Two Centuries of Electricity (Deux siècles d'électricité)

Vocabulary flashcards covering the chapter on two centuries of electricity, detailing key generation devices (alternators, batteries, photovoltaic cells), physical principles, and historical milestones.

Applied sciences

Disciplines aimed at developing techniques to achieve a concrete, practical result.

Fundamental research

Theoretical or experimental scientific research whose primary objective is not immediate practical development or application.

Alternator

A converter consisting of a magnetic field source and a conducting coil in relative rotational motion that generates an alternating and periodic voltage, producing more than $97\%$ of the world's electricity.

Electromagnetic induction

The operating principle of an alternator, discovered experimentally by Faraday in 1821 and theorized by Maxwell in 1856.

Stator

The stationary, fixed part of an alternator.

Rotor

The mobile, rotating part of an alternator.

Frequency ($f$)

A physical quantity measured in Hertz ($\text{Hz}$) that is equal to the inverse of the period ($T$).

Electrochemical generator (battery)

A device that produces an electric current resulting from the transfer of electrons between two separated reactants during a redox reaction.

Oxidation-reduction (redox) reaction

A reaction involving an exchange of electrons between two separate reactants that drives current generation in an electrochemical cell.

Semiconductors

Materials, such as silicon and germanium, that absorb light and become capable of conducting electrical current.

Photovoltaic cell

A converter made by combining two semiconductor materials that transforms received light energy into electrical energy, producing roughly $2\%$ of global electricity.

Current-voltage curve (photovoltaic)

A characteristic curve used to determine the maximum electrical power of a photovoltaic cell and the optimal resistance value of the receiver.

Photovoltaic efficiency

The proportion of received light energy converted into electrical energy, which is approximately $15\%$ for photovoltaic cells.

Thalès

Historical figure documented in the electricity timeline associated with the date 600 BC (600 av. J-C).

Ewald von Kleist

Historical figure noted in the timeline of electricity developments for the year 1746.

Benjamin Franklin

Historical figure noted in the timeline of electricity discoveries for the year 1752.

Luigi Galvani

Historical figure noted in the timeline of electricity discoveries for the year 1780.