| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| attractive force | The electrostatic force exerted between two objects with opposite charges, pulling them together. |
| charge | A fundamental property of matter that causes objects to experience forces in electric fields; can be positive or negative. |
| charge carrier | Particles, typically electrons, that carry electric charge and constitute electric current in a conductor. |
| conductor | A material that allows electric charge to move through it, with resistivity that typically increases with temperature. |
| contact forces | Nonfundamental forces such as normal force, friction, and tension that result from the cumulative effect of many electric interactions between particles. |
| Coulomb's law | The law stating that the electrostatic force between two charged objects is directly proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. |
| electric force | The force exerted on a charged object by an electric field, equal to the product of the charge and the electric field strength. |
| electric permittivity | A measure of how easily an electric field can be established in a material. |
| electric polarization | The induced rearrangement of electrons by an external electric field, resulting in a separation of positive and negative charges within a material or medium. |
| electrically neutral | A state in which an object or system has equal amounts of positive and negative charge, resulting in no net electric charge. |
| electrostatic force | The force between charged objects at rest, described by Coulomb's law and dependent on the magnitudes and signs of the charges. |
| elementary charge | The magnitude of charge carried by a single electron or proton, denoted as e, representing the smallest indivisible unit of charge. |
| free space | A region of space with no matter, having a constant magnetic permeability value. |
| gravitational forces | Forces that result from the mass of objects and are always attractive in nature. |
| insulator | Materials that do not allow electric charge to move freely and can hold charge in fixed positions. |
| permittivity of free space | The electric permittivity of a vacuum, represented by the symbol ε₀, a fundamental constant. |
| point charge | An idealized model of a charged object treated as if all its charge is concentrated at a single location in space. |
| repulsive force | The electrostatic force exerted between two objects with charges of the same sign, pushing them apart. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| charge distribution | The spatial arrangement and density of electric charge in a region of space. |
| conservation of electric charge | The principle that the total electric charge in an isolated system remains constant over time. |
| contact | Direct physical touching between two systems that can result in the transfer of charge. |
| electron | Negatively charged particles that are the primary charge carriers in most common electrical circuits. |
| electrostatic force | The force between charged objects at rest, described by Coulomb's law and dependent on the magnitudes and signs of the charges. |
| friction | A process by which charge can be transferred between two objects through rubbing or contact. |
| grounding | The process of electrically connecting a charged object to a much larger neutral system, such as Earth, to neutralize its charge. |
| induced charge separation | The redistribution of charges within a neutral or charged system caused by the electrostatic force from a nearby charged object, resulting in polarization. |
| net charge | The total amount of electric charge in a system, accounting for both positive and negative charges. |
| polarization | The process by which a conductor's charge distribution shifts in response to an external electric field while maintaining equipotential conditions. |
| transfer of charge | The movement of electric charge from one system to another, typically involving the movement of electrons. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| charged conductor | Materials that allow electric charge to move freely throughout their structure and have accumulated electric charge. |
| charged object | An object that possesses electric charge and can experience forces from electric and magnetic fields. |
| electric field | A vector field that represents the force per unit charge exerted on a test charge at any point in space due to a charge distribution. |
| electric field line | A line in an electric field diagram whose direction at each point indicates the direction of the electric field, and whose density indicates the relative magnitude of the field. |
| electric field line diagram | A simplified model of an electric field map that uses lines to represent the magnitude and direction of the electric field at any position. |
| electric force | The force exerted on a charged object by an electric field, equal to the product of the charge and the electric field strength. |
| electrostatic equilibrium | A state in which excess charge carriers in a conductor have redistributed to the surface, resulting in no net charge in the interior and zero electric field within the conductor. |
| excess charge | The net charge that accumulates on or within a conductor or insulator beyond its neutral state. |
| insulator | Materials that do not allow electric charge to move freely and can hold charge in fixed positions. |
| isolated sphere | A charged spherical conductor that is far enough from other objects that their electric fields have negligible effects. |
| net electric field | The vector sum of individual electric fields created by multiple charged objects at a given location. |
