Heating in Circuits Flashcards

All 3 cards in this deck

What happens when there is an electric current in a resistor?

There is an energy transfer that heats the resistor.

In terms of particles, why does an electric current heat a metal wire?

The flowing electrons collide with the ions in the lattice, making the ions vibrate more.

What happens to the electrical energy when a current does work against electrical resistance?

It is dissipated as thermal energy in the surroundings.