Basic Electricity - Technology and Digitalisation 2º ESO

Vocabulary based flashcards covering the basic principles of electricity, circuit components, Ohm's law, and energy types from the Technology and Digitalisation 2º ESO Project Star curriculum.

Electricity

A form of energy that lets negatively charged particles ($electrons$) move from one atom to another.

Electricity (Keywords definition)

A form of energy that lets negatively charged particles ($electrons$) move from one atom to another.

Electric current

The flow of electrons from one atom to another inside a conductive material.

Protons

Tiny particles inside an atom that hold a positive charge.

Neutrons

Tiny particles inside an atom that hold no charge (neutral).

Electrons

Tiny particles inside an atom that hold a negative charge.

Conductor

A material that lets electric current flow through it, such as copper, tin, aluminium, silver, and iron.

Insulator

A material that does not let electric current flow through it, such as plastic, paper, textiles, and wood.

Static electricity

A phenomenon caused by the accumulation of charge in a material when charges are at rest.

Electric circuit

A series of interconnected components that an electric current flows through to produce an effect like light, heat, sound, or motion.

Power sources

Components that supply the necessary electrical energy to the rest of the circuit in order to move the electrons, such as cells and batteries.

Load devices

Components that receive the electrical energy from the power sources and convert it to other types of useful energy.

Control devices

Devices that regulate the circuit by allowing or preventing the flow of electric current.

Lamp

A load device that converts electrical energy to light energy.

Motor

A load device that converts electrical energy to kinetic energy.

Buzzer

A load device that converts electrical energy to sound energy.

Resistor

A load device that opposes the flow of the electric current and converts electrical energy to heat energy.

One-way switch

A control device that opens or closes the circuit when pressed; one position stops the current while the other lets it pass.

Push switch

A control device that opens and closes the circuit only while the button is pushed; can be normally open ($NO$) or normally closed ($NC$).

Two-way switch (Changeover switch)

A control device with two positions that changes from one to the other when pressed.

Electrical schematic

A simple drawing used to represent electrical circuits where every component is represented by a standardised symbol.

Normally Open (NO) push switch

Also called a push-to-make switch; it does not allow current to flow until the button is pushed.

Normally Closed (NC) push switch

Also called a push-to-break switch; it is lit/conductive until the button is pushed.

Open circuit

A state where the energy of the power source cannot reach the load devices because the path is cut off, meaning electric current cannot flow.

Closed circuit

A state where the energy of the power source reaches the load devices, allowing electric current to flow through an uncut path.

Short circuit

Occurs when the electric current is transported by wires without passing through a load device, taking the path of least resistance.

Current ($I$)

The intensity of the current or amount of electrons flowing through a conductor over a certain time, measured in amperes ($A$).

Voltage ($V$)

Also called potential difference; the difference in the charge between two points that forces electrons to move, measured in volts ($V$).

Resistance ($R$)

The opposition to the flow of the electric current, measured in ohms ($\Omega$).

Ohm's law

A law formulated by Georg Simon Ohm stating that current in a circuit is directly proportional to voltage and inversely proportional to total resistance: $I = \frac{V}{R}$.

Series circuit

A circuit where all components are connected one after the other, providing only one path for electric current.

Parallel circuit

A circuit where load devices are connected on different branches of the wire, providing several possible paths for electric current.

Series-parallel combination circuit

A circuit that contains devices connected in both series and in parallel.

Potential drop

The energy expenditure that occurs when an electric current passes through a load device.

Joule effect

The phenomenon where heat is produced as electrons move through a conductor or load device due to friction.

Environmental impact

The effects that the production, transportation, and consumption of energy have on the environment, such as pollution or the greenhouse effect.