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68 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Electric circuit
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circuit: an electrical device that provides a path for electrical current to flow
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Charged
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of a particle or body or system; having a net amount of positive or negative electric charge; "charged particles"; "a charged battery" - having an electric charge
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Neutral
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description of an object that has equal amounts of positive and negative charges
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Electric current
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steady flow of charged particles
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Static electricity
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an imbalance of electrons. Stationary electric charge, typically produced by friction, that causes sparks or crackling or the attraction of dust or hair
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Unbalanced charges
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atoms with unbalanced charges are called ions; an imbalance of charges is also known as static electricity
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Laws of Charges
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1. Opposite charged objects attract.
2. Charged objects attract neutral objects 3. Like charged objects repel. |
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Insulators
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electrons are allowed little movement. They have tightly bound valence electrons (ex. Glass)
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Conductors
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electrons are free to move easily - 2 types of conductors.
most metals are conductors and non-metals are insulators (ex. copper) |
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Semiconductors
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they have almost no resistance to electron flow - a material, having a conductivity greater than an insulator but less than a good conductor
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Superconductors
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offer little, if any, resistance to the flow of electrons - great conductor
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Grounding
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we ground objects by connecting them to the Earth with a wire. When an electrical discharge occurs - this can be dangerous to we ground these objects.
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Battery
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set of cells connected together
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Switch
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A device for making and breaking the connection in an electric circuit
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Electrostatic discharge
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sudden transfer of electrical charge from one object to another, indicated by a spark
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Loads
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device in a circuit that converts electrical energy to another form of energy (ex. light bulb)
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Voltage
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a measure of how much electrical energy a charged particle carries
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Amperes
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the unit of electrical current
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Galvanometer
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device for detecting and measuring small electric currents
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Ammeter
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meter used to measure electrical current in amperes
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Potential difference
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change in the potential energy of electric charge compared to its potential energy at a reference point, such as the ground; voltage
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Resistance
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measure of how difficult it is for electorns to flow through a substance; unit of measure is the ohm
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Ohm
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the unit of resistance
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Ohm's law
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law stating that, as long as the temperature remains constant, the resistance of a conductor remains constant, and the current is directly proportional to the voltage applied: R=V/I, I=V/R, V=IR
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Series circuit
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circuit in which there is only a single pathway for the current so the same current passes through all the components
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Parallel circuit
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circuit in which the current can flow in two or more paths
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Electric energy
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energy of charged particles; transferred when electrons travel from place to place
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Heat
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The quality of being hot; high temperature
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Thermocouple
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device consisting of two wires of different metals joined such that a voltage is produced between the ends in proportion in the difference in their temperatures - converts thermal energy into electrical energy
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Thermo-electric generator
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device based on a thermocouple that converts heat directly into electricity without moving parts.
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Thermopile
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Several thermocouples connected in a series
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Piezoelectric effect
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produces sound by converting electricity into motion (vibrations)
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Photovoltaic cell (PV)
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solar cell: a cell that converts solar energy into electrical energy
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Electrodes
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conductor through which electric current enters or leaves a device or material
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Electrolyte
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liquid or paste that conducts electricity because it contains ions
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Fuel cell
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primary cell that generates electricity directly from a chemical reaction with a fuel
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Electric generator
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device that converts mechanical energy (energy of motion – ex. windmills) into electrical energy
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Magnetism
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A physical phenomenon produced by the motion of electric charge, resulting in attractive and repulsive forces between objects
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Electromagnet
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coil of insulated wire (usually wrapped around a soft iron core) that becomes a magnet when current flows through it
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Domains
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A discrete region of magnetism in ferromagnetic material
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Alternating current (AC)
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current that flows back and forth 60 times per second; this is the current used in homes
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Alternators
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A generator that produces an alternating current
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Direct current (DC)
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current that flows in only one direction
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Power
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rate at which a device converts energy
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Watt
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the unit of power, equal to one joule per second
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Dynamo
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a machine for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy; a generator
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Hydro-electric plants
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Plant that generates mechanical energy and then electricity by converting the energy of moving water.
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Non-renewable resources
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a resource, such as coal or natural gas, that cannot be replenished
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Fission products
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radionuclide produced directly or indirectly by nuclear fission
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Nuclear fission
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splitting of atoms, which transforms them into lighter elements and releases large amounts of energy
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Thermonuclear
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relating to or using nuclear reactions that occur only at very high temperatures
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Flare gas
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Unwanted natural gas that is disposed of by burning as it is released from an oil field or at gas processing plants.
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Rotor
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the rotating armature of a motor or generator
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Stator
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mechanical device consisting of the stationary part of a motor or generator in or around which the rotor revolves
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Transformers
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device usually with three layers arranged such that a small voltage through the middle layer controls a current between the outer layers, allowing the device to act as a switch or amplifier.
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Circuit breakers
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special wire that heats up and turns off switch when excess current flows through an electrical circuit
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Fuse
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thin piece of metal that melts to break an electrical circuit when excess current flow occurs
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Neutral wire
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a conductor that carries current from an outlet back to ground, clad in white insulation.
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Hot wire
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The wire that carries electrical energy to a receptacle or other device—in contrast to a neutral, which carries electricity away again. Normally the black wire. Also see Ground.
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Ground wire
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wire (that carries no current) that runs from the fixture to metal attached to nonmetal material to ground the current in case of a short (Ground wire is usually bare copper or green).
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Short circuit
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accidental low-resistance connection between two points in a circuit, often causing excess current to flow
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Open pit mining
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A form of operation designed to extract minerals that lie near the surface. Waste, or overburden is first removed and the mineral is broken and loaded.
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Scrubbers
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an air pollution control device that uses a high energy liquid spray to remove aerosol and gaseous pollutants from an air stream. The gases are removed either by absorption or chemical reaction.
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Greenhouse gases
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gases in Earth's atmosphere that trap the heat that forms when radiant energy from the Sun reaches Earth's surface
ex. water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen oxide |
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Thermal pollution
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harm to lakes and rivers resulting from the release of excessive waste heat into them
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Cogeneration
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use of waste energy from a process for another purpose, such as heating or generating electricity
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Geothermal energy
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energy derived from the internal heat of earth
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Resistor
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allow electrons to flow, but provides some resistances (in between)
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