Electricity, Magnetism, and Electromagnetism

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key concepts in electricity, magnetism, and electromagnetism from the lecture notes.

X-ray tube

A device that converts electrical energy to electromagnetic energy, primarily generating heat.

Electrostatics

The study of stationary electric charges.

Electric charge

A property of matter that comes in discrete units that are positive or negative.

Coulomb's Law

The electrostatic force between two charges is directly proportional to the product of their magnitudes and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

Electrodynamics

The study of electric charges in motion.

Conductor

Any substance through which electrons can easily flow.

Insulator

A material that does not allow electrons to flow.

Superconductivity

A phenomenon where some materials allow electrons to flow without resistance.

Ohm's Law

States that the voltage across a circuit is equal to the current times the resistance (V = IR).

Direct current (DC)

Electric current that flows in one direction along a conductor.

Alternating current (AC)

Electric current that oscillates back and forth.

Magnetic dipole

A small magnet created by the orbit of electrons.

Magnetic domain

An accumulation of many atomic magnets with their dipoles aligned.

Magnetic susceptibility

The degree to which a material can be magnetized.

Faraday's Law

The magnitude of the induced electric current depends on the strength and movement of the magnetic field.

Induction motor

A type of motor used with x-ray tubes, powered by a rotating magnetic field.

Transformer

A device that transforms electric potential and current into higher or lower intensity.

Turns ratio

The ratio of the number of turns in the primary coil to the number of turns in the secondary coil of a transformer.

Tesla (T)

The SI unit of magnetic field strength.

Generator

A device that converts mechanical motion into electric current.

Resistor

A component that resists electric current and provides electrical resistance.

Capacitor

A device that momentarily stores electric charge.

Voltaic pile

A type of early electric battery created by Alessandro Volta.

Electromagnetism

The interaction between electricity and magnetism.

Magnetic field lines

Imaginary lines that represent the strength and direction of a magnetic field.