Electricity: Current, Voltage, and Resistance

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering electric current, voltage, resistance, Ohm's law, measurement instruments, and series and parallel circuits.

Electric Current

The flow or movement of free electrons through a conductor, moving from the negative terminal toward the positive terminal of a battery.

Conventional Current

The flow of electric charge agreed upon by early scientists before the discovery of the electron, considered to flow from the positive terminal to the negative terminal of a battery.

Ampere (A)

The unit of measurement for electric current, often shortened to amps.

Ammeter

An electrical meter or instrument used to measure electric current.

Voltage (Potential Difference)

The ability given by a battery to electrons that enables them to move through a circuit, created by an excess of electrons at the negative terminal and a loss of electrons at the positive terminal.

Volt (V)

The unit of measurement for voltage or potential difference.

Voltmeter

An instrument used to measure voltage or potential difference across components in a circuit.

Georg Simon Ohm

The scientist who discovered the direct relationship between electric current and voltage (potential difference).

Nichrome Wire

A wire that resists the flow of electricity, causing electrical energy to be converted into heat; often loosely coiled to keep it compact and used as a resistor in circuit activities.

Resistance ($R$)

The measure of opposition to the flow of electric current in a circuit or component, mathematically defined by the ratio $\frac{V}{I}$.

Ohm ($\Omega$)

The standard unit of electrical resistance.

Formula for Voltage ($V$)

$V = I \times R$, where $V$ is voltage (potential difference), $I$ is current, and $R$ is resistance.

Formula for Current ($I$)

$I = \frac{V}{R}$, where $I$ is current in amperes, $V$ is voltage in volts, and $R$ is resistance in ohms.

Formula for Resistance ($R$)

$R = \frac{V}{I}$, where $R$ is resistance in ohms, $V$ is voltage in volts, and $I$ is current in amperes.

Series Connection (Bulbs)

A circuit arrangement where bulbs are connected sequentially end-to-end along a single path, sharing the same current flow from the power supply.

Parallel Connection (Bulbs)

A circuit arrangement where bulbs are connected across separate parallel branches, providing each bulb with an individual path connected directly across the power supply.

Electrical current

The movement or flow of free electrons along a conducting wire from the negative terminal of a battery towards the positive terminal.

Conducting wire

A wire made of a metal, such as copper, containing loosely held free electrons through which an electric current can pass.

Conventional current

The historical convention established by early scientists stating that electric current flows from the positive terminal to the negative terminal of a battery.

Ampere

The standard unit of measurement for electric current, often shortened to amps and denoted by the symbol $A$.

Ammeter

An instrument used to measure the electric current flowing through a circuit.

Voltage (potential difference)

The difference in potential between the positive and negative terminals of a battery created by a chemical reaction, which gives electrons the ability to move.

Volt

The unit of measurement for voltage or potential difference, represented by the symbol $V$.

Voltmeter

An instrument used to measure voltage or electrical potential difference.

Georg Simon Ohm

The scientist who discovered the relationship between electric current and voltage (potential difference).

Resistance

The opposition to the flow of electric current in a material or circuit, defined mathematically by the relationship $R = \frac{V}{I}$.

Ohm

The unit of electrical resistance, denoted by the symbol $\Omega$.

Nichrome wire

A closely coiled wire that resists the flow of electricity, converting electrical energy into heat, often used as a resistor.

Ohm's Law formula

The mathematical relationship where voltage is directly proportional to current, expressed as $\frac{V}{I} = R$ or $V = I \times R$.

Series connection

A circuit arrangement where components, such as filament bulbs, are connected end-to-end along a single continuous path.

Parallel connection

A circuit arrangement where components, such as filament bulbs, are connected across separate parallel branches.