DEFINITIONS