SCIENCE Resource Guide: The Roaring Twenties

Electricity

The phenomenon associated with the presence and flow of electric charge.

Electromagnetism

The branch of physics that deals with the interrelation of electric fields and magnetic fields.

Voltage

The electric potential difference between two points, measured in volts.

Current

The flow of electric charge, measured in amperes.

Ohm's Law

An equation that relates voltage (V), current (I), and resistance (R) in a circuit: I = V/R.

Coulomb's Law

An equation describing the electric force between two charged objects, which is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

Capacitor

A device consisting of two conductive plates separated by an insulating material, used to store electric charge.

Resistor

An electrical component used to resist the flow of current in a circuit.

Inductor

A coil or loop of wire that creates a magnetic field when current passes through it, resisting changes in that current.

Generator

A device that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy through electromagnetic induction.

Transformers

Electrical devices used to change the voltage of alternating current in power lines.

Faraday's Law

The principle that a change in magnetic flux through a coil induces an electromotive force (voltage) in the coil.

Electromagnetic Waves

Waves that consist of oscillating electric and magnetic fields, which can travel through a vacuum.

Relativity

Einstein's theory that explains how time and space are interwoven, affecting the measurement of time and distance for observers in different frames of reference.

Kinetic Energy

The energy possessed by an object due to its motion.

Potential Energy

The stored energy an object has due to its position or state.

Electric Field

A vector field around charged particles that exerts a force on other charges.

Magnetic Field

A field around magnets or moving charges that exerts forces on other moving charges.

Wavelength

The distance between successive crests of a wave, often used in the context of electromagnetic radiation.

Frequency

The number of oscillations or waves that pass a point per unit of time, measured in hertz (Hz).