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Electricity and Magnetism Test

Terms in this set (40)

static electricity
the accumulation of excess electric charge on an object.
law of conservation of charge
states that charge can be transferred from one object to another but cannot be created or destroyed.
electric field
a region surrounding every electric charge in which a force of attraction or repulsion is exerted on other electric charges.
conductor
material, such as copper wire, through which electrons can move easily.
insulator
material in which electrons and thermal energy are not able to move easily.
charging by contact
the transferring of electrical charge between objects by touching or rubbing.
charging by induction
the rearranging of electrons on a neutral object caused by bringing a charged object close to it.
electroscope
a device, sometimes consisting of two leaves of metallic foil, used to detect electric charge.
electric current
the net movement of electric charges in a single direction, measured in amperes (A)
voltage difference
related to the force that causes electric charges to flow; measured in volts (V)
electric circuit
a closed path that electric current follows.
resistance
tendency for a material to oppose electron flow and to convert electrical energy into other forms of energy, such as thermal energy and light; measured in ohms.
Ohm's law
states that the current in a circuit equals the voltage difference divided by the resistance.
series circuits
circuit in which electric current has only one path to follow.
parallel circuits
circuit in which electric current has more than one path to follow.
electrical power
rate at which electrical energy is converted to another form of energy; expressed in watts (W).
example of conductors
metals, door knob, aliminum
example of insulators
glass, plastic, wood
current formula
I=V/R
resistance formula
IxV=R
voltage difference formula
IxR=V
electrical power formula
P=IV
voltage difference formula
P/I=V
current formula
P/V=I
magnetism
the properties and interactions of magnets
magnetic field
region surrounding a magnet that exerts a force on other magnets and objects made of magnetic materials.
magnetic pole
region on a magnet where the magnetic force exerted by a magnet is strongest; like poles repel and opposite poles-attract.
magnetic domain
group of atoms in a magnetic material in which the magnetic poles of the atoms are aligned in the same direction
electromagnetic force
the attractive or repulsive force between electric charges and magnets
electromagnetism
the interaction between electric charges and magnets.
solenoid
a cylindrical coil of wire, used to produce a magnetic field when an electrical current passes through the wire.
electromagnet
temporary magnet created when there is a current in a wire coil
galvanometer
a device that uses an electromagnet to measure electric current.(p. 213)
electric motor
device that converts electrical energy to mechanical energy by using the magnetic forces between an electromagnet and a permanent magnet to make a shaft rotate.
electromagnetic induction
process by which electric current is produced in a wire loop by a changing magnetic field.
generator
device that uses electromagnetic induction to convert mechanical energy to electrical energy.
turbine
large wheel that rotates when pushed by steam, wind, or water and provides mechanical energy to a generator.
direct current (DC)
electric current that flows in only one direction
alternating current (AC)
electric current that reverses its direction of flow in a regular pattern.
transformer
device that uses electromagnetic induction to increase or decrease the voltage of an alternating current.
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