Resistance- a measure of the difficulty of making the current pass through the component
- caused by collisions between charge carriers and with fixed positive ions in a metal

Ideal ammeter- a device which measures the rate of flow of charge


- placed in series
- zero resistance

Ideal voltmeter- a device which measures the electrical energy difference between electrons
entering a component and electrons leaving a component
- placed in parallel
- infinite resistance

Ohm’s Law- the pd across an ohmic conductor is directly proportional to the current flowing
through it, provided physical conditions do not change
- the resistance of an ohmic conductor (e.g. wire) is constant

Cell- an electrical source of energy

Filament bulb- a device containing a filament (small coil of wire) that heats up as current passes
through it, producing light as a result

Diode- a device that allows current to flow in one direction, but very little current to flow in the
opposite direction
- the diode has a threshold voltage of 0.6V in the forward direction

Light dependent resistor (LDR)- a device whose resistance decreases as light intensity increases

Thermistor (with a negative temperature coefficient)- a device whose resistance decreases as


temperature increases

Negative temperature coefficient- the resistance of a component decreases as temperature


increases

Junction rule- the total current entering a junction is equal to the total current leaving the junction

Loop rule- for any closed loop in a circuit, the sum of the emf around the circuit is equal to the sum
of the potential drops around the loop

Series circuit- the current passing through each component is equal


- the pd of the battery is shared across components
- the total resistance of the circuit is the addition of all the individual resistances

Parallel circuit- the current is split at junctions


- the pd across each branch is equal
- resistance decreases with more branches
the a level physicist
Power- the energy transferred per unit time
- more powerful components transfer more energy per unit time, hence they are brighter

Potential divider- an arrangement of resistors in series


- pd across components can be varied from zero to the pd of the supply

Variable resistor- a device used to vary the current through a circuit

Superconductivity- a property of certain materials which have zero resistivity at and below a
critical temperature

Superconductor- a material that has zero resistivity at and below a critical temperature

Electromotive force- the electrical energy per unit charge produced by the source

Internal resistance- the resistance of materials within the battery

Terminal pd- the electrical energy supplied per unit charge supplied to the external components

the a level physicist

You might also like