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16 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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electric currents |
continuous flow of electric charge through material |
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which way does the electric current go? which way do the electrons go? |
electric current : + to - electrons: - to + |
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conductor |
any material in which charge can easily flow ; heat travels quickly ; metal, wire, animals |
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insulators |
any material in which charge cannot easily flow ; heat travels slowly ; glass, plastic, wood |
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AC current |
alternating current ; moves back & forth ; generators |
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DC current |
direct current ; moves in only one direction ; battery |
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resistance |
ability of a material to resist the flow of charge |
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factors of resistance |
thick wire —> less resistance thin wire —> more resistance short wires —> less resistance long wires —> more resistance higher temperatures —> more resistance |
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electric circuits |
continuous & closed path of an electric current |
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what things do all circuits need |
source of energy device that does work wires & a switch |
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series circuit |
one path for current to take ; if any part is broken, the current stops ; current decreases as resistance adds with each added object |
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parallel circuit |
several paths for current to take ; if one part is broken, current can take other paths ; more paths = more current |
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circuit breaker |
switch that turns off current and needs to be reset |
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fuse |
section of wire that melts and breaks the current |
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short circuit |
current takes an unintended path and overheats |
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grounding |
allows current to flow directly to ground if short circuit occurs |
