Electricity and Magnetism
Chapters 19 and 20
Electricity and Magnetism Web Quest Sheet
Chapter 19 and 20 Terms to Know
| Term | Definition |
| Alternating Current | The flow of electricity which repeatedly changes direction |
| Amp (Ampere) | The unit used to measure the electrical current of an object |
| Batteries | A device that maintains a potential difference in a circuit |
| Compass | A device that aligns with the magnetic poles of earth |
| Coulomb’s Law | The force between two charged particles gets weaker as the distance between them increases |
| Direct Current | The flow of electricity in one direction |
| Electric Motor | Converts electricity into mechanical motion or energy |
| Electrical Conductors | A material that allows electrons to move through it easily |
| Electrical Power | The rate at which one form of energy is converted into another |
| Electromagnet | A temporary magnet created by electrical current flowing through a coiled wire wrapped around a conductor |
| Generator | Converting mechanical motion or energy into electricity |
| Insulators | A material that stops the flow of electrons through it, such as glass, rubber, plastic, and wood |
| Lightning | Build-up of charges in a cloud that jump to the earth |
| Maglev | Use of magnetism to levitate an object, such as a high speed train |
| Magnetic Field | The region around a magnet where the magnetic force is exerted |
| Magnetism | A property of matter in which a force strongly attracts materials such as iron, nickel, and cobalt |
| MRI | A medical device that uses magnets to take pictures of the body |
| Ohm | The unit used to measure the resistance of a material |
| Ohm's Law | The
relationship between voltage, current, and resistance: V = I x R
|
| Parallel Circuit | Electricity has more than one path to travel through, therefore if one light goes out the others remain on |
| Series Circuit | Electricity has one path to flow through, therefore if one light goes out, all the lights go out |
| Static Electricity | The build-up of electrical charge on an object |
| Superconductor | A material that conducts electricity with zero resistance |
| Transformer | A device that changes the amount of voltage in a circuit |
| Van de Graaff Generator | A device that creates a static charge |
| Volt | The unit used to measure the potential difference between two places in a circuit |
| Watt | The unit of measurement of electrical power |
Current vs. Voltage
Current: relates to the number of electrons
Voltage: relates to the energy carried by the electrons
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| Low
Current Low Voltage |
High
Current High Voltage |
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| High
Current Low Voltage |
Low
Current High Voltage |