Electrical Principles: Voltage, Current, and Charge

Vocabulary flashcards covering the definitions and mathematical formulas for coulomb, voltage, current, work, power sources, and basic electronic circuit concepts from Chapter 1 to 8.

Coulomb

A unit of electrical charge equal to an accumulation of $6.25 \times 10^{18}$ extra electrons for a negative charge, or $6.25 \times 10^{18}$ atoms with one electron removed for a positive charge.

Electrolytic Capacitor

An electronic device, typically shaped like a soda can, containing a wound coil sandwich of two metal ribbons (such as aluminum foil) separated by an insulative or semi-conductive material to store electrical charge.

Voltage

A measure of the electrical potential between two charged objects to do work, defined mathematically as joules of work divided by coulombs of charge ($\text{Voltage} = \frac{\text{Joules}}{\text{Coulombs}}$)(

Kinetic Energy (Electrical)

Energy involving physical motion or movement, such as the active transfer of electrons during the process of pulling charges apart or moving them through a circuit.

Potential Energy (Electrical)

Stored energy present in a fully charged battery or capacitor after charges are separated and electrons have stopped moving.

Joule

A scientific unit quantifying work, equivalent to three-fourths ($75\%$) of a foot-pound of effort, or the effort required to lift a three-quarter pound weight one foot off a surface.

Foot-pound

A non-metric unit of work defined as moving $1\,\text{pound}$ of weight over a distance of $1\,\text{foot}$.

Volt

The amount of electrical potential requiring $1\,\text{joule}$ of work to move $1\,\text{coulomb}$ of charge ($1\,\text{volt} = \frac{1\,\text{joule}}{1\,\text{coulomb}}$).

Lantern Battery

A $6\,\text{volt}$ battery composed internally of four individual cells connected together in series inside a single housing.

Battery

An electrical power source technically defined as a combination of more than one individual electrochemical cell connected together (such as in series).

Cell

A single electrochemical unit (such as a single $1.5\,\text{volt}$ D-cell or AA unit) that produces voltage through internal chemical reactions.

Current

The active flow of electric charges moving through a conductor or circuit.

Ampere (Amp)

The unit of measurement for electric current, defined as $1\,\text{coulomb}$ of charge passing a given point every second ($1\,\text{amp} = \frac{1\,\text{coulomb}}{1\,\text{second}}$).

Conductor

A conductive material, such as copper wire, that provides a pathway for electrons to travel from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration.

Glomping

A conceptual approach that lumps complex subatomic and quantum physical interactions into simple, observable concepts for practical circuit applications.

Load

A device or component connected across a voltage source (such as a light bulb filament) that provides resistance to limit and dictate current flow.

Amperage

The measure of electric current flow defined mathematically as coulombs of charge divided by time in seconds ($\text{Amperage} = \frac{\text{Coulombs}}{\text{Seconds}}$)(