Electricity Glossary and Terms
Ampere – Ampere is a unit of measurement for electric current. It is sometimes written as amp.
Alternating Current (AC) – Current that changes direction periodically. It is widely used to transport energy over power lines.
Get Free Counseling
Battery – A device that stores and generates electricity from chemical cells. Capacitor – The basic electrical component that stores an electrical charge. Capacitors consist of two electrical conductors separated by an insulator.
Conductor – A material that allows an electric current to flow freely. Copper wire is the most commonly used electrical conductor.
Coulomb’s Law – Law of physics that describes electrostatic interactions between charged particles.
Diode – An electronic component that only allows current to flow in one direction.
Direct Current (DC) – A type of current that flows only in one direction (unlike Alternating Current that periodically reverses).
Electric Charge – This is a fundamental property of matter based on the balance of protons (positive charge) and electrons (negative charge). The standard unit of charge is the coulomb.
Electrical Circuit – An electrical circuit is a collection of electronic components connected by electrical conductors that allow current to flow.
Electric Current – Electric current is the flow of electric charge in an object. The standard unit of amperage is the ampere.
Potential difference – The potential difference is the potential difference between two points in a circuit. It is also known as stress. The standard unit of voltage is the volt.
Electromagnetism – The interaction between a magnetic field and an electric current.
Electron – An elementary subatomic particle found in all atoms, electrons carry electricity by moving from atom to atom in conductive materials.
Farad – Standard unit of measurement for capacitance.
Henry – Standard unit of inductance.
Inductor – A basic passive electrical component that resists changes in current. Inductors are usually made by winding or coiling wire, sometimes around a magnetic core. The unit of measurement for the inductor is the Henry.
Insulator – A material in which electric charge does not flow freely and does not conduct electric current.
Magnetic field – Magnetic influence produced by electric currents and magnetic materials.
Ohm – Standard unit of resistance.
Ohm’s Law – A law of physics that describes the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance using the equation V=IR.
Resistor – Basic electronic component that prevents current from flowing.
Semiconductor – A material that acts between a conductor and an insulator depending on conditions. Silicon is a widely used semiconductor in electronics.
Static Electricity – The accumulation of an electrical charge on the surface of an object. The charge remains in one area rather than flowing to another.
Transformer – An electrical component that transfers electrical energy using inductive coupling between two winding circuits.
Transistor – A semiconductor device used in an electrical circuit to regulate current that acts as a gate, switch, or amplifier for an electronic signal.
Volt – unit for measuring voltage (potential difference).
Watt – The standard unit of measurement used for electrical energy.