| perpendicular to the surface | The orientation of the electric field at the surface of a charged conductor, forming a 90-degree angle with the surface. |
| point charge | An idealized model of a charged object treated as if all its charge is concentrated at a single location in space. |
| spherically symmetric charge distribution | A charge arrangement on a sphere where the charge is distributed uniformly in all directions from the center. |
| surface charge distribution | The arrangement of electric charge on the outer surface of a conductor in electrostatic equilibrium. |
| test charge | A point charge of small enough magnitude that its presence does not significantly affect the electric field it is used to measure. |
| vector field | A field in which each point in space is associated with a vector quantity, such as a magnetic field. |
| vector field map | A representation of a vector field showing the magnitude and direction of the field at various points in space. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| charge distribution | The spatial arrangement and density of electric charge in a region of space. |
| electric field | A vector field that represents the force per unit charge exerted on a test charge at any point in space due to a charge distribution. |
| integration | A calculus method used to sum infinitesimal contributions to find the total electric field from a continuous charge distribution. |
| principle of superposition | The principle that the total electric field is the vector sum of fields produced by individual charges. |
| symmetry | A property of charge distributions that allows simplification of electric field calculations by reducing the number of field components that need to be evaluated. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| area vector | A vector perpendicular to the plane of a surface with magnitude equal to the surface area, pointing outward from a closed surface. |
| closed surface | A surface that completely encloses a three-dimensional volume with no openings or boundaries. |
| dot product | A mathematical operation between two vectors that produces a scalar result, used to determine the component of one vector in the direction of another. |
| electric field | A vector field that represents the force per unit charge exerted on a test charge at any point in space due to a charge distribution. |
| electric flux | The measure of the electric field passing through a surface, calculated as the integral of the electric field dot product with the area vector. |
| surface integral | A mathematical integration performed over a two-dimensional surface to calculate the total effect of a vector field across that surface. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| charge density | The amount of electric charge per unit length, area, or volume of a charge distribution. |
| charge distribution | The spatial arrangement and density of electric charge in a region of space. |
| electric flux | The measure of the electric field passing through a surface, calculated as the integral of the electric field dot product with the area vector. |
| enclosed charge | The total electric charge contained within a Gaussian surface. |
| Gauss's law | A fundamental law of electromagnetism that relates the electric flux through a closed surface to the charge enclosed by that surface. |
| Gaussian surface | A three-dimensional, closed surface used in applying Gauss's law, typically chosen to have symmetry matching the charge distribution. |
| Maxwell's equations | A collection of four fundamental equations that fully describe electromagnetism and the behavior of electric and magnetic fields. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| charge distribution | The spatial arrangement and density of electric charge in a region of space. |
| chemical processes | Reactions that cause separation of positive and negative charges, such as those occurring in a battery to create electric potential difference. |
| displacement | A vector quantity representing the change in position from one point to another. |
| dot product | A mathematical operation between two vectors that produces a scalar result, used to determine the component of one vector in the direction of another. |
| electric field | A vector field that represents the force per unit charge exerted on a test charge at any point in space due to a charge distribution. |
| electric field component | The magnitude of the electric field in a specific direction (such as x, y, or z direction). |
| electric field vector map | A visual representation showing the direction and magnitude of the electric field at various points in space. |
| electric potential | The electric potential energy per unit charge at a point in space, describing the work done per unit charge to move a test charge from a reference point to that location. |
| electric potential difference | The difference in electric potential energy per unit charge between two points in a circuit, measured in volts. |
| equipotential lines | Lines that connect points of equal electric potential in an electric field; also called isolines of electric potential. |
| integration | A calculus method used to sum infinitesimal contributions to find the total electric field from a continuous charge distribution. |
| isoline map | A visual representation showing lines of equal value (such as equal electric potential) across a region. |
| point charge | An idealized model of a charged object treated as if all its charge is concentrated at a single location in space. |
| principle of superposition | The principle that the total electric field is the vector sum of fields produced by individual charges. |
