Electrical Vocabulary.ppt

Electrical Vocabulary

Conductors

• Definition: Materials that allow electricity to flow easily through them.

• Examples:

  • Metals such as gold and copper

  • Water

  • The human body

Insulators

• Definition: Materials that resist the free flow of electrons from atom to atom.

• Examples:

  • Plastics

  • Styrofoam

  • Paper

  • Rubber

  • Glass

  • Wood

Conductors & Insulators Continuum

• The distinction between conductors and insulators is somewhat artificial.

• Materials can be placed on a continuum from superconductors to the least conductive materials (best insulators).

Current

• Definition: The flow of electrons through a material from negative to positive.

Types of Circuits

Open Circuit

• Definition: A broken circuit with a break in the path of the electric circuit.

Closed Circuit

• Definition: An unbroken circuit; a continuous path of conductors through which electric current flows.

Switch

• A device for making, breaking, or changing the connections in an electrical circuit.

Continuity

• Definition: An uninterrupted connection or flow of electrons.

Battery

• Definition: A device that produces electrical energy by a chemical reaction.

• Example: 9-Volt battery used for a project.

Light Emitting Diode (LED)

• Definition: A semiconductor that emits light when current flows through it.

Resistor

• Function: Used to control the current in an electric circuit.

• Example: 220 Ohm resistor used in a project.

Voltage

• Definition: A measure of the force with which electric current is pushed through wires.