Download Electricity Terms

Electricity Terms
AC & DC Alternating Current and Direct Current. DC is electricity moving in one direction (batteries
produce this). AC is current moving back and forth (this is how it comes out of electrical receptacles).
Ampere see electric current
Coulomb The standard international unit of electric charge. It's the amount of charge on about 6.2415
quintillion protons.
electric charge The property that a particle must have in order to be influenced by the EM force.
See Coulomb.
electric circuit A closed loop around which electric current can flow.
electric current The flow of electric charge. When charged particles move (usually when electrons flow
through matter) they carry charge. Metric unit is the Ampere, which is one Coulomb per Second.
electrical conductivity The ability of a substance to allow the passage of electrons through it. It varies
widely from substance to substance, and the greater the conductivity, the less energy is expended
moving the electrons through the material.
electrostatic force The attractive or repulsive force between 2 charged particles. The particles
experience this force regardless of their motion.
energy A dynamic quantity in physics responsible for motion.
kinetic energy The energy of motion. When an object with mass m is moving at speed v its kinetic
energy is KE = ½mv².
Joule The metric unit of energy. It's the amount of energy required to lift 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) about
10 centimeters (about 4 inches).
magnetic field The magnetic force field produced by moving charges that affects other moving charges.
One can compute the total field due to many moving charges and thus simplify the computation of force
on another moving charged particle.
magnetism The second componant of the electromagnetic force. Two particles only interact through
this force only when they are both moving. The magnitude of the force depends on the speeds of the 2
particles and the direction of the force depends on the directions that both are moving.
potential energy Energy that's stored in some form. Examples are chemical potential energy,
gravitational, nuclear, & spring energy.
power Rate of energy flow. Metric unit is the Watt, equal to one Joule per Second.
resistivity The inverse of conductivity. The greater a substance's resistivity, the more energy is expended
when current is forced through it.
Volt see voltage
voltage Electric potential, energy per charge. In a 120 volt wall socket, each Coulomb of electron charge
carrys 120 Joules of energy. Metric unit is the Volt, which is one Joule per Coulomb.
Watt see power