Electricity - Britannica Online Encyclopedia

Electricity -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia https://www.britannica.
com/print/article/182915
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Electrostatics
Direct electric current
Alternating electric currents
Electric properties of matter
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Electricity -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia https://www.britannica.com/print/article/182915
Figure 1: Electric force between two charges

(see text).
Courtesy of the Department of Physics and
Astronomy, Michigan State University
̂
̂
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Figure 2: The x and y components of the

force F in Figure 4 (see text).
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Figure 3: Electric field at the location of Q

1
(see text).
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Figure 4: Positive charge +Q and two paths

in moving a second charge, q, from B to A
(see text).
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Figure 5: Potential energy landscape. (A)

Potential energy of a positive charge near a
second positive charge. (B) Potential energy
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of a negative charge near a positive charge

(see text).
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Figure 6: Electrode configuration.

ρ
ρ
Figure 7: Numerical solution for the

electrode configuration shown in Figure 6.
The electrostatic potentials are in volts (see
text).
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Figure 8: Equipotential surfaces.

σ
Figure 9: Electric field lines. The density of

the dashed lines indicates the strength of the
field (see text).
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Figure 10: Potential energy for a positive

charge (see text).
Figure 11: Parallel-plate capacitor. (A) This

storage device consists of two flat
conducting plates, each of area A. (B) These
plates are parallel and separated by a small
distance d (see text).
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σε
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τ θ θ
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χ χ χ
κ
κ χ ε
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Κε
√
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Figure 12: Motion of charge in electric

current i (see text).
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σ
Ω
ρ σ
δ
δ
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Figure 13: Van de Graaff accelerator.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
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→
Figure 14: Voltaic cells and electrodes of a
12-volt lead-acid battery.
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Figure 15: Direct-current circuit (see text).

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Figure 16: Resistors. (A) In series. (B) In

parallel.
Astronomy, Michigan State University Ω Ω
Ω
Ω Ω
Ω
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Figure 17: Electric currents at a junction (see

text).
Figure 18: Circuit illustrating Kirchhoff's loop

equation (see text).
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Figure 19: An RC circuit. This type of electric

circuit consists of both a resistor and a
capacitor connected as shown (see text).
Figure 20: Voltage as a function of time (see

text).
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Figure 21: Application of the superposition

principle to a problem concerned with
voltages as a function of time (see text).
ω ω
ω ω
ω
πω
ω ω π
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Figure 22: A sinusoidal voltage (see text).

ω ϕ
ϕ
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Figure 23: A series LRC circuit. This type of

electric circuit has an inductor, resistor, and
capacitor connected in series (see text).
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ω
ω
ϕ
ω ϕ
ω ϕ ϕ
ϕ
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ω
ω ω √
Figure 24: Current amplitude (peak current) ω

as a function of ω (see text).
ϕ
ϕ
ω
ω ω ω ω ω
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Figure 25: Average power dissipation versus

ω (see text).
Figure 26: Electromotive force across L

versus ω (see text).
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δε
δ
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χ ε χ
χ
χ
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ϕ
ϕ
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ν ν
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ν ν
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ν ν
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Electricity -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia https://www.britannica.

Figure 1: Electric force between two charges

Figure 2: The x and y components of the

Figure 3: Electric field at the location of Q

Figure 4: Positive charge +Q and two paths

Figure 5: Potential energy landscape. (A)

of a negative charge near a positive charge

Figure 6: Electrode configuration.

Figure 7: Numerical solution for the

Figure 8: Equipotential surfaces.

Figure 9: Electric field lines. The density of

Figure 10: Potential energy for a positive

Figure 11: Parallel-plate capacitor. (A) This

Figure 12: Motion of charge in electric

Figure 13: Van de Graaff accelerator.

Figure 15: Direct-current circuit (see text).

Figure 16: Resistors. (A) In series. (B) In

Figure 17: Electric currents at a junction (see

Figure 18: Circuit illustrating Kirchhoff's loop

Figure 19: An RC circuit. This type of electric

Figure 20: Voltage as a function of time (see

Figure 21: Application of the superposition

Figure 22: A sinusoidal voltage (see text).

Figure 23: A series LRC circuit. This type of

Figure 24: Current amplitude (peak current) ω

Figure 25: Average power dissipation versus

Figure 26: Electromotive force across L

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