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Electric Circuit
- A closed path along which electrons that are powered by an energy source can flow
- e.g. A light bulb powering with no problems
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Voltaic Cell
- A source of energy that generates an electric current by chemical reactions involving two different metals or metal compounds separated by a conducting solution
- e.g. Voltaic pile
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Battery
- A connection of two or more cells
- e.g. Duracell batteries
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Electrode
- One of two metal terminals in a cell or a battery
- e.g. Flat vs bumpy ends on a AA battery
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Electrolyte
- A solution or paste that conducts charge
- e.g. Inside of AA battery
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Dry Cell
- A cell that contains an electrolyte made of a paste
- e.g. Normal AA batteries
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Wet Cell
- A cell that contains a liquid electrolyte
- e.g. Some car batteries are wet cells
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Primary Cell
- A cell that can only be used once
- e.g. Normal batteries
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Secondary Cell
- A cell that can be recharged
- e.g. Rechargeable batteries
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Fuel Cell
- A cell that generates electricity through the chemical reactions of fuel that is stored outside of the cell
- e.g. Hydrogen Fuel Cell
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Solar Cell
- A cell that converts solar energy into electrical energy
- e.g. Solar Panels
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Terminal
- A position on a cell that must be connected to other components to form a circuit
- e.g. Negative and Positive terminals on a car battery
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Switch
- A control device that can complete or break the circuit to which it is connected
- e.g. Light switches
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Open Circuit
- A circuit that contains a gap or break
- e.g. When nothing works due to a wire not connected properly
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Electric Current
- A measure of the number of charged particles that pass by a point in an electric circuit each second
- e.g. Electricity going through a motherboard
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Coulomb (C)
- The quantity of charge that is equal to the charge of 6.25 x 1018
- e.g. 1 coulomb per second = 1 amp
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Ampere (A)
- The unit of electric current, equivalent to one coulomb per second
- e.g. 10 Amp phone batteries
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Electrical Resistance
- The property of a substance that hinders electric current and converts electrical energy to other forms of energy
- e.g. Light bulbs
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Resistor
- A device used in an electric circuit to decrease the current through a component by a specific amount
- e.g. 25 ohm resistor (Light Bulb)
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Load
- A resistor or any other device that transforms electrical energy into heat, motion, sound, or light
- e.g. Using a load to heat up a oven
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Potential Difference (Voltage)
- The difference between the electric potential energy per unit of charge at two points in a circuit
- e.g. The potential difference between 2 cells
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Volt
- The unit for potential difference; equivalent to one joule (J) per coulomb (C)
- e.g. 1.5 Volt battery
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Circuit Diagram
- A diagram that uses standard symbols to represent the components in an electric circuit and their connections
- e.g. A circuit diagram with a lamp a switch a resistor and a battery
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Series Circuit
- A circuit in which there is only one path along which electrons can flow
- e.g. Series Christmas Lights
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Parallel Circuit
- A circuit in which there is more than one path along which electrons can flow
- e.g. Two light bulbs being powered by one battery
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Ohm's Law
- The ratio of potential difference to current is a constant called resistance
- e.g. V = IR
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Ohm (Ω)
- The unit for resistance, equivalent to one volt per ampere
- e.g. 25 ohm's resistance
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Superconductor
- A material through which electric charge can flow with no resistance
- e.g. Magnet at CERN
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Non-ohmic
- Not following Ohm's law
- e.g. Magnet at CERN
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Loads in Series
- Loads in a series circuit
- e.g. A lamp
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Loads in Parallel
- Loads in a parallel circuit
- e.g. Light bulbs
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