Circuit Lab Notes

Alessandro Volta

Italian physicist known for inventing the electric battery and for his work on electromotive series.

Ohm's Law

A fundamental principle stating that current flow through a conductor is directly proportional to voltage and inversely proportional to resistance.

Direct Current (DC)

An electric current that flows in one direction only, commonly produced by sources like batteries.

Alternating Current (AC)

An electric current that reverses direction periodically, typically generated by power supplies and generators.

Coulomb's Law

Describes the electrostatic force between two charges, which is proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

Static Electricity

Electricity that does not flow, creating a voltage but no current, often built up through friction.

Capacitor

An electrical component that stores charge and can release it quickly when needed.

Inductor

An electrical component that stores energy in a magnetic field when electric current flows through it.

Transformer

A device that converts AC power from one voltage level to another.

LED (Light Emitting Diode)

A semiconductor device that emits light when electric current passes through it.

Electromagnet

A temporary magnet created by electric current, can change its magnetic field strength.

Electric Field

A region around a charged particle where a force is exerted on other charges.

Electric Charge

A fundamental property of matter that causes it to experience a force when placed in an electromagnetic field.

Resistance

The opposition to the flow of electric current, measured in Ohms (Ω).

Resistor Color Code

A method to indicate the values of resistors using colored bands.

Fleming's Left Hand Rule

A rule used to determine the direction of force in electric motors.

Fleming's Right Hand Rule

A rule used to determine the direction of induced current in electric generators.

Gauss’s Law of Magnetism

States that the magnetic field has zero divergence, meaning magnetic monopoles do not exist.

Skin Effect

The tendency of AC to concentrate at the surface of conductors, reducing the depth of effective current flow.

Voltage (V)

The electric potential difference that drives current in a circuit.

Wheatstone Bridge

An electrical circuit used to measure unknown resistances with high accuracy.