ELECTRIC CURRENT

Electric Current

the amount of electric charge

passing through a point in a conductor per unit of time.

conductor

a material that allows electric current to flow through it

easily.

insulator

exact opposite of a conductor; it tightly resists the

flow of electricity.

Voltage

tells us how much energy each unit of charge carries as it

flows from one point to another.

how does a voltage flow?

A charge flows when there is a difference in

electric potential between two points in a circuit.

is measured in volts (V).

voltage

Resistance

flows through a conductor with some degree of resistance.

Length [resistance]

The resistance of the wire is directly proportional to

its length. In other words, the longer the wire, the greater its resistance.

Material [resistance]

Different materials offer different amounts of resistance.

According to Ohm's Law

the current (I) in a circuit is directly proportional to the voltage (V) and inversely proportional to the resistance (R).

What is the symbol for electric current and its SI unit

Electric current is represented by the symbol I, and its SI

unit is the ampere (A).

semiconductor

sits right in the middle. It isn't a great

conductor, but it isn't a perfect insulator either. Its ability to

conduct electricity depends on its environment (like

temperature or light).

Doping

a process known as adding small amounts of impurities to increase their electrical conductivity

significantly.

two main types of electric current

direct current and alternating current

Direct Current

a flow of charge that is always in one direction.

Alternating Current

Electrons in the circuit are moved first in one direction and then in the opposite direction, alternating to and fro about relatively fixed

positions.

How is alternating current accomplished

It's accomplished by alternating the polarity of

voltage at the generator or other voltage source.

What is the cause of voltage

electric charge moves from rest when acted upon by an unbalanced force. This unbalanced force is caused by voltage, or potential difference.

another term for "voltage"

potential difference

Electromotive force (emf)

is what drives charges to move through a conductor, producing an electric current.

is measured in ohms (Ω).

Resistance

Factors Affecting Wire Resistance

● the length of the wire,

● the thickness of the wire,

● the materials the wire is made of, and

● the temperature of the wire.

Thickness [resistance]

It is inversely proportional to resistance. This means that the

thicker the wire, the lower the resistance, and the easier it is for current to flow.

Temperature [resistance]

Resistance increases as temperature increases. (so the hotter the wire, the higher the resistance)

Ohm's Law

it was created by Georg Simon Ohm, who was a brilliant German physicist and mathematician

What is Ohm's magnus opus

Die galvanische Kette, mathematisch bearbeitet (The Galvanic Circuit Investigated Mathematically)