| scalar superposition | The method of adding scalar quantities (electric potentials) from multiple sources to find the total potential at a point. |
| spatial rate of change | The rate at which a quantity changes with respect to position or distance in a particular direction. |
| test charge | A point charge of small enough magnitude that its presence does not significantly affect the electric field it is used to measure. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| charged object | An object that possesses electric charge and can experience forces from electric and magnetic fields. |
| conservation of energy | The principle that the total energy in an isolated system remains constant, with energy transforming between different forms but never being created or destroyed. |
| electric potential | The electric potential energy per unit charge at a point in space, describing the work done per unit charge to move a test charge from a reference point to that location. |
| electric potential energy | The energy stored in a capacitor due to the separation of charge, equal to the work done by an external force to separate the charges. |
| kinetic energy | The energy of motion possessed by an object. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| charge carrier | Particles, typically electrons, that carry electric charge and constitute electric current in a conductor. |
| charge density | The amount of electric charge per unit length, area, or volume of a charge distribution. |
| electric field | A vector field that represents the force per unit charge exerted on a test charge at any point in space due to a charge distribution. |
| electric potential | The electric potential energy per unit charge at a point in space, describing the work done per unit charge to move a test charge from a reference point to that location. |
| electrostatic equilibrium | A state in which excess charge carriers in a conductor have redistributed to the surface, resulting in no net charge in the interior and zero electric field within the conductor. |
| electrostatic shielding | The process of surrounding an area with a closed, conducting shell to create a region inside that is free from external electric fields. |
| equipotential surface | A surface on which all points have the same electric potential; a conductor in electrostatic equilibrium is an equipotential surface. |
| excess charge | The net charge that accumulates on or within a conductor or insulator beyond its neutral state. |
| ideal conductor | A material in which electrons are able to move freely. |
| polarization | The process by which a conductor's charge distribution shifts in response to an external electric field while maintaining equipotential conditions. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| charge | A fundamental property of matter that causes objects to experience forces in electric fields; can be positive or negative. |
| charge redistribution | The movement and rearrangement of electric charge between conductors when they are in contact. |
| conductor | A material that allows electric charge to move through it, with resistivity that typically increases with temperature. |
| electric potential | The electric potential energy per unit charge at a point in space, describing the work done per unit charge to move a test charge from a reference point to that location. |
| electrical contact | A physical connection between two or more conductors that allows charge to flow between them. |
| external electric field | An electric field created by sources outside the conductor being studied. |
| ground | An idealized reference point defined as having zero electric potential that can absorb or provide an infinite amount of charge without changing its potential. |
| induced charge | Electric charge that appears on a conductor due to the influence of an external electric field. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| capacitance | A measure that relates the magnitude of charge stored on each plate of a capacitor to the electric potential difference between the plates. |
| constant acceleration | Uniform acceleration experienced by a charged particle moving between oppositely charged parallel plates in a capacitor. |
| dielectric constant | A dimensionless quantity that relates the electric permittivity of a material to the permittivity of free space, represented by the symbol κ. |
| electric field | A vector field that represents the force per unit charge exerted on a test charge at any point in space due to a charge distribution. |
| electric potential difference | The difference in electric potential energy per unit charge between two points in a circuit, measured in volts. |
| electric potential energy | The energy stored in a capacitor due to the separation of charge, equal to the work done by an external force to separate the charges. |
| Gauss's law | A fundamental law of electromagnetism that relates the electric flux through a closed surface to the charge enclosed by that surface. |
| parallel-plate capacitor | A capacitor consisting of two parallel conducting plates separated by a distance, with a dielectric material that can be inserted between them. |
| permittivity of free space | The electric permittivity of a vacuum, represented by the symbol ε₀, a fundamental constant. |
| principle of superposition | The principle that the total electric field is the vector sum of fields produced by individual charges. |
| surface charge density | The amount of electric charge per unit area on the surface of a conductor, such as a capacitor plate. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| capacitance | A measure that relates the magnitude of charge stored on each plate of a capacitor to the electric potential difference between the plates. |
