Heating in Circuits Flashcards

All 6 cards in this deck

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

There is an energy transfer that heats the resistor.

What causes a resistor to become warm, in terms of particles?

Collisions between the moving electrons and the ions in the lattice.

What happens to the lattice of a resistor as electrons collide with it?

The lattice vibrates more, so its kinetic energy increases (and the electrons' kinetic energy decreases).

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

It is dissipated as thermal energy in the surroundings.

True or false? Connecting wires stay at exactly the same temperature because only resistors get warm.

False. All wires have some resistance, so they also warm up slightly and dissipate thermal energy.

True or false? The energy dissipated by a resistor is stored inside the resistor for ever.

False. It is transferred to the thermal energy store of the surroundings.