Electrical principles and technologies

i dont remember any of this

Proton

Positive charge

Electron

Negative charge

Neutron

subatomic particles found inside the nucleus of every atom

Static Electricity

• still electricity

• Stays in one place of a surface – doesn't move  

Electrical Current

The amount of electricity moving in a circuit

DC Current

Moves in one direction

Circuit

path that let’s electricity flow through

parts of a circuit

Source  

• Electric energy source (ex. Battery, generator, solar cell) 

Conductor 

• Current carrier (ex. Copper wire) 

Load  

• Device that converts electricity into other forms of energy (ex. Light bulb, motor, heating, coil resistor) 

Control  

• A device that can open or close the circuit (ex. Switch, circuit breaker) 

Current

• amount of moving charge

• in amps

Voltage/ Potential Difference

• Energy of moving charge 

• In volts

Resistance 

• Amount of opposite charge 

• In ohms 

Ohm’s Law 

• Linear relationship between materials  

• V = IR 

• I = V/R 

• R = V/I 

Voltmeter 

Measures voltage in volts

Ammeter 

Measures current in amps  

Multimeter 

Measures amps, volts, and ohms  

Short Circuit 

A circuit that will catch on fire due to low resistance and bypassing the load 

Insulators 

Prevents or restricts electrical current  

Conductors 

Continues the flow of electrical current 

Circuit Breakers 

breaks the circuit when safety hazard to protect a certain component 

Fuse 

Protects electrical device from damage  

Ground Wire 

Safety wire that is attached to the earth 

Electrochemical Cell 

Conducts electrical energy from chemical reactions 

Dry Cell 

• Paste electrolyte to stay dry 

• Found in portable devices 

• Ex: carbon zinc battery 

Wet Cell 

• Uses liquid as an electrolyte 

• Ex: Danielle cell 

Electrolyte 

Conducts electricity due to positive and negative charges 

Electrodes 

• Conductor 

• Make electrical contact with non-metallic parts of the circuit 

Ion 

An electric charge 

Primary Cell 

• Can only be used one time 

• Non-rechargeable  

Secondary Cell 

• Can be used finite (multiple) times 

• Can be recharged

Battery 

• Made of cells  

• Stored chemical energy to electrical energy 

Variable Resistor 

Scale the amount of resistance in a circuit

Schematic Diagrams 

Diagrams using symbols 

Series Circuit 

Only one path for electrons to move through 

Parallel Circuit 

Two or more paths for electrons to move through 

Microcircuits

Compact circuit put in devices like computer chip 

Transformers 

• electromagnetic induction 

• transfers electrical energy between two or more circuits 

• changes the voltage and current in the process 

Chemical Energy 

energy stored in bonds of atoms and molecules

biomass  

• Organic material such as wood, crop waste, and municipal solid waste processed for energy production  

• through direct combustion or conversion to fuel for combustion  

Hydro  

• energy from flowing water to generate electricity  

• This includes reservoir containment or run-of-river  

wind  

Wind passes through a large propellor, turning a generator to generate electricity

fossil  

Hydrocarbon-based fuel sources such as coal, natural gas, natural gas liquids and crude oil are combusted to heat water to steam, which turns a generator to produce electricity  

nuclear  

• A fission reaction heats water to steam, which turns a generator to produce electricity 

• Produces waste that must be safely stored for thousands of years  

solar  

• A semi-conducting material absorbs photons and converts their energy into electricity  

• does not use a generator  

Potential Gravitational Energy 

energy an object has due to its position in a gravitational field 

Power 

energy measured per unit time

Electromagnetic Induction 

generating electrical current using a magnetic field

Efficiency 

how effective electrical energy is converted into work or other energy sources without many losses 

Sustainability 

Ability to be maintain resources at a certain rate

Renewable Resources 

• Can be replaced within a lifetime  

• energy made from a renewable source  

• energy source that occurs naturally 

Non-renewable Energy 

• cannot be restored in a lifetime 

• non-renewable sources 

Power Grid 

a network that delivers electricity from power plants to people 

Brushes  

Regulate or reverse the motor to cause it to spin   

commutator  

spins with the armature ensures continuous rotation  

magnet  

• has north pole and south pole  

• ensures continuous rotation by opposites attracting and same sides repelling 

source  

gives power to the motor  

armature

interact with permanent magnets to continue spinning

motor

electrical → kinetic

generator

kinetic → electricity