IGCSE Physics: Electricity Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering current, voltage, resistance, circuit rules, $$I\text{--}V$$ characteristics, and fundamental electrical equations from the IGCSE Physics lecture notes.

Series Circuit

A circuit with one continuous path for current.

Parallel Circuit

A circuit with 2 or more separate branches.

Current in a Series Circuit

Current that is the same everywhere throughout the circuit.

Voltage in a Series Circuit

Supply voltage that is shared between the components and whose component voltage drops add up to the total supply voltage.

Current in a Parallel Circuit

Current that splits between the branches such that the current entering a junction equals the current leaving.

Voltage in a Parallel Circuit

Voltage that is the same across each branch, with each branch receiving the full supply voltage.

Domestic Lighting Circuit

A parallel circuit setup for house lighting providing independent switches, full supply voltage to each light, and ensuring other lights stay on if one fails.

Resistance

A measure of how much a component opposes the flow of current.

$I\text{--}V$ Characteristic

A graph showing how current changes with voltage.

Fixed Resistor $I\text{--}V$ Graph

A straight line through the origin showing that current increases in direct proportion to voltage.

Filament Lamp Resistance Mechanism

The process where increasing voltage heats up the filament, causing hotter metal ions to vibrate more and collide more with electrons, thereby increasing resistance.

Filament Lamp $I\text{--}V$ Graph

A curve that becomes less steep as voltage increases.

Ammeter

An instrument connected in series within a circuit to measure electric current.

Voltmeter

An instrument connected in parallel across a component to measure voltage.

Variable Resistor

A circuit component used to adjust and change the current and voltage.

$$V = I \times R$$

The equation linking voltage ($V$ in volts, $V$), current ($I$ in amperes, $A$), and resistance ($R$ in ohms, $\Omega$).

Electric Current

The rate of flow of electric charge, caused by the movement of negatively charged electrons in metal conductors.

Ampere ($1\,A$)

A unit of current equivalent to $1\text{ coulomb}$ of charge passing each second.

$$Q = I \times t$$

The equation calculating charge ($Q$ in coulombs, $C$) from current ($I$ in amperes, $A$) multiplied by time ($t$ in seconds, $s$).

Electron Flow

The movement of negatively charged electrons from the negative terminal to the positive terminal.

Conventional Current

The flow of electric current modeled as traveling from the positive terminal to the negative terminal.

Total Series Resistance ($\text{Total } R$)

The sum calculated by adding individual resistances together ($\text{Total } R = R_1 + R_2$).

Voltage

Energy transferred per unit of charge.

Volt ($1\,V$)

The unit of voltage, which is equal to $1\text{ joule per coulomb}$ ($1\,J/C$).

$$E = Q \times V$$

The equation linking energy ($E$ in joules, $J$), charge ($Q$ in coulombs, $C$), and voltage ($V$ in volts, $V$).