What is Current Electricity?
Whereas Static Electricity is made up of charges that do not move, Current electricity is the flow of electrons around a circuit. This flow will only occur if the path is complete.
The three main parts of a circuit are: 1) An Energy Source such as a battery, power pack 2) A Load which is something that uses the electrical energy such as a light globe, resistor, motor, heater etc 3) Connecting Wires Some common circuit symbols are: |
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Important Definitions 1) Current is the amount of electrons flowing around a circuit each second. It has the symbol, I and is measured in amperes, A. For example a current of 10 amperes is written as: I = 10 A 2) Voltage is a measure of the amount of energy given to the electrons by the energy source. It is also the amount of energy used by the load. It has the symbol V and is measured in volts, V. For example a voltage of 23 volts is written as: V = 23 V 3) Resistance is how much the flow of electrons is restricted. It has the symbol R and is measured in ohms. |