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Electrons and Photons revision

Electric Current: a flow of charged particles.


Charge = current x time; or, ΔQ = I Δt
The coulomb: the charge passed when one amp flows for one second.
Note that conventional current, I, flows out of the positive battery terminal and into the + terminal of a meter.
Electron flow is in the opposite direction.
Potential difference: the energy transferred per unit charge from electrical to other forms. Unit J C-1
Recall and use: V = W/Q; V = P/I:
Graphs; (characteristics) I plotted on y- axis, V plotted on x- axis; a) metallic conductor at constant temp.,
b) semiconductor diode, c) the filament lamp. Sketch and explain these graphs.
Resistance; potential difference per unit current: unit = ohm, Ω = V A-1
Ohm’s Law: For a conductor, the pd is directly proportional to the current at constant temperature.
Resistivity: the resistance of a specimen of unit length and unit area.
Recall and use (calculations), ρ = RA and be able to rearrange to give R = ρl
l A
Power equations; recall and use these in problems: P = I2R, and P = V2/R; Electrical energy W = I V t.
Understand and use the kilowatt-hour (kWh) as a unit of energy. The energy transferred when a one kilowatt
device is used for one hour.
Graph: the resistance – temperature graph for a thermistor.

D.C. circuits
Learn the standard circuit; PSU, switch, ammeter, device, and variable resistor in series; voltmeter across (or in
parallel with) the device.
Emf; energy transferred per unit charge, from internal to electrical, around a complete circuit.
Note the difference to pd.
Kirchhoff 1: the algebraic sum of the currents at a junction is zero. (Due to the conservation of charge).
Kirchhoff 2: the algebraic sum of the emfs is equal to the algebraic sum of the IR terms (pds) in a complete
circuit loop (Due to the conservation of energy).
Recall and use: Resistors in series; R = R1 + R2 + … Resistors in parallel: 1/R = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + …
Potential dividers: provide a supply of variable voltage from a single supply: note the circuit diagram.
Applications: the use of a thermistor to provide a pd dependent on temperature, and LDR to provide a pd
dependent on light intensity. Note the circuit diagrams.

Magnetic Effects of a Current


Magnetic field patterns due to a) a long straight wire, b) a flat circular coil, and c) a solenoid.
Kicking wire experiment; Recall and use F= B I l with directions given by Fleming’s Left Hand rule.
Magnetic Flux Density, B: The force acting per unit length of conductor, carrying unit current perpendicular to
the magnetic field. Unit ; tesla, T = N A-1 m-1.
Know the directions of forces acting on two long, straight, parallel conductors. This leads to the definition of
the amp.

Quantum Physics
Recall the experiment to demonstrate the photoelectric effect: negatively-charged GLE, zinc plate and UV
lamp, etc.
It shows that e.m. waves can be regarded as particles. Photon energy =hf. One photon can release one electron
from the metal surface if the photon energy is at least equal to the work function. The number of photons
released per second (current), depends on the beam intensity (number of photons), but the max KE of the
released electrons depends on the photon energy. Einstein’s equation:- hf = Φ + ½mv2max
Threshold frequency; the minimum frequency required to release an electron from the surface.
Electron volt: (eV); the energy acquired by an electron, moving through a pd of one volt.

Electron Diffraction: see experimental notes;


Electrons in a vacuum are diffracted by a graphite film in a similar way to X-rays, showing that electrons can
behave as waves. Use and recall; de Broglie wavelength, λ = h/mv
Approx. λ: γ ≈10-12m:X-rays ≈10-10m:UV≈10-9m:vis=4→7x10-7m:IR≈10-6m:Radio≈102m

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