| dielectric | A material that becomes polarized in the presence of an external electric field, with charges that are not as free to move as in a conductor. |
| dielectric constant | A dimensionless quantity that relates the electric permittivity of a material to the permittivity of free space, represented by the symbol κ. |
| electric permittivity | A measure of how easily an electric field can be established in a material. |
| external electric field | An electric field created by sources outside the conductor being studied. |
| parallel-plate capacitor | A capacitor consisting of two parallel conducting plates separated by a distance, with a dielectric material that can be inserted between them. |
| permittivity of free space | The electric permittivity of a vacuum, represented by the symbol ε₀, a fundamental constant. |
| polarized | The state of a dielectric material when its electric charges are displaced or aligned in response to an external electric field. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| charge | A fundamental property of matter that causes objects to experience forces in electric fields; can be positive or negative. |
| charge carrier | Particles, typically electrons, that carry electric charge and constitute electric current in a conductor. |
| conductor | A material that allows electric charge to move through it, with resistivity that typically increases with temperature. |
| conventional current | The direction of current defined as the direction in which positive charge would move through a circuit. |
| current | The flow of electric charge through a conductor, measured as the amount of charge passing through a cross-section per unit time. |
| current density | The amount of electric current flowing per unit cross-sectional area of a conductor; a vector quantity. |
| drift velocity | The average velocity at which charge carriers move through a conductor in response to an applied electric field. |
| electric field | A vector field that represents the force per unit charge exerted on a test charge at any point in space due to a charge distribution. |
| electric potential difference | The difference in electric potential energy per unit charge between two points in a circuit, measured in volts. |
| electromotive force | The energy per unit charge provided by a source to move charge through a circuit; also called emf. |
| electron | Negatively charged particles that are the primary charge carriers in most common electrical circuits. |
| resistivity | A fundamental property of a material that quantifies how strongly the material opposes the motion of electric charge, depending on the material's atomic and molecular structure. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| circuit schematic | A diagram representation used to describe and analyze electric circuits using standardized symbols. |
| closed circuit | A circuit in which charges are able to flow through a complete path. |
| conventional current | The direction of current defined as the direction in which positive charge would move through a circuit. |
| electric potential difference | The difference in electric potential energy per unit charge between two points in a circuit, measured in volts. |
| electrical loop | A closed path in a circuit through which electric charge can flow. |
| open circuit | A circuit in which charges are not able to flow due to a break in the path. |
| short circuit | A circuit in which charges are able to flow with no change in potential difference. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| conductor | A material that allows electric charge to move through it, with resistivity that typically increases with temperature. |
| cross-sectional area | The area of the surface perpendicular to the direction of current flow through a conductor. |
| current | The flow of electric charge through a conductor, measured as the amount of charge passing through a cross-section per unit time. |
| electric potential difference | The difference in electric potential energy per unit charge between two points in a circuit, measured in volts. |
| Ohm's law | A fundamental relationship stating that current through a conductor is directly proportional to the potential difference across it and inversely proportional to its resistance, expressed as I = ΔV/R. |
| ohmic materials | Materials that obey Ohm's law and maintain constant resistance regardless of the current flowing through them. |
| resistance | The opposition to the flow of electric current in a circuit, measured in ohms (Ω). |
| resistivity | A fundamental property of a material that quantifies how strongly the material opposes the motion of electric charge, depending on the material's atomic and molecular structure. |
| resistor | A circuit element that dissipates electrical energy and opposes the flow of current, characterized by resistance R. |
| thermal energy | Energy dissipated in the form of heat when electrical energy is converted within a circuit element. |
| uniform geometry | A resistor with constant cross-sectional area and composition throughout its length. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| circuit element | A component in an electric circuit, such as a resistor or lightbulb, through which current flows and across which a potential difference exists. |
| current | The flow of electric charge through a conductor, measured as the amount of charge passing through a cross-section per unit time. |
| electric potential difference | The difference in electric potential energy per unit charge between two points in a circuit, measured in volts. |
| energy transfer | The movement of energy from one location, system, or form to another within an electric circuit. |
