Check Your Understanding 8.2 Pg. 289
Draw a circuit diagram for the circuit shown. In this chapter, a water slide was used as an analogy, or a comparison, for the energy transfer in an electric circuit. In that analogy, the stairs represented the battery, the person represented the charges, and the slide represented the loss of electrical energy on a load. What other analogy can you develop for an electric circuit? In your description, identify the battery, the load, and the charge.
Another analogy for a circuit is an obstacle course. The runner/electron first has to run up and incline where he/it gains potential energy. Then he/it has to crawl under a rope on level ground keeping the energy level the same similar to the electron passing through a conductive wire. Then the person/electron has to run down stairs releasing the potential energy into the load. When the person/electrons is back at the start they have lost all potential energy.
Explain how electrons are "pushed" through a conductor without having to touch other electrons.
Because as soon as the battery is connected to the circuit, and the circuit is closed, electrons in every part of the circuit are pushing.
Explain how two conductors could have different current even though the electrons in each conductor are travelling at the same speed.
Current is the amount of charge which passes any given point per second. This is NOT determined not only by how quickly the charges are moving, but instead by how densely the charges are packed. Therefore two electrons traveling side by side at the same speed give twice the current of one electron at the same speed.
What is the difference between electron flow and conventional current?
Electron Flow is what actually happens and electrons flow out of the negative terminal, through the circuit and into the positive terminal of the source. Conventional Current assumes that current flows out of the positive terminal, through the circuit and into the negative terminal of the source.
Explain the difference between static electricity and current electricity.
Static electricity is a kind of electricity produced by rubbing 2 different materials together to create friction/heat which makes static electricity. Current electricity is a kind of electricity that has continuous movement of electrons.
A circuit contains a 3.0 V battery and a light bulb. Suppose the battery were replaced by a 6.0 V battery. Would the electrical energy transformed in the light bulb increase or decrease? Use the example of a waterslide to explain your answer.
The electrical energy would increase because the strength of the battery is greater increasing the potential energy among the swimmer/electron and therefore when the swimmer goes down the slide or electron goes through the load, more potential energy is released making the light shine brighter.
