Electric Current&nbsp;Key Terms and ConceptsElectric Circuit&nbsp;-a complete pathway that allows electrons to flow<ul><li style="margin-bottom:0cm;">simple circuit includes: battery, conducting wires, and a buzzer</li><li style="margin-bottom:0cm;">chemical energy in the battery gives the electrons on the negative terminal electric potential energy</li><li style="margin-bottom:0cm;">these electrons area attracted to the positive terminal of the battery</li><li style="margin-bottom:0cm;">electrons are pushed from the negative terminal of the battery along the conducting wires through a load and end up on the positive terminal</li><li style="margin-bottom:0cm;">voltage is what pushes electrons around a circuit, without it electrons will move in different directions</li><li style="margin-bottom:0cm;">when &nbsp;battery is connected to complete circuit, charge will flow continuously through the circuit</li></ul> Why it doesn&rsquo;t take time for something with electric energy to turn on even though potential energy exists<ul><li style="margin-bottom:0cm;">As soon as the battery is connected to the circuit, and the circuit is closed, electrons in every part of the circuit are pushing</li><li style="margin-bottom:0cm;">e.g. water in a hose connected to the tap, if the hose is already filled with water, as soon as it is turned on water will come out of the house</li><li style="margin-bottom:0cm;">the electrons leaving the negative terminal push the electrons ahead of them, just like the water coming from the tap will push the water ahead of it.</li><li style="margin-bottom:0cm;">electrons apply an action-at-a-distance force, meaning that they do not need to touch in order to move other electrons</li></ul>Electric Load -any device that transforms electrical energy into other forms of energy<ul><li style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal;">e.g. a buzzer, heater, and motor</li></ul>Circuit Diagrams -diagrams that use symbols to represent the different components of a circuit<ul><li style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal;">gives an organized representation of an actual circuit</li><li style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal;">even the most complex circuits are only composed of the four basic components</li></ul>Source&nbsp;-source of electrical energy (e.g. light bulb)Conductor -the wire through which electric current flowsLoad&nbsp;-device that transforms electrical energy into other forms of energySwitch&nbsp;-device that can turn the circuit on or off by closing or opening the circuitCircuit Symbols -symbols that help simplify complex circuits in a diagram&nbsp;Current&nbsp;-steady and continuous flowing movement of somethingCurrent Electricity -the continuous flow of charge in a complete circuitElectric Current -amount of charge passing a point in a conductor every secondAmperes&nbsp;-unit for measuring electric current (A)<ul><li style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal;">in honour of French physicist Andr&eacute;-Marie Amp&egrave;re</li><li style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal;">small currents are measured in milliamperes (mA)</li><li style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal;">1.0 A= 1000mA</li></ul>Conventional Current &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Benjamin Franklin classified objects with a build-up or excess of electrical build-up to be positive and objects with the shortage of electrical fluid to be negative. His idea suggests that whenever electricity flows, it moves&nbsp;from positive to negative. However, this idea is the opposite idea to the one we use today.&nbsp;Purely, for historical reasons Franklin&rsquo;s idea is now named the&nbsp;conventional current. &nbsp; Short Circuit -happens when the current going through wires does not travel the correct path of the electrical current<ul><li style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">the current takes a &#39;short cut&#39; and bypasses part of the circuit</li><li style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">can result in the electricity not reaching its intended location, such as an electrical outlet</li></ul>Ammeter -device used to measure the current in a circuit

Physics

Electric Current&nbsp;Key Terms and ConceptsElectric Circuit&nbsp;-a complete pathway

Electric Current 

Shannon Lam

View the note Electric Current : Electric Current Key Terms and ConceptsElectric Circuit -a complete pathway that allows electrons to flowsimple circuit includes: battery, conducting wires, and a buzzerchemical energy in the battery gives the electrons on the negative terminal electric potential ene...