PHYSICS- Electric Circuits
By: Radhika Patel and Nicole Valdez
Electrical Circuits
Brief history on Electricity
Electricity is a flow of electric charge , this is present in many well-known effects such as lightning, static electricity, electromagnetic induction, and electrical current. Long before further research on electricity existed in “Electric fish” such as catfish or torpedo rays.
Further on was researched in 1600 by an English scientist William Gilbert who studied electricity as well as magnetism he figured out about “static electricity” produced by rubbing amber. Elektron, the Greek word for "amber" This gave a rise to the English words "electric" and "electricity".
In the 18th century further research was done by Benjamin Franklin .
In June 1752 he attached a metal key to the bottom of a dampened kite string and flown the kite in a storm-threatened sky. A succession of sparks jumping from the key to the back of his hand showed that lightning was indeed electrical in nature.
The First Circuit
- The first electric circuit was invented by Alessandro Volta in 1800.
- He discovered he could produce a steady flow of electricity using bowls of salt solution connected by metal strips.
- He created an “Early Battery"
How it worked!
The early battery made by Volta he used alternating discs of copper, zinc, and cardboard that had been soaked in a salt solution to create his voltaic pile.
By attaching a wire running from the top to the bottom, he caused an electric current to flow through his circuit.
- George Ohm (1787-1854) discovered some conductors had more resistance than others, which affects their efficiency in a circuit.
- His law states that “the voltage across a conductor divided by the current equals the resistance” which is measured in Ohms.
- Ohms (r) is a measure of resistanc.e
EXPERIMENT
What was in our lab?
We had a
A diode which allows current to flow from one direction. Diodes are used as detectors in radio receivers
Capacitors which are used to store electrical charges.
Resistors
A morse key
The signal light
A Transformer
A tuner to adjust radio frequencies
The Transistor which makes current flow, and in this lab amplifies the current.
Bar antenna, a ferrite core with a coil of wire wrapped around it
What we made with our lab
so by attaching a couple wires in order to connect the battery to the morse key,
- The morse key to the signal lamp, and the signal lamp to the battery we were able to create a simple short circuit that would allow us to transmit morse code by not sound but by light.