| power | The rate at which energy is transferred, converted, or dissipated by a circuit element, measured in watts. |
| resistance | The opposition to the flow of electric current in a circuit, measured in ohms (Ω). |
| thermal energy | Energy dissipated in the form of heat when electrical energy is converted within a circuit element. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| ammeter | An instrument used to measure electric current at a specific point in a circuit. |
| current | The flow of electric charge through a conductor, measured as the amount of charge passing through a cross-section per unit time. |
| electric potential difference | The difference in electric potential energy per unit charge between two points in a circuit, measured in volts. |
| emf | The electromotive force; the potential difference a battery would supply if it were ideal, measured across the terminals when there is no current flowing. |
| equivalent resistance | The single resistance value that can replace a combination of resistors in a circuit, producing the same effect on current and voltage. |
| ideal ammeter | A theoretical ammeter with zero resistance that measures current without affecting the circuit. |
| ideal battery | A theoretical battery with negligible internal resistance that maintains a constant potential difference regardless of the current flowing through it. |
| ideal voltmeter | A theoretical voltmeter with infinite resistance that measures potential difference without allowing charge to flow through it. |
| ideal wires | Theoretical wires with negligible resistance that do not affect the potential difference in a circuit. |
| internal resistance | The resistance within a battery that reduces the potential difference available to the external circuit when current flows through the battery. |
| nonideal ammeter | A real ammeter with some resistance that can alter the properties of the circuit being measured. |
| nonideal battery | A real battery that has internal resistance and therefore experiences a reduction in terminal voltage when current flows through it. |
| nonideal voltmeter | A real voltmeter with finite resistance that can alter the properties of the circuit being measured. |
| parallel connection | A circuit configuration in which circuit elements are connected along multiple paths, allowing charge to flow through more than one route with the same potential difference across each path. |
| resistance | The opposition to the flow of electric current in a circuit, measured in ohms (Ω). |
| resistive wires | Wires in a circuit that have measurable resistance and can affect the overall circuit behavior. |
| series connection | A circuit configuration in which circuit elements are connected one after another, so that charge must pass through each element sequentially with no alternative paths available. |
| terminal voltage | The potential difference measured across the terminals of a battery, which equals the emf minus the voltage drop due to internal resistance when current is flowing. |
| voltmeter | An instrument used to measure the electric potential difference between two points in a circuit. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| circuit element | A component in an electric circuit, such as a resistor or lightbulb, through which current flows and across which a potential difference exists. |
| closed loop | A complete path in a circuit that starts and ends at the same point, allowing current to flow continuously. |
| conservation of energy | The principle that the total energy in an isolated system remains constant, with energy transforming between different forms but never being created or destroyed. |
| electric potential | The electric potential energy per unit charge at a point in space, describing the work done per unit charge to move a test charge from a reference point to that location. |
| electric potential difference | The difference in electric potential energy per unit charge between two points in a circuit, measured in volts. |
| Kirchhoff's loop rule | A principle stating that the sum of potential differences across all circuit elements in a single closed loop must equal zero, based on conservation of energy. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| conservation of electric charge | The principle that the total electric charge in an isolated system remains constant over time. |
| current | The flow of electric charge through a conductor, measured as the amount of charge passing through a cross-section per unit time. |
| junction | A point in a circuit where two or more conductors meet, allowing current to split or combine. |
| Kirchhoff's junction rule | A principle stating that the total amount of electric charge entering a junction per unit time must equal the total amount of charge exiting that junction per unit time, based on conservation of electric charge. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| asymptotic approach | The behavior of a quantity that approaches a final value over time but never quite reaches it, as seen in RC circuit charging and discharging. |
| capacitor in parallel | Capacitors connected with their plates connected together, where each capacitor experiences the same voltage. |
| capacitor in series | Capacitors connected end-to-end in a single path, where the same charge accumulates on each capacitor plate. |
| charging capacitor | A capacitor in a circuit that is accumulating charge, with its charge increasing from zero toward a maximum value over time. |
| conservation of electric charge | The principle that the total electric charge in an isolated system remains constant over time. |
