Introduction to Electricity and Magnetism

This set of flashcards focuses on key vocabulary related to electricity and magnetism based on the provided lecture notes.

Electricity

A wide array of phenomena including the presence and flow of electric charge.

Magnetism

A physical phenomenon produced by the motion of electric charge, resulting in attractive and repulsive forces between objects.

Proton

A positively charged particle found in the nucleus of an atom.

Electron

A negatively charged particle that orbits the nucleus of an atom.

Neutron

An electrically neutral particle found in the nucleus of an atom.

Electric Force

The force between charged particles that can attract or repel them.

Coulomb's Law

Describes the electric force between two charges as proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

Electric Field

A vector field surrounding a charged particle that exerts a force on other charged particles.

Voltage

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

Current

The flow of electric charge, measured in amperes (A).

Resistance

The opposition to the flow of current, measured in ohms (Ω).

Ohm's Law

States that current is directly proportional to voltage and inversely proportional to resistance.

Capacitor

A device that stores electrical energy in an electric field.

Inductor

A component that resists changes in electric current in a circuit.

Transformer

A device that steps up or steps down voltage in an electrical circuit.

Static Electricity

Electric charge at rest, often produced by friction.

Electromagnetism

The interaction between electricity and magnetism, unified under the electromagnetic force.

Faraday's Law

States that a changing magnetic field within a closed loop induces a voltage.

Electromagnetic Wave

A wave of oscillating electric and magnetic fields that travels through space.

Frequency

The number of cycles of a wave that pass a point in a given time, measured in hertz (Hz).

Wavelength

The distance between successive crests of a wave, often measured in meters.

Electromagnetic Spectrum

The range of all electromagnetic radiation, including radio waves, visible light, and gamma rays.

Dielectric

A substance that is a poor conductor of electricity but an efficient supporter of an electric field.

Polarization

The orientation of electric field waves in electromagnetic waves.

Current Wars

The historical conflict between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse over AC and DC electrical systems.

Ampere

Unit of electric current, equivalent to one coulomb per second.

Coulomb

Unit of electric charge.

Joule

Unit of energy; one joule is the work done when a force of one newton moves an object one meter.

Tesla

Unit of magnetic field strength.

Frequency Modulation (FM)

A method of encoding information in a varying frequency wave.

Amplitude Modulation (AM)

A method of encoding information by varying the amplitude of a wave.

Quantum Mechanics

A fundamental theory in physics that describes nature at the smallest scales, including atoms and subatomic particles.

Solar Panel

A device that converts light energy directly into electrical energy.

Insulator

A material that resists the flow of electricity.

Conductor

A material that allows electric charge to flow easily.

Superconductor

A material that exhibits zero electrical resistance at low temperatures.

Virtual Electric Field

An electric field that results from the presence of charge but does not occupy physical space.

Space Weather

The environmental conditions in space influenced by the Sun, including solar wind and coronal mass ejections.

Aurora Borealis

Natural light display in the Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions, resulting from the interaction of solar wind with Earth's magnetosphere.

Time Dilation

The difference in elapsed time as measured by two observers, due to relative velocity.

Length Contraction

The phenomenon where an object in motion is measured to be shorter in the direction of motion relative to a stationary observer.

The Speed of Light

The ultimate speed limit of the universe, equaling approximately 3.00 imes 10^8 m/s.

Maxwell's Equations

Four fundamental equations describing the behavior of electric and magnetic fields.

Lorentz Factor

A factor that describes how much time and length measurements change for objects moving close to the speed of light.

Light Speed Limitation

The principle that nothing can exceed the speed of light.

Electrophysiology

The study of the electrical properties of biological cells and tissues.

Galvanism

The phenomenon of electric currents causing a contraction in muscles.

Ampere's Law

Relates the circulating magnetic field to the electric current passing through a closed loop.

V=RI

An expression of Ohm's law which defines the relationship between voltage (V), current (I), and resistance (R).

C=Q/V

Expression for capacitance, defining the relationship between charge (Q) and voltage (V).