P2-Electricity-Circuits

What is current?

Flow of elecric charge/elecrons

What is charge?

Value of elecricity in circuit, measured in coulombs

What is potential difference?

Force that pushes charge around

What is resistance?

Anything that slows current down

What does the current flowing through a component depend on?

The potential difference across it and the resistance

What is ohms law?

Current flowing through at a constant temperature is directly proportionate to the p.d across it.

Where should the voltmeter be placed?

parallel to what you’re investigating

Where should the ammeter be placed?

In series with what you’re investigating

Why do ohmic conductors have a straight line?

Because current and p.d are directly proportionate

Whats the I-V characteristic of and ohmic conductor at constant temperature?

straight line (linear component)

What happens when current flow through a filament lamp?

Filament heats up more and more, increasing resistance

Why does filament lamp graph get shallower?

Since resistance is increased less current flows (non linear components)

Whats and I-V characteristic?

Shows how current changes as p.d increases (current-voltage)

What is the I-V characteristic of a diode?

Goes from flat to steep quickly (resistance depends on direction of current)

What is non-linear resistance?

Resistance through a current that changes with current through component

What happens whne current increases? (resistance)

As current increases elecrons have more energy causing resistance to increase and current to decrease

In hotter temperatures what happens to resistance of thermistor?

goes lower

What is a thermistor?

A temperature dependant resistor

Whats an LDR?

Resistor thats dependant on intensity of light (used in automatic night lights)

What is a diode?

Component that allows current to flow in a forward direction

What does a diode do in the opposite direction?

Diode has a high resistance on the opposite direction preventing current flow

What is a series circuit?

A closed circuit that follows a single path

How does current behave in a series circuit

Current is the same everywhere and flows through all components

How are components connected in a series circuit?

Components are connected end to end

What happens to current in a series circuit?

Current is the same through all parts

Whta is the p.d in a parallel circuit?

Same across all branches

How is current distributed in a parallel circuit?

Shared between each branch

What is the relationship between current through the source and though each branch in a parallel circuit?

The current through a soucre is equal to the current through each branch