Learning Activity No.
1
Briefly define the following:
1. alternating current (ac) – can be defined as a current that changes its
magnitude and polarity at regular intervals of time. If the current constantly
changes direction it is called alternating current, or AC.
2. ampere – Is the amount of current produced by the force of one volt acting
through a resistance of one ohm. Ampere is named after the French Physicist
and Mathematician Andre-Marie Ampere.
3. atom – an atom is the basic unit of a chemical element. it is the smallest
possible part of an element that remains the element.
4. atomic number – or proton number is defined as the total number of
protons in the nucleus. The number of electrons in an electrically neutral atom
is the same as the atomic number. Periodic Table
5. circuit – a circuit is a closed path that allows electricity to flow from one
point to another, circuit is the complete path of electrical energy
6. compound – a compound is a chemical species that is formed when two or
more atoms join chemically, with covalent or ionic bonds
7. conductance – conductance (also known as electrical conductance) is
defined as the potential for a substance to conduct electricity. Conductance is
the measure of how easily electrical current (i.e., flow of charge) can pass
through a material.
8. conductor – overlap between the valence and conduction band wherein
electrons are free to move about. (Example: copper, gold, silver, lead)
9. conventional current – flows from the positive terminal to the negative
terminal. The conventional current can be defined as charge per unit time
transported in a certain direction.
10. coulomb – According to Coulomb’s law, if two charges are separated by a
distance ‘r’, and the charges are of opposite polarities as well. The distance
between the two charges remains constant.
11. current – Current is a flow of electrical charge carriers, usually electrons
or electron-deficient atoms. The common symbol for current is the uppercase
letter I.
12. Dielectric – Dielectric is a material which has poor electrical conductivity,
so it can be considered as an insulator.
13. Direct current (dc) – If the current flows in only one direction it is called
direct current, or DC. Batteries and solar cells supply DC electricity. A typical
battery may supply 1.5 V.
14. Electron – a very small piece of matter with a negative electrical charge
that moves around the nucleus
15. electron flow – Electron flow is what we think of as electrical current.
Electron flow as electrons moving along a wire freely like cars go down a
highway.
16. electron valence – The number of valence electrons of an element can be
determined by the periodic table group (vertical column) in which the element
is categorized.
17. Element – Elements are defined by the number of protons they possess.
There are 118 known elements. Research is underway to make element 120.
18. free electron – The electrons which are not attached to the nucleus of a
atom and free to move when external energy is applied are called free
electrons.
[Link] – has a big energy gap between the valence and conduction
band. (Example: gas, plastic, rubber)
20. Ion – An electrically charged atom, group of atoms, or molecule. A
positive ion is an atom that has lost an electron; a negatively charged ion is
one that has gained an electron.
21. molecule – A molecule is two or more atoms bonded together to form a
single chemical entity.
22. neutron – neutral subatomic particle that is a constituent of every atomic
nucleus except ordinary hydrogen. The neutron was discovered in 1932 by
the English physicist James Chadwick.
23. nucleus – the massive, positively charged central part of an atom, made
up of protons and neutrons
24. ohm – is the unit of electrical resistance, it was named after Georg Simon
Ohm
25. potential difference – is a measure of how much energy is transferred
between two points in a circuit.
26. proton – are the positively charged particles which are present in the
nucleus of a hydrogen atom.
27. resistance – a material's opposition to the flow of electric current;
measured in ohms
28. semiconductor – there is a small energy gap between the two bands.
29. siemens – The siemens (symbolized S) is the Standard International (SI)
unit of electrical conductance.
30. volt – the SI unit of electromotive force, the difference of potential that
would drive one ampere of current against one ohm resistance.