Natural Science Electricity and Light Vocabulary

Vocabulary terms and definitions covering basic electrical circuits, light optics, and eye anatomy based on lecture notes.

(electrical) charge

A store of electrical energy.

friction

Force caused by rubbing things together.

Static electricity

The build up of electric charges on an object.

attract

Pull towards.

repel

Push away.

current

The movement of charge in an electric circuit.

complete circuit

A circuit in which electricity can flow in a continuous unbroken pathway.

filament

A very thin metal wire found in some light bulbs.

incandescent

Gives off light when heated.

cell

The smallest, whole, working part of a battery.

potential energy

Stored energy.

battery

A collection of connected cells.

resistor

A part of a circuit that slows down the flow of current.

circuit diagram

A symbolic picture of a circuit.

fuse

A device used in electric circuits to prevent heating.

short circuit

When an electric current flows through a path with low resistance in a circuit and not through the rest of the circuit.

electroplating

Method of coating metal objects with a thin layer of another metal.

series circuit

A circuit with only one path along which current can flow.

parallel circuit

A circuit with more than one path along which current can flow.

output device

A component in an electrical circuit that changes electrical energy into useful forms of energy.

luminous

Gives off its own light.

non-luminous

Does not give off its own light.

ray diagram

A diagram that shows the path of light rays.

transparent

Light can pass through it.

laterally inverted

When light left and right switch sides.

incident ray

The ray of light that shines onto a surface.

reflected ray

The ray of light reflected back from a surface.

normal

A line perpendicular to the surface, where the incident and reflected ray meet.

iris

Coloured part of the eye.

pupil

The dark opening in the middle of the eye.

receptor cells

Cells which are sensitive to stimuli such as light, movement or chemicals.

retina

The light sensitive layer of cells at the back of the eye.

cone cells

Cells in the retina which are stimulated by different frequencies of light.

optic nerve

Takes electrical signals from the eye to the brain.

medium

The substance through which light passes.

emergent ray

The light ray that emerges or passes out of the prism.

opaque substances

Substances that block light, allowing no light to pass through them.

diffuse reflection

When rough surfaces reflect rays and scatter them in different directions.

regular reflection

When smooth surfaces reflect rays in a uniform way.

dispersion of light

The process where a prism bends or refracts white light, separating it into different colours.

electrolysis

The process of breaking down a compound by using electricity.