Physics - Recall for Chapter 8: Current and Charge

OCR A-Level Physics 2022


Recall Questions

Current and charge

Define current?

Rate of flow of charge.

Define the coulomb?

The SI unit of electrical charge. One Coulomb is defined as the amount of charge that passes in 1 second when the current is 1 ampere.

What do we mean when we say charge is quantised?

It can only take certain values (always $ne$).

If $n$ electrons are removed from a neutral object, what is its charge?

\[ne\]

Conductors and current carriers

What is an electrolyte?

A liquid containing charged ions.

What is a metallic conductor?

A material comprising a lattice of positive ions and delocalised electrons that carry electrical current.

Which direction does conventional current flow in a circuit?

From positive to negative.

What direction do electrons flow in a circuit?

From negative to positive.

Ammeters and Kirchhoff’s first law

How is an ammeter connected?

In series.

What is the resistance of an ideal ammeter?

$0$ - Ammeters have very small resistance so they have a negligible potential difference across them.

State Kirchhoff’s first law (long)?

At any point in a circuit, the sum of the currents entering that point is equal to the sum of the currents leaving.

What is Kirchhoff’s first law an example of the conservation of?

Charge.

The equation I = nAve

Conductors, insulators and semiconductors

What is a conductor?

A material with a large number density of charge carriers.

What is an insulator?

A material with a low number density of charge carriers.

What is a semiconductor?

A material with an intermediate number density of charge carriers.

Roughly how many free charge carriers does a conductor have per $m^3$?

\[10^{28}\]

Roughly how many free charge carriers does a semiconductor have per $m^3$?

\[10^{17}\]