P6 Electric Circuits
What are the three main dangers of electricity to look out for? Why?
- Damaged insulation cables can give an electric shock - Overheating cables can melt and start a fire - Damp conditions can cause the electricity to short circuit and cause an electric shock
Complete the following... __ ____ (W) is an energy transfer of 1 ______ per _______.
1 Watt (W) he's an energy transfer of 1 Joule per second
What different fuses do we commonly get?
3A, 5A, 15A
What is a parallel circuit?
A circuit that has more than one path for electric current to flow
What is a series circuit?
A circuit that only has one path
What is a resistor?
A component of an electrical circuit that has resistance and is used to control the flow of electric current
What is a variable resistor?
A device that allows you to control the current by changing the amount of resistance wire in a circuit
What is a voltmeter?
A device that measures the potential difference between two points in an electric circuit
What is an ammeter?
A device used to measure current
What is a fuse?
A wire which melts if the current is too high
What is a fuse?
A wire which melts if the current is too high. This protects appliances from receiving too much current and causing danger
What does a closed switch do?
Allows the current to flow through a circuit
What is a cell in a circuit?
An electrical power supply (one unit)
What type of energy is stored in a battery?
Chemical energy
What is the equation to calculate the energy transferred using energy, voltage, current and time?
Energy transferred (J) = Potential difference (V) x Current (A) x Times (s)
How should I choose the right fuse?
Find out the current needed for your appliance and then go the next size up
What happens to resistance in a parallel circuit?
If you have two resistors parallel, their total resistance is less than the resistance of the smallest of the two resistors
What happens to current in a series circuit?
It stays the same everywhere
What is the equation to calculate power using voltage and current?
Power (W) = Current (A) x Potential Difference (V)
What happens to resistance in a series circuit?
Resistance adds up
What does an open switch do?
Stops the current flowing in a circuit
How is this energy transferred to components in the circuit?
The chemical energy is converted to electrical energy in the wires. This is then passed on to the components in the circuit.
What happens to the current in a parallel circuit?
The current is shared between the components in each route, therefore the total current is found by adding up the currents of all the components
What happens to potential difference in a series circuit?
The potential difference generated by the power source is split between the components
What happens to potential difference in a parallel circuit?
The potential difference generated by the power source is the same as the potential difference for each component
What is power?
The rate at which energy is transferred to a component
What is a battery?
Two or more cells connected in series
What is Power measured in?
Watts (W)
How do you measure potential difference?
With a voltmeter in parallel
How do we measure current?
With an ammeter in series
