Electrical Components

Voltage

Electrical potential difference measured in volts

Current

Flow of electric charge measured in amperes

Resistance

Opposition to current flow measured in ohms

Circuit

Complete path for current to flow

Battery

Stores and supplies electrical energy

Fuse

Protects circuit by breaking under overload

Relay

Electrically operated switch controlling circuits

Switch

Manually opens or closes an electrical path

Connector

Joins electrical wires or components

Terminal

Connection point for electrical conductors

Wire gauge

Thickness of wire affecting current capacity

Grounding

Provides safe path for stray current

Sensor

Detects physical changes and sends signals

Actuator

Converts electrical energy into mechanical motion

Solenoid

Electromagnetic device that moves a plunger

Diode

Allows current flow in one direction only

Resistor

Limits or controls current flow in a circuit

Capacitor

Stores and releases electrical energy quickly

Transformer

Changes voltage levels in AC circuits

Circuit breaker

Automatically interrupts excessive current flow