An Introduction to Electricity and Magnetism – Vocabulary flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from electricity, magnetism, and electromagnetic waves topics.

Atom

The smallest unit of matter that cannot be broken down chemically; consists of a nucleus with protons and neutrons and electrons orbiting around.

Element

A substance made of only one type of atom; identified by its number of protons.

Proton

A positively charged particle located in the nucleus.

Neutron

An electrically neutral particle located in the nucleus.

Electron

A negatively charged particle that orbits the nucleus.

Nucleus

The center of an atom where protons and neutrons reside.

Electric charge

A property of matter that can be positive or negative and causes forces in electric fields.

Coulomb’s force

The electromagnetic force between charged particles; depends on the charges and the distance between them.

Electric field

The region around a charged object where other charges experience a force; has strength and direction.

Electric field lines

A visual representation of the electric field; lines point away from positive charges and toward negative charges.

Conductor

A material that allows easy flow of electrons.

Insulator

A material that resists or inhibits electron flow.

Periodic Table

A chart listing all known elements, organized by the number of protons in the nucleus.

Atomic number

The number of protons in an atom’s nucleus; identifies the element.

Electron charge

The negative electric charge carried by electrons.

Proton charge

The positive electric charge carried by protons.

Magnetic field

The region around a magnet where magnetic forces are felt; field lines form closed loops.

Magnetic dipole

A north and south magnetic pole together; the basic unit of magnetism.

Ferromagnetic

Materials (like iron and nickel) that can become permanent magnets when exposed to a strong magnetic field.

Paramagnetic

Materials that can be magnetized in a strong field but lose magnetism when the field is removed.

Right-hand rule

A rule to determine the direction of the magnetic field around a current-carrying wire.

Solenoid

A coil of wire; when current flows, it produces a magnetic field similar to a bar magnet.

Faraday’s law

Changing magnetic fields can induce electric current in a circuit.

Transformer

A device with two coils that changes voltage by transferring energy via a changing magnetic field.

Inductor

A component that resists changes in current, used to smooth or regulate current.

Generator

A device that converts motion energy into electricity.

Capacitor

A device that stores electrical energy on two conductors (plates) separated by an insulator.

Dielectric

An insulating material placed between capacitor plates that increases charge storage.

Battery

A device with two terminals (positive and negative) that provides a source of electric potential difference.

Ohm’s law

Relation between current, voltage, and resistance: I = V/R.

Voltage

Electric potential difference; the push that causes current to flow.

Electric current

The flow of electric charges through a conductor.

Resistance

Opposition to the flow of electric current; measured in ohms.

Circuit

A closed loop that provides a path for continuous current flow.

Series circuit

A circuit where all parts are in a single loop; current is the same through all parts; a break stops the entire circuit.

Parallel circuit

A circuit with multiple paths for current; a break in one path does not stop current in other paths.

Ampere (amp)

Unit of electric current; one coulomb per second.

Electric potential energy

Energy stored due to an object's position in an electric field.

Kinetic energy

Energy of motion.

Magnetic field lines

Visual representation of the magnetic field showing direction of field around a magnet; lines form closed loops.

Electromagnetic waves

Waves produced by changing electric and magnetic fields; visible light is an EM wave.

Wavelength

Distance between two successive crests (or troughs) of a wave.

Frequency

How many full wavelengths pass a point each second; unit is hertz (Hz).

Amplitude

Height of a wave from rest to a crest or trough; indicates wave strength.

Hertz

Unit of frequency; equal to one cycle per second.