110 likes | 249 Views
Electricity. Charge, Current & Voltage. Atoms…. Have neutrons , protons , and electrons . Protons are positively (+) charged Electrons are negatively (-) charged Neutrons have no charge. Charge. Charge is a property of an object, like mass or color or shape.
E N D
Electricity Charge, Current & Voltage
Atoms… • Have neutrons, protons, and electrons. • Protons are positively(+) charged • Electrons are negatively(-) charged • Neutrons have no charge
Charge • Charge is a property of an object, like mass or color or shape. • The unit for charge is the Coulomb (C). The symbol for charge is Q.
The world is filled with electrical charges: + - + + + - + - - + + + - - - + + - - -
Opposites Attract • Positive charges, such as protons, are attracted to negative charges, such as electrons (opposites attract) • Like charges repel (positive charges repel other positive charges, and negative charges repel other negative charges)
Current • Current - the flow of charge through an area in a given time. • The symbol for current is I and the unit is Ampere (A). • I = Q/t (current = charge/time)
Conductors vs. Insulators • Conductors – material through which electric current flows easily. • Insulators – materials through which electric current cannot move.
Conductors: Metal Water Insulators: Styrofoam Rubber Plastic Paper Examples
What is Voltage? • The measure of energy given to the charge flowing in a circuit. • The greater the voltage, the greater the force or “pressure”that drives the charge through the circuit.
Potential Difference = Voltage • Potential Difference measures stored electrical energy. • A battery stores electrical and chemical energy. • We define the positive side of the battery to have a positive voltage and the negative side to have 0 voltage. For a 6 Volt battery, the voltage at the positive end is +6 V and at the negative end it is 0 V.
Volts vs. Amps • Example: If electricity was water… • Amps measure how much water comes out of a hose. • Volts measure how hard the water comes out of a hose.