Physics - Electricity

Coulomb

A very large number of electrons.

Voltage (V)

The amount of energy each coulomb has, measured in volts.

1 Volt

Equal to 1 Joule per Coulomb.

Current (I)

The rate at which charge flows, measured in Amps (A).

1 Amp

Equal to 1 Coulomb per second.

Ohm’s Law

Relationship between Voltage, Current, and Resistance, often illustrated using a water pipe analogy.

Power (W)

Measures how much energy is converted in the circuit each second.

1 Watt

Equal to 1 Joule per second.

Resistance (Ω)

Anything that slows the flow of electric current.

Conductors

Materials that allow electricity to flow.

Insulators

Materials that do not allow electricity to flow.

Matter

Composed of atoms.

Protons

Positively charged particles in an atom.

Electrons

Negatively charged particles in an atom.

Neutrons

Neutral particles in an atom that have mass.

Law of Conservation of Energy

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another.

Energy transformations

Process where energy changes from one form to another, e.g., electrical to kinetic.

Gradient (Slope)

The rate of change on a Voltage vs Current graph, equal to Resistance (Ω).