4/29/26, 9:28 PM Electrical Terms Test and Flashcards
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Electrical Terms
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A
symbol for ampere, the SI unit of current.
AC
literally, alternating current. Often used loosely to refer to other things which involve alternating current; for example AC voltage
probably means either alternating emf or alternating potential difference.
Active device
a device which does something. It is nearly always a source of emf, but its important property could be that it is sending a signal of
some kind. (See also passive device.) active terminal: of a power point is the "live" or high potential (high voltage) terminal. The
neutral terminal is supposed to remain close to earth potential, but it may vary from that. See also earth.
Alternating current
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, 4/29/26, 9:28 PM Electrical Terms Test and Flashcards
(AC) a current which is continually changing its value and direction in a regular fashion. Usually it means a current which can be
described by the equation: i = io sin(2p f t) (a "sinusoidal" current) in which i is current, io is a constant called the amplitude of the
current, t is time and f is the frequency of the current. In Australia the frequency of commercially generated AC power is 50 Hz, which
means that the current changes direction 100 times per second (twice for each cycle).
Ammeter
current meter; a contraction of ampere-meter.
Amp
colloquial name for ampere.
Amp hour
colloquial for ampere hour.
Ampere
the SI unit of electric current. Its symbol is A, so a current of 5 amperes is written as 5 A. A typical domestic appliance such as a
toaster will carry a current of several amperes. Ampère, André-Marie: (1775-1836) French physicist who gave his name to the unit of
current.
Analogue meter
a meter which is read by noting the position of a pointer against a scale.
Angular frequency
frequency multiplied by the number 2π. The "angular" bit is essentially a red herring, but is related to the fact that an angle of 2π
radians is one revolution. Usual symbol: w (Greek lower-case omega). The SI unit is the reciprocal second, symbol s-1
Battery
strictly a collection of electrochemical cells, but commonly refers also to a single electrochemical cell. The key property of a battery or
cell is its emf. For a battery consisting of several cells, the total emf is equal to the sum of the cells' individual emfs.
C
the symbol for coulomb, the SI unit of charge. Not to be confused with the italic symbol C for capacitance.
Capacitance
property of a conductor or a pair of conductors which tells how good it is at holding separated charge for a given potential (in the
case of one conductor) or potential difference for a pair of conductors. Defined as the quotient: charge divided by potential
Capacitor
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100 cards
Electrical Terms
Long Term Learning
Spaced Repetition
Add to Long Term Learning Desk
Fast learning
Repeat this set of flashcards
A
Preview Match
Test
Spell
Show all Review
A
symbol for ampere, the SI unit of current.
AC
literally, alternating current. Often used loosely to refer to other things which involve alternating current; for example AC voltage
probably means either alternating emf or alternating potential difference.
Active device
a device which does something. It is nearly always a source of emf, but its important property could be that it is sending a signal of
some kind. (See also passive device.) active terminal: of a power point is the "live" or high potential (high voltage) terminal. The
neutral terminal is supposed to remain close to earth potential, but it may vary from that. See also earth.
Alternating current
https://studylib.net/flashcards/set/electrical-terms_188780 1/12
, 4/29/26, 9:28 PM Electrical Terms Test and Flashcards
(AC) a current which is continually changing its value and direction in a regular fashion. Usually it means a current which can be
described by the equation: i = io sin(2p f t) (a "sinusoidal" current) in which i is current, io is a constant called the amplitude of the
current, t is time and f is the frequency of the current. In Australia the frequency of commercially generated AC power is 50 Hz, which
means that the current changes direction 100 times per second (twice for each cycle).
Ammeter
current meter; a contraction of ampere-meter.
Amp
colloquial name for ampere.
Amp hour
colloquial for ampere hour.
Ampere
the SI unit of electric current. Its symbol is A, so a current of 5 amperes is written as 5 A. A typical domestic appliance such as a
toaster will carry a current of several amperes. Ampère, André-Marie: (1775-1836) French physicist who gave his name to the unit of
current.
Analogue meter
a meter which is read by noting the position of a pointer against a scale.
Angular frequency
frequency multiplied by the number 2π. The "angular" bit is essentially a red herring, but is related to the fact that an angle of 2π
radians is one revolution. Usual symbol: w (Greek lower-case omega). The SI unit is the reciprocal second, symbol s-1
Battery
strictly a collection of electrochemical cells, but commonly refers also to a single electrochemical cell. The key property of a battery or
cell is its emf. For a battery consisting of several cells, the total emf is equal to the sum of the cells' individual emfs.
C
the symbol for coulomb, the SI unit of charge. Not to be confused with the italic symbol C for capacitance.
Capacitance
property of a conductor or a pair of conductors which tells how good it is at holding separated charge for a given potential (in the
case of one conductor) or potential difference for a pair of conductors. Defined as the quotient: charge divided by potential
Capacitor
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