Electricity Vocabulary

parallel circuit

A Parallel circuit has certain characteristics and basic rules: A parallel circuit has two or more paths for current to flow through. Voltage is the same across each component of the parallel circuit. The sum of the currents through each path is equal to the total current that flows from the source.

series circuit

A series circuit is a circuit in which resistors are arranged in a chain, so the current has only one path to take. The current is the same through each resistor.

electron

Also called negatron. Physics, Chemistry. an elementary particle that is a fundamental constituent of matter, having a negative charge of 1.602 × 10 −19 coulombs, a mass of 9.108 × 10 −31 kilograms, and spin of ½, and existing independently or as the component outside the nucleus of an atom.

Ampere (A)

Ampere or amp (symbol: A) is the unit of electrical current. The Ampere unit is named after Andre-Marie Ampere, from France. One Ampere is defined as the current that flows with electric charge of one Coulomb per second. 1 A = 1 C/s

battery

An electric battery is a device consisting of one or more electrochemical cells with external connections provided to power electrical devices such as flashlights, smartphones, and electric cars.[1] When a battery is supplying electric power, its positive terminal is the cathode and its negative terminal is the anode.

circuit

An electronic circuit is composed of individual electronic components, such as resistors, transistors, capacitors, inductors and diodes, connected by conductive wires or traces through which electric current can flow. The combination of components and wires allows various simple and complex operations to be performed: signals can be amplified, computations can be performed, and data can be moved from one place to another.

power (P=VI)

Electric power is transmitted on overhead lines like these, and also on underground high voltage cables. Electric power is the rate, per unit time, at which electrical energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt, one joule per second.

Ohm's Law

Ohm's law states that the current through a conductor between two points is directly proportional to the voltage across the two points. ... More specifically, Ohm's law states that the R in this relation is constant, independent of the current.

radiation

Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to shrink tumors and kill cancer cells (1). X-rays, gamma rays, and charged particles are types of radiation used for cancer treatment.

Coulomb (C)

The coulomb (unit symbol: C) is the International System of Units (SI) unit of electric charge. It is the charge (symbol: Q or q) transported by a constant current of one ampere in one second:

Ohm (Ω)

The ohm (symbol: Ω) is the SI derived unit of electrical resistance, named after German physicist Georg Simon Ohm. Although several empirically derived standard units for expressing electrical resistance were developed in connection with early telegraphy practice, the British Association for the Advancement of Science proposed a unit derived from existing units of mass, length and time and of a convenient size for practical work as early as 1861. The definition of the ohm was revised several times. Today the definition of the ohm is expressed from the quantum Hall effect.

current

The quantity of charge per unit time, measured in Amperes (Amps, A). By historical convention, the sign of current is positive for currents flowing from positive to negative potential, but experience indicates that electrons are negatively charged and flow in the opposite direction.

volt

The volt (symbol: V) is the derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference (voltage), and electromotive force.[1] The volt is named in honour of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta (1745-1827), who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.

Watt (W)

The watt (symbol: W) is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units (SI).

resistor

a device having a designed resistance to the passage of an electric current.

electricity

a form of energy resulting from the existence of charged particles (such as electrons or protons), either statically as an accumulation of charge or dynamically as a current.

semiconductor

a solid substance that has a conductivity between that of an insulator and that of most metals, either due to the addition of an impurity or because of temperature effects. Devices made of semiconductors, notably silicon, are essential components of most electronic circuits.

insulator

a thing or substance used for insulation, in particular. a substance that does not readily allow the passage of heat or sound.a substance or device that does not readily conduct electricity.

generator

a thing that generates something, in particular. a dynamo or similar machine for converting mechanical energy into electricity.

voltage

an electromotive force or potential difference expressed in volts.

energy transformations

energy is released in the form of heat, and this transformation from chemical energy to heat, or thermal energy, is called an exothermic reaction. Next, there are two main types of mechanical energy: kinetic energy and potential energy

heat

heat is energy that spontaneously passes between a system and its surroundings in some way other than through work or the transfer of matter. When a suitable physical pathway exists, heat flows spontaneously from a hotter to a colder body.

conductor

is an object or type of material that allows the flow of an electrical current in one or more directions. A metal wire is a common electrical conductor.

Joule (J)

joule (/ˈdʒuːl/), symbol J, is a derived unit of energy in the International System of Units.[1] It is equal to the energy transferred to (or work done on) an object when a force of one newton acts on that object in the direction of its motion through a distance of one metre (1 newton metre or N·m). It is also the energy dissipated as heat when an electric current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second.

energy (E=Pt)

power derived from the utilization of physical or chemical resources, especially to provide light and heat or to work machines.

resistance

the ability not to be affected by something, especially adversely.

thermodynamics

the branch of physical science that deals with the relations between heat and other forms of energy (such as mechanical, electrical, or chemical energy), and, by extension, of the relationships between all forms of energy.

convection

the movement caused within a fluid by the tendency of hotter and therefore less dense material to rise, and colder, denser material to sink under the influence of gravity, which consequently results in transfer of heat.

conduction

the process by which heat or electricity is directly transmitted through a substance when there is a difference of temperature or of electrical potential between adjoining regions, without movement of the material. the process by which sound waves travel through a medium. the transmission of impulses along nerves.