| differential equation | A mathematical equation that relates a function to its derivatives, used to describe how quantities change over time. |
| discharging capacitor | A capacitor in a circuit that is losing charge, with its charge decreasing from a maximum value toward zero over time. |
| electric potential energy stored in the capacitor | The energy stored in the electric field between the capacitor plates, which changes as the capacitor charges or discharges. |
| equivalent capacitance | The single capacitance value that can replace a combination of capacitors in a circuit while maintaining the same electrical behavior. |
| Kirchhoff's loop rule | A principle stating that the sum of potential differences across all circuit elements in a single closed loop must equal zero, based on conservation of energy. |
| potential difference across a capacitor | The voltage between the plates of a capacitor, which changes over time during charging and discharging and reaches a constant value at steady state. |
| RC circuit | A circuit containing a resistor and capacitor in combination, where the charge and current change over time as the capacitor charges or discharges. |
| steady state | A condition reached after a long time interval where circuit quantities no longer change with time. |
| time constant | A characteristic parameter that measures how quickly a circuit reaches steady state, calculated differently for RC and LR circuits. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| bar magnet | A permanent magnet with distinct north and south poles that produces closed-loop magnetic field lines. |
| diamagnetism | A property of all materials in which their electronic structure creates a usually weak alignment of dipole moments opposite to an external magnetic field. |
| external magnetic field | A magnetic field applied to a material from an outside source. |
| ferromagnetic materials | Materials such as iron, nickel, and cobalt that can be permanently magnetized by an external field through alignment of magnetic domains or atomic magnetic dipoles. |
| free space | A region of space with no matter, having a constant magnetic permeability value. |
| Gauss's law for magnetism | Maxwell's second equation stating that magnetic field lines form closed loops and there are no magnetic monopoles. |
| induced magnetism | A system property resulting from the alignment of magnetic dipoles within a material caused by an external magnetic field. |
| magnetic dipole | A system with a north and south magnetic pole that results from the circular or rotational motion of electric charges, such as moving electrons in atoms. |
| magnetic domains | Regions within ferromagnetic materials where atomic magnetic dipoles are aligned in the same direction. |
| magnetic field | A vector field that determines the magnetic force exerted on moving electric charges, electric currents, or magnetic materials. |
| magnetic field lines | Lines that represent the direction and strength of a magnetic field, forming closed loops that never begin or end. |
| magnetic force | The force exerted on a moving charged particle or current-carrying conductor in the presence of a magnetic field. |
| magnetic monopole | A hypothetical isolated magnetic charge that does not exist in nature; magnetic fields are always produced by dipoles. |
| magnetic permeability | A property of a material that describes how easily a magnetic field can be established within it; affects the inductance of a solenoid. |
| magnetic poles | The regions at the ends of a magnetic dipole where magnetic effects are strongest; poles of the same polarity repel while opposite poles attract. |
| magnetization | The process by which a material becomes magnetized or the degree to which a material is magnetized in response to an external magnetic field. |
| Maxwell's equations | A collection of four fundamental equations that fully describe electromagnetism and the behavior of electric and magnetic fields. |
| north pole | One end of a magnetic dipole from which external magnetic field lines point away. |
| paramagnetic materials | Materials such as aluminum, titanium, and magnesium that interact weakly with an external magnetic field and do not retain alignment after the field is removed. |
| permanent magnetism | A system property resulting from the alignment of magnetic dipoles within a material that persists without an external magnetic field. |
| south pole | One end of a magnetic dipole to which external magnetic field lines return. |
| vacuum permeability | The constant value of magnetic permeability in free space, denoted as μ₀, that appears in equations representing physical relationships. |
| vector field | A field in which each point in space is associated with a vector quantity, such as a magnetic field. |
| vector field map | A representation of a vector field showing the magnitude and direction of the field at various points in space. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| charged object | An object that possesses electric charge and can experience forces from electric and magnetic fields. |
| conductor | A material that allows electric charge to move through it, with resistivity that typically increases with temperature. |
| cross-product | A mathematical operation between two vectors that produces a third vector perpendicular to both, with magnitude equal to the product of their magnitudes and the sine of the angle between them. |
| Hall effect | The phenomenon where a potential difference is created across a conductor perpendicular to both the direction of current flow and an applied magnetic field. |
| Lorentz force | The force exerted on a moving charged object by a magnetic field, given by F_B = q(v × B). |
