Electrical and Electronic Technology for CSEC® Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards for reviewing key terms and concepts in electrical and electronic technology.

Electric Current

The flow of electric charge, measured in amperes (A).

Atom

The smallest part of an element that can take part in a chemical change.

Molecule

A group of atoms bonded together.

Nucleus

The positively charged central core of an atom made up of protons and neutrons.

Proton

A stable sub-atomic particle occurring in all atoms with a positive charge.

Neutron

A stable sub-atomic particle with no charge.

Electron

A stable sub-atomic particle with a negative charge.

Ions

Atoms or molecules that have gained or lost electrons.

Conductor

A material that conducts electricity.

Insulator

A material that doesn’t readily conduct electricity.

Semi-conductor

A material that can conduct electricity under certain conditions.

Static Electricity

A build-up of charge on the surface of an object. The charge remains until it is discharged.

Charge

The quantity of electricity, measured in coulombs (C).

Potential Difference

The energy transferred by one coulomb between two points in a circuit, measured in volts (V).

Electromotive Force (e.m.f.)

The voltage produced by an electrical power source, measured in volts (V).

Power

The rate at which energy is transferred by electrically powered items, measured in watts (W).

Energy

The ability to perform work or to move or change things, measured in joules (J).

Resistance

The level of opposition to the flow of current in a circuit, measured in ohms (Ω).

Capacitance

The ability to store electric charge.

Inductance

The opposition created by a changing current in a magnetic field, inducing a reverse voltage, measured in henrys (H).

Frequency

The rate at which alternating current (a.c.) completes a cycle, measured in hertz (Hz).

Magnetic Materials

Materials that are attracted by a magnet like iron, steel, nickel, and cobalt.

Fuse

Disconnects a circuit when an overload or short circuit is present.

Circuit Breaker

A device which automatically disconnects the supply from a circuit in the event of excessive current flowing in the circuit.

Unity Power Factor

When the voltage and current in a circuit are ‘in phase’ with each other.

Alternating Current (a.c.)

A flow of electrons which rises to a maximum value in one direction and then falls back to zero before repeating the process in the opposite direction.

Transformer

An electrical machine with no moving parts which is used to change the value of an alternating voltage.

Renewable Energy

Energy which is naturally replenished on a human timescale, such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat.

Capacitor

A component which stores an electric charge if a voltage is applied across it.

Conduit

A tube made from metal or PVC in which insulated conductors are contained.

Valence electrons

The electrons in an atom’s outermost orbit.

Resistor

A component that limits the electrical current that flows through a circuit.

Thermistor

A device whose resistance quickly decreases with an increase in temperature.

Resistivity

Is measured in millionths of an ohm millimetre

Working voltage

The maximum voltage that can be applied between the plates of the capacitor without breaking down the dielectric insulating material.