EOLS 1-4 Electricity

• Electricity is a form of energy resulting from the existence of charged particles either statically as an accumulation of charge or dynamically as a current
• Aim - to investigate/identify the purpose of the experiment
• Hypothesis - an educated guess about what will happen in an experiment, usually starting with 'I predict'
• Conclusion - A statement based on your results within an experiment, saying whether the hypothesis was supported or refuted
• Series circuits are when all elements form on a singular path for current to flow
• Parallel circuits are circuits with more than one path for current to flow through, and these loads are in parallel to eachother
• some parallel circuits may have components in series
• combinational circuits operate at high speeds since the output depends only on the current input
• current is the flow of electrons (the rate of flow of charge)
• ammeter measures current
• amperes, amps, A, I
• Electrical current is when electrons move through thin strands of metal (wires), and the movement of electrons through the wire is electrical current
• an electrical current must have a closed pathway or circuit to flow around, an energy source (power pack or battery), flows through certain parts (or components) of the circuit that can use the energy to do something useful
• There must be a difference of charge at either end of an energy source
• voltage is a measure of how much energy is given to the moving electrons in a circuit (energy carried by the charge OR is used by the charge as it converts energy in devices)
• voltage, volts, V
• resistance is a measure of how much a material or device restricts the flow of charge
• resistance, Ohms, Ω
• if a component has a high resistance, it has more ohms
• higher heat = more resistance
• every time electrons travel through a region with resistance, they lose energy. This results in a loss of energy as the current flows through a circuit component. This energy loss is known as a voltage drop
• voltage drop is the decrease of electric potential along the path of a current flowing in a circuit
• ammeter - a device used to measure the current at a single point in a circuit; gives a reading in amperes that can be positive or negative, depending on which direction electrons flow
• ampere - the standard unit of electrical current
• battery - a component that stores chemical energy to be used as a power source
• circuit - a pathway for electricity to flow around
• circuit diagram - a model of the components of a circuit and how they are connected
• closed circuit - a complete pathway that allows electrical current to flow
• electron - a very small subatomic particle with negative charge
• multimeter - a device that can measure both resistance and voltage
• ohm - the standard unit of electrical resistance
• equipment - should be a list that includes sizes and/or quantities if relevant
• method - your method should be clear and concise, and written in numbered point form in 3rd person
• risk assessment - your table should identify the risk, precaution (and safe disposal) for each hazard
• a voltmeter must be wired in parallel with the load (e.g. globe) to measure the potential DIFFERENCE across the load
• an ammeter must be wired in series with the load (e.g. lamp) - the current must flow through the ammeter for it to measure the current
• the faster the charge flow, the higher the current
• the current is the same everywhere in a series circuit
• it does not matter where you put an ammeter in a series circuit, it will give you the same reading
• the current in a series circuit depends upon the number of cells. The more cells you add, the greater the current