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See
also:
Electrical Units
Voltage - 1) the
electric potential difference between two points in a circuit that
will cause an electric current to flow between these two points; 2)
the electromotive pressure that forces electric current to flow
through a complete circuit; voltage is measured in
volts
Current
- 1) the rate of flow of electric
charge through a conductor; 2) the net transfer of electric
charge per unit time; current is measured in amperes
(1 ampere = 1
coulomb per second)
Power
-
1) the rate at which work is done in a circuit; 2) the
amount of energy (in joules) that a device delivers or consumes
divided by the time (in seconds) that the device is operating;
3) the product of the voltage across an electrical path and the
current through it; power is measured in
watts
Circuit
- 1) the complete path or closed loop through which electric current
flows from the power source to the load(s)
(a load is a component or device
that consumes power)
and then back to the source; 2) an electrical interconnection of
power sources and electrical loads that performs a certain
electrical or electronic function
Resistance (R) - 1)
the ability of an electronic component or an electrical path to
resist the flow of current; 2)
the ratio of the voltage (V) across a conductor to the current (I)
flowing through it, i.e., R = V/I
Capacitance (C)
-
the ratio of the charge (Q) stored in a capacitor to the voltage (V)
across the capacitor, i.e., C = Q/V
Inductance
-
the amount of electromotive force (e.m.f.) or voltage induced within
a circuit by a change in current flowing through the circuit
Reactance
- the ability of a capacitor or inductor to resist the flow of
alternating current
Impedance
- the ability of a circuit to
resist the flow of alternating current
Parallel Connection
(refer to Figure 1a) -
a circuit arrangement wherein the
electronic components are connected to the power source
independently of each other; in a parallel connection, each
component has the same voltage across it
(but each may have a different
amount of current flowing through it)
Series Connection
(refer to Figure 1b)
- a circuit arrangement wherein the electronic components are
connected to each other along a single electrical path; in a
series connection, there is only one possible current path, so
each component experiences the same amount of current (but each may
have a different voltage across it)
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Figure 1a. Resistors in Parallel |
Figure 1b. Resistors in Series |
Open Circuit
- a circuit that has a cut, break,
or interruption, preventing current from flowing through it; an open
circuit may be due to a broken or disconnected wire, or a damaged
component that blocks current flow
Short Circuit
- an unwanted or abnormal low-resistance path that causes current to
bypass a component or load; the low resistance of a short
circuit can cause large amounts of current to flow, which can result
in greater damage
(such as an open circuit due to conductor burn-out)
Ground - 1) the common
point of current return in a circuit; 2) the point(s) in a circuit
that is at zero volt; 3) the connection of an electrical
circuit to earth; in a circuit that has a single power supply,
the ground is generally the point to which the negative terminal is connected
See
also: Electrical Units;
Passive Components;
Active Components;
Integrated Circuits
(IC's);
Circuit Analysis
Principles;
Digital Electronics;
Analog Electronics;
Electronic Circuits;
Electronics Eng'g Math
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