Lecture on Current and Resistance

A set of flashcards based on key concepts of current, resistance, and related laws in electricity.

Current

The motion of charge through a conductor, often described as the flow of electric charge.

Resistance

A measure of how hard it is to push charges through a wire; determined by the properties of the wire and the applied voltage.

Ohm's Law

The relationship between the current, voltage, and resistance in a circuit, usually expressed as $V = IR$.

Charge Carrier

The particles that carry electric charge, such as electrons in metals.

Electric Field

A field around charged particles that exerts a force on other charged particles; points from high potential to low potential.

Drift Velocity

The average velocity of charge carriers in a conductor due to an electric field.

 emf (electromotive force)

The potential difference supplied by a battery that causes current to flow; not the same as voltage when current is present.

Resistivity

A property of materials that indicates how strongly they resist the flow of electric current.

Conservation of Current

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

Circuit

A complete path through which electricity can flow.

Potential Difference

The difference in electric potential between two points in a circuit, causing current to flow.

Power

The rate at which work is done or energy is transferred in a circuit, measured in watts (W).

Kirchhoff’s Junction Law

A principle stating that the sum of currents entering a junction equals the sum of currents leaving the junction.