Alternating current

Continually changes
direction very rapidly,
flowing first one way and
then the other.
Amplitude
The maximum amount
of vibration, measured
from the middle, resting
position of the wave to
its height; measured in
metres.
Appliance
A piece of electrical
equipment designed for
a specific task, e.g. a
radio.
Attraction

A pulling force.
Battery
A number of cells joined
together.
Cell A cell pushes the electric current
from the positive terminal round
to the negative terminal.
 Component
Part of an electrical circuit, e.g. bulb or battery.
Compression
Force squashing or pushing together.
Current

Flow of electric
charge; measured in
amperes (A).
Direct current Current that always
flows in the same
direction.
Earth wire

A wire connecting the

metal case of an
appliance to the ground.
 A non-permanent magnet turned on and off by
Electromagnet controlling the current flowing through it.
Electromagnetic A group of waves that possess
many similar properties. They
are all transverse waves, capable
of carrying energy.
Flex
A flexible electric wire.
Frequency
The number of waves
produced in one
second; measured in
hertz (Hz).
Fuse
A thin piece of wire
designed to melt if
the current becomes
too large.
 Extremely short wavelength and highly
penetrating waves; they can be
Gamma rays produced during some types of
radioactive decay.
 The energy of these waves is often used for
Infrared heating.
Insulation Plastic covering for an
electrical wire that does not
conduct electricity.
Live wire

A wire that carries the

current from the
electricity generator
to the appliance.
 Where the direction of vibrations is the
Longitudinal same as that of the wave.
 Magnetic field
The space around a magnet in which a magnetic force exists.
Microwave
Some types of microwave are
used in microwave cookers,
others are used for
communication, e.g. mobile
phones or radar.
Neutral wire

A wire that returns

the current from the
appliance to the
electricity generator.
 A very thing strand of glass, visible light
and infrared waves can be sent along
Optical fibre this fibre; the fibre acts rather like a
pipe, carrying the waves inside.
 Oscillation
A type of vibration, backwards and forwards or up and down.
Perpendicular
At right angles to.
Poles
The ends of a magnetic field, called the
north-seeking (N) and south-seeking (S)
poles.
Power

How quickly energy is

transferred by a
device.
Radar
A method used to
detect aircraft and
ships by reflecting
electromagnetic
waves from them.
Radio
A means of
communicating
sound messages
by converting
them first into
electromagnetic
waves.
Rarefactio
n
Stretched apart.
Reflection

A change of direction of a
wave when it meets a
surface.
Relay
An
electromagnet
used to switch
on or off another
electrical circuit.
Repulsion
A pushing force.
Resistance
A property of a
component, making it
difficult for charge to pass
through it; measured in
ohms (Ω).
Satellite
A man-made object that
can orbit the Earth.
 Wire wound into a tight coil, part of an
Solenoid electromagnet.
Spectru
m
The whole band
of
electromagnetic
waves.
 Where the direction of the vibration is at
Transverse right angles (perpendicular) to the that
of the wave.
Ultraviolet
Waves with frequencies higher than light,
which human eyes cannot detect.
A space with no particles
of matter in it.

Vacuum
 The waves that can we detect with our
Visible light eyes.
Voltage

A measure of the size of the

‘push’ that is given to the
electrons that form the current;
the bigger the voltage, the bigger
the current for any given
resistance.
 The distance between two corresponding
Wavelength points on a wave, in metres.
 Very short wavelength waves that can
X-rays pass through many substances that
visible light cannot.