Fire Electrical Basics

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering fundamental concepts in fire electrical engineering.

Voltage

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

Current

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

Resistance

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

Ohm's Law

The relationship between voltage (V), current (I), and resistance (R), defined as V = IR.

Conductance

The reciprocal of resistance, indicating how well a conductor allows current to flow, symbolized as G and measured in siemens (S) or mhos (℧).

Kirchhoff's Current Law (KCL)

The principle stating that the total current entering a junction must equal the total current leaving it.

Kirchhoff's Voltage Law (KVL)

The sum of the electrical potential differences (voltage) around any closed network is zero.

Power (P)

The rate at which electrical energy is transferred by an electric circuit, measured in watts (W).

Energy (W)

The capacity to do work, in electrical terms, often calculated as W = Pt, where P is power and t is time.

Electrolysis

The chemical process in which electrical energy is used to cause a chemical reaction, typically used to separate compounds.

Faraday's Laws of Electrolysis

Two laws that describe the relationship between the amount of substance produced at an electrode during electrolysis and the amount of electric charge used.

Battery

A device that converts chemical energy into electrical energy through electrochemical reactions.

Primary Battery

A non-rechargeable battery that can be used until its chemical reactants are exhausted.

Secondary Battery

A rechargeable battery which can be restored through the application of electric current.

Internal Resistance

The resistance within a battery that reduces the current flow, usually due to the chemical reactions occurring inside.

Shunt Resistor

A resistor placed in parallel with a current meter to enable the measurement of larger currents.

Thermoelectric Effect

Phenomena where a temperature difference or electric current generates a voltage difference, including the Seebeck, Peltier, and Thomson effects.

Piezoelectric Effect

The ability of certain materials to generate an electric charge in response to applied mechanical stress.