| magnetic field | A vector field that determines the magnetic force exerted on moving electric charges, electric currents, or magnetic materials. |
| moving charged object | An object possessing electric charge that is in motion, producing a magnetic field in the surrounding space. |
| perpendicular | At a 90-degree angle; the magnetic field direction is perpendicular to both the velocity vector and position vector of a moving charged object. |
| position vector | A vector drawn from a moving charged object to a point in space, used to determine the direction and magnitude of the magnetic field at that point. |
| right-hand rule | A method for determining the direction of the magnetic field produced by a moving charged object by pointing the thumb in the direction of velocity and curling fingers to show the field direction. |
| velocity | The rate and direction of motion of an object. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Biot-Savart law | A fundamental law that defines the magnitude and direction of the magnetic field created by a small segment of electrical current. |
| circular loop of wire | A wire bent into a circular shape through which current flows, creating a magnetic field with specific properties at its center. |
| concentric circles | Circles that share the same center point; the magnetic field lines around a current-carrying wire form concentric circles centered on the wire. |
| current-carrying wire | A conductor through which electric current flows, creating a magnetic field in the surrounding space. |
| magnetic field | A vector field that determines the magnetic force exerted on moving electric charges, electric currents, or magnetic materials. |
| magnetic field vectors | Arrows representing the magnitude and direction of the magnetic field at specific points in space around a current-carrying wire. |
| magnetic force | The force exerted on a moving charged particle or current-carrying conductor in the presence of a magnetic field. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Ampère's law | A fundamental equation that relates the magnitude of the magnetic field to the electric current enclosed by a closed imaginary path. |
| Amperian loop | A closed imaginary path drawn around a current-carrying conductor used to apply Ampère's law. |
| changing electric field | A time-varying electric field that generates a magnetic field according to Maxwell's equations. |
| conductive cylinder | A cylindrical conductor carrying current to which Ampère's law can be applied to determine the magnetic field. |
| current density | The amount of electric current flowing per unit cross-sectional area of a conductor; a vector quantity. |
| current-carrying wire | A conductor through which electric current flows, creating a magnetic field in the surrounding space. |
| electric current | The flow of electric charge through a conductor, which generates a magnetic field. |
| magnetic field | A vector field that determines the magnetic force exerted on moving electric charges, electric currents, or magnetic materials. |
| Maxwell's addition | The modification to Ampère's law stating that a changing electric field creates a magnetic field in addition to the magnetic field created by electric current. |
| Maxwell's equations | A collection of four fundamental equations that fully describe electromagnetism and the behavior of electric and magnetic fields. |
| moving charge carrier | An electric charge in motion that generates a magnetic field around it. |
| principle of superposition | The principle that the total electric field is the vector sum of fields produced by individual charges. |
| solenoid | A coil of wire wound in a tight, helical pattern that produces a uniform magnetic field when current flows through it. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| area vector | A vector perpendicular to the plane of a surface with magnitude equal to the surface area, pointing outward from a closed surface. |
| closed surface | A surface that completely encloses a three-dimensional volume with no openings or boundaries. |
| dot product | A mathematical operation between two vectors that produces a scalar result, used to determine the component of one vector in the direction of another. |
| magnetic field | A vector field that determines the magnetic force exerted on moving electric charges, electric currents, or magnetic materials. |
| magnetic flux | The measure of the total magnetic field passing through a surface, calculated as the dot product of the magnetic field vector and the area vector. |
| surface integral | A mathematical integration performed over a two-dimensional surface to calculate the total effect of a vector field across that surface. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| electromagnetic waves | Waves consisting of oscillating electric and magnetic fields that propagate through space at a constant speed in free space. |
| Faraday's law | The principle that describes the relationship between a changing magnetic flux and the induced emf in a system, expressed as ε = -∆ΦB/∆t. |
| induced electric potential difference | The voltage generated in a conductor or circuit due to a change in magnetic flux through it. |
| induced emf | The electromotive force generated in a conductor or circuit as a result of a change in magnetic flux. |
| Lenz's law | The principle that states an induced emf generates a current that creates a magnetic field opposing the change in magnetic flux. |
| magnetic flux | The measure of the total magnetic field passing through a surface, calculated as the dot product of the magnetic field vector and the area vector. |
| Maxwell's equations | A collection of four fundamental equations that fully describe electromagnetism and the behavior of electric and magnetic fields. |
