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Questions and Answers
What component in a simple electrical circuit is used to control the amount of current?
What component in a simple electrical circuit is used to control the amount of current?
What is the unit of electric current?
What is the unit of electric current?
Through which component should an ammeter be connected in a circuit?
Through which component should an ammeter be connected in a circuit?
What is the conventional direction of current flow in a circuit?
What is the conventional direction of current flow in a circuit?
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How is 1 milli-ampere written in terms of amperes?
How is 1 milli-ampere written in terms of amperes?
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Which formula represents the electromotive force (EMF) in a system?
Which formula represents the electromotive force (EMF) in a system?
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What is measured in volts using a voltmeter in a circuit?
What is measured in volts using a voltmeter in a circuit?
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How is the voltage available at the terminal of the source of supply denoted?
How is the voltage available at the terminal of the source of supply denoted?
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What is electric current?
What is electric current?
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What is a molecule?
What is a molecule?
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What is the charge of a proton?
What is the charge of a proton?
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Which sub-atomic particle is electrically neutral?
Which sub-atomic particle is electrically neutral?
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In an atom, where are the electrons located?
In an atom, where are the electrons located?
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What is the K shell?
What is the K shell?
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Which of the following is a common conductor?
Which of the following is a common conductor?
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Which of these materials is an insulator?
Which of these materials is an insulator?
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Which element is a common semiconductor?
Which element is a common semiconductor?
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How many electrons does the 'L' shell in a copper atom hold?
How many electrons does the 'L' shell in a copper atom hold?
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Study Notes
Structure of Matter
- Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space.
- A matter is made of tiny, invisible particles called molecules.
- A molecule is the smallest particle of a substance that has the properties of the substance.
- Each molecule can be divided into simpler parts by chemical means.
- The simplest parts of a molecule are called atoms.
Atomic Structure
- An atom contains three types of sub-atomic particles: electrons, protons, and neutrons.
- Protons and neutrons are located in the centre or nucleus of the atom.
- Electrons travel around the nucleus in orbits.
- Nucleus contains protons and neutrons in equal numbers.
- Protons have a positive electrical charge and are almost 1840 times heavier than electrons.
- Electrons have a negative electric charge and are three times larger in diameter than protons.
- Neutrons are electrically neutral.
Energy Shells
- Electrons are arranged in shells around the nucleus.
- A shell is an orbiting layer or energy level of one or more electrons.
- Major shell layers are identified by numbers or by letters starting with 'K' nearest the nucleus and continuing alphabetically outwards.
- There is a maximum number of electrons that can be contained in each shell.
- Example: a copper atom with 29 electrons would have four shells with a number of electrons in each shell.
Conductors
- Conductors are materials that have many valance electrons, permitting electrons to move through them easily.
- Generally, conductors have one, two, or three electrons in their shells.
- Most metals are conductors.
- Examples of good conductors: Copper, Aluminium, Zinc, Lead, Tin, Eureka, Nichrome, etc.
- Silver and gold are very good conductors.
Insulators
- Insulators are materials that have few, if any, free electrons and resist the flow of electrons.
- Generally, insulators have five, six, or seven electrons in their shells.
- Examples of insulators: air, glass, rubber, plastic, paper, porcelain, PVC, fibre, mica, etc.
Semiconductors
- Semiconductors are materials that have some of the characteristics of both conductors and insulators.
- Semiconductors have valence shells containing four electrons.
- Examples of pure semiconductor materials: silicon and germanium.
Simple Electrical Circuit
- A simple electrical circuit consists of:
- An energy source (cell) to provide voltage needed to force the current through the circuit.
- Conductors through which the current can flow.
- A load (resistor 'R') to control the amount of current and to convert electrical energy to other forms.
- A control device (switch 'S') to start or stop the flow of current.
Electric Current
- Electric current is the flow of free electrons in a definite direction.
- Current is defined as the amount of charge 'Q' transferred over a time 't'.
- Conventional flow of current is opposite to the direction of the flow of electrons.
- Unit of current (I) is an ampere (A).
- Multiples of the ampere: 1 kA = 1000 A, 1 mA = 1/1000 A, 1 μA = 1/1000000 A.
Electromotive Force (EMF)
- EMF is the electrical force that causes free electrons to move in a conductor.
- Unit of EMF is 'Volt' and is denoted by letter 'E'.
- EMF cannot be measured by any meter, only calculated using the formula E = V + IR.
Potential Difference (PD)
- Potential Difference is the difference of voltage and pressure across two points in a circuit.
- Measured in volts.
- Calculated using the formula EMF = V1 + IR.
Terminal Voltage (p.d)
- Terminal voltage is the voltage available at the terminal of the source of supply.
- Symbol is VT and unit is also the volt.
- Calculated using the formula V1 = EMF - IR.
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Description
Learn about the basics of electricity, including electric current, static electricity, and the structure of matter, including molecules and atoms.