Automotive Electricity

Terms in this set (33)

Any substance that occupies a space and contains a mass.

Mass is made up of molecules which consist of a group of elements.

An element is a cluster of one type of atom.

Alternating Current (AC)

With AC, the voltage starts at zero and rises to a specified positive voltage, and then reverses to an equal negative value before returning to zero again.

The smallest part of an element. It consists of positively charged protons, neutrons with no charge, and electrons that are negatively charged.

Curent or Flow. 1 Amp =6.28 billion billion free electrons flowing past a point in one second.

The number of protons in an atom determines its atomic number.

Inner orbits have bound electrons, which are free to move only within their own orbits at a fixed distance from the nucleus.

Material that does allow electrons to flow freely

Convention Flow Theory

Current flows from the most positive potential to the least positive, or negative, side of a complete circuit.

The flow of free electrons from negative to positive.

Direct Current (DC)

It's typically at a specified level of electrical potential that flows in one direction at a specific DC voltage.

Includes all forms of electromagnetic radiation; the types of radiation differ in their frequencies and wavelengths

Electromotive Force (EMF)

For electrons to flow, a force or pressure must push the electrons through the circuit.

A subatomic particle that has a negative charge

Electron Flow Theory

Since electrons are negatively charged, free electrons move from the negative, or surplus, side of the circuit toward an area having fewer free electrons, or the positive side of the circuit.

Can be used to find the missing value of both Ohm's law and Watt's law, depending on the knows values.

When balance electrons become dislodged from their orbit by some outside force, they are also called free electrons.

Do not allow electricity to flow through them easily

It's an invisible force that can repel or attract through an air space or solid item.

A subatomic particle that has no charge and that is found in the nucleus of an atom

Protons and neutrons combine to form the nucleus, or center, of the atom.

In a DC circuit, the current is directly proportional to the voltage and inversely proportional to the resistance.

Ohm's Law Circle

To find voltage in a circuit E=IxR
To find amperage in a circuit I-E/R
To find resistance in a circuit R=E/I

A subatomic particle that has a positive charge and that is found in the nucleus of an atom

Any force or substance that restricts or opposes the flow of current in a circuit.

Right-Hand Rule

If you place your right hand on a wire with your thumb pointing in the direction of current flow, your fingers will point in the direction of the magnetic flux lines, and your thumb will point to the negative side of the circuit.

Elements that have properties of both metals and nonmetals

Used to abbreviate or describe a device or circuit.

Valence Electron

The atoms on the outer most orbit are called valence electrons because they are in the valence ring.

A measurement of pressure at a point of excess free electrons in a circuit to a point of a shortage of free electrons.

One watt is the amount of work done in 1 second by 1 volt moving a charge of 1 amp in a circuit.

Watt's Law Circle

To find power in a circuit P=IxE
To find amperage in a circuit I=P/E
To find voltage in a circuit E=P/I

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