Physics Definitions Module 4

Conductors

A material that allows the flow of electrical charge. Good conductors have a larger amount of free charge carriers to carry a current

Conservation of Charge

The total charge in a system cannot change.

Conventional Current

The flow from positive to negative, used to describe the direction of current in a circuit

Coulomb

The unit of charge.

Electric Current

The rate of flow of charge in a circuit

Electrolytes

Substances that contain ions that when dissolved in a solution, act as charge carriers and allow current to flow.

Electron Flow

The opposite direction to conventional current flow. Electrons flow from negative to positive.

Elementary Charge

The smallest possible charge, equal to the charge of an electron

Insulators

A material that has no free charge carriers and so doesn't allow the flow of electrical charge.

Kirchhoff's First Law

A consequence of the conservation of charge. The Total current entering a junction must equal the total current leaving it.

Mean Drift Velocity

The average velocity of an electron passing through an object. It is proportional to the current, and inversely proportional to the number of charge carriers and the cross-sectional area of the object.

Quantisation of Charge

The idea that charge can only exist in discrete packets of multiples of the elementary charge.

Semiconductors

A material that has the ability to change its number of charge carriers, and so its ability to conduct electricity. Light dependent resistors and thermistors are both examples.

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Diode

A component that allows current through in one direction only. In the correct direction, diodes have a threshold voltage (typically 0.6 V) above which current can flow.

Electromotive Force

The energy supplied by a source per unit charge passing Through the source, measured in volts

Filament Lamp

A bulb consisting of a metal filament, that heats up and glows to produce light. As the filament increases in temperature, its resistance increases since the metal ions vibrate more and make it harder for the charge carriers to pass through

I-V Characteristics

Plots of current against voltage, that show how different components behave.

Kilowatt-Hour

A unit of electrical energy. It is usually used to measure domestic power consumption.

Light-Dependent Resistor

A light sensitive semiconductor whose resistance increases when light intensity decreases.

Negative Temperature Coefficient Thermistor

Ohm

The unit of resistance.

Ohmic Conductor

A conductor for which the current flow is directly proportional to the potential difference across it, when under constant physical conditions.

Ohm's Law

The current and potential difference through an ohmic conductor held under constant physical conditions are directly proportional, with the constant of proportionality being resistance.

Potential Difference

The difference in electrical potential between two points in a circuit, it is also the work done per coulomb to move a charge from the lower potential point to the higher potential point. It is measured in Volts

Power

The rate of energy transfer in a circuit. It can be calculated as the product of the current and the potential difference between two points. It is measured in Watts

Resistance

A measure of how difficult it is for current to flow through a material

Resistivity

A measure of how difficult it is for charge to travel through a material. It is proportional to the object's resistance and cross-sectional area, and inversely proportional to the object's length. It is measured in Ohm metres.

Resistor

A device that has a fixed resistance and follows Ohm's law.

Volt

The unit of potential difference.

4.3

Electrical Circuits

Conservation of Energy

Energy cannot be created or destroyed it can only be transferred into different forms.

Internal Resistance

The resistance to the flow of charge within a source. Internal resistance results in energy being dissipated within the source.

Kirchhoff's Second Law

A consequence of the conservation of energy. The sum of the voltages in any closed loop must equal zero

Lost Volts

The difference between a source's emf and the terminal voltage. It is equal to the potential difference across the source's internal resistance.

Parallel Circuit

Components are said to be connected in parallel when they are connected across each other (separate loops)

Potential Divider

A method of splitting a potential difference, by connecting two resistors in series. The total potential difference is split in the ratio of their resistances.

Resistors in Parallel

The potential difference across resistors connected in parallel is identical for each resistor. The current is split between the resistors. The total resistance is equal to the inverse of the sum of the inverses of the resistances of the resistors

Resistors in Series

The current through resistors connected in series is identical for each resistor. The potential difference is split in the ratio of their resistances. The total resistance is equal to the sum of the resistances of the resistors

Sensor Circuits

A circuit that reacts to external conditions. They commonly Involve a semiconductor connected in a potential divider arrangement.

Resistivity

A measure of how difficult it is for charge to travel through a material. It is proportional to the object's resistance and cross-sectional area, and inversely proportional to the object's length. It is measured in Ohm metres.

Resistor

A device that has a fixed resistance and follows Ohm's law.

Volt

The unit of potential difference.

4.3

Electrical Circuits

Conservation of Energy

Energy cannot be created or destroyed it can only be transferred into different forms.

Internal Resistance

The resistance to the flow of charge within a source. Internal resistance results in energy being dissipated within the source.

Kirchhoff's Second Law

A consequence of the conservation of energy. The sum of the voltages in any closed loop must equal zero

Lost Volts

The difference between a source's emf and the terminal voltage. It is equal to the potential difference across the source's internal resistance.

Parallel Circuit

Components are said to be connected in parallel when they are connected across each other (separate loops)

Potential Divider

A method of splitting a potential difference, by connecting two resistors in series. The total potential difference is split in the ratio of their resistances.

Resistors in Parallel

The potential difference across resistors connected in parallel is identical for each resistor. The current is split between the resistors. The total resistance is equal to the inverse of the sum of the inverses of the resistances of the resistors