| right-hand rule | A method for determining the direction of the magnetic field produced by a moving charged object by pointing the thumb in the direction of velocity and curling fingers to show the field direction. |
| solenoid | A coil of wire wound in a tight, helical pattern that produces a uniform magnetic field when current flows through it. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| charge carrier | Particles, typically electrons, that carry electric charge and constitute electric current in a conductor. |
| conductive loop | A closed path made of conducting material through which electric current can flow. |
| conductor | A material that allows electric charge to move through it, with resistivity that typically increases with temperature. |
| induced current | An electric current generated in a conductor due to a change in magnetic flux through a circuit. |
| induced emf | The electromotive force generated in a conductor or circuit as a result of a change in magnetic flux. |
| magnetic field | A vector field that determines the magnetic force exerted on moving electric charges, electric currents, or magnetic materials. |
| magnetic flux | The measure of the total magnetic field passing through a surface, calculated as the dot product of the magnetic field vector and the area vector. |
| magnetic force | The force exerted on a moving charged particle or current-carrying conductor in the presence of a magnetic field. |
| resistance | The opposition to the flow of electric current in a circuit, measured in ohms (Ω). |
| rotational acceleration | The angular acceleration of an object about a fixed axis due to an applied torque. |
| translational acceleration | The acceleration of an object's center of mass in a straight line due to an applied force. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Faraday's law | The principle that describes the relationship between a changing magnetic flux and the induced emf in a system, expressed as ε = -∆ΦB/∆t. |
| induced emf | The electromotive force generated in a conductor or circuit as a result of a change in magnetic flux. |
| inductance | The tendency of a conductor to oppose a change in electrical current. |
| inductor | A circuit element that stores electrical energy in a magnetic field and opposes changes in current. |
| magnetic field energy | Energy stored in the magnetic field generated by current flowing through an inductor. |
| magnetic permeability | A property of a material that describes how easily a magnetic field can be established within it; affects the inductance of a solenoid. |
| solenoid | A coil of wire wound in a tight, helical pattern that produces a uniform magnetic field when current flows through it. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| asymptote | A limiting value that a quantity approaches but never reaches, determined by the initial conditions of an LR circuit. |
| differential equation | A mathematical equation that relates a function to its derivatives, used to describe how quantities change over time. |
| electric potential difference | The difference in electric potential energy per unit charge between two points in a circuit, measured in volts. |
| energy dissipation | The process by which a resistor converts electrical energy stored in an inductor into heat as current changes. |
| exponential function | A mathematical function describing how current, voltage, and energy in an LR circuit change with time, with asymptotic behavior. |
| induced emf | The electromotive force generated in a conductor or circuit as a result of a change in magnetic flux. |
| inductor | A circuit element that stores electrical energy in a magnetic field and opposes changes in current. |
| Kirchhoff's loop rule | A principle stating that the sum of potential differences across all circuit elements in a single closed loop must equal zero, based on conservation of energy. |
| LR circuit | A circuit containing a resistor and inductor in series with a power source, where current changes are governed by both resistance and inductance. |
| resistor | A circuit element that dissipates electrical energy and opposes the flow of current, characterized by resistance R. |
| steady state | A condition reached after a long time interval where circuit quantities no longer change with time. |
| time constant | A characteristic parameter that measures how quickly a circuit reaches steady state, calculated differently for RC and LR circuits. |
| transient behavior | The time-dependent behavior of an LR circuit immediately after a switch is opened or closed, before reaching steady state. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| angular frequency | The rate of oscillation of a periodic system, measured in radians per second, denoted by ω. |
| capacitor | A circuit element that stores electrical energy in an electric field between two conducting plates. |
| conservation of energy | The principle that the total energy in an isolated system remains constant, with energy transforming between different forms but never being created or destroyed. |
| differential equation | A mathematical equation that relates a function to its derivatives, used to describe how quantities change over time. |
| inductor | A circuit element that stores electrical energy in a magnetic field and opposes changes in current. |
| LC circuit | A circuit containing only a capacitor and an inductor that can oscillate, exchanging energy between electric and magnetic fields. |
| simple harmonic motion | Periodic motion in which an object oscillates about an equilibrium position with acceleration proportional to its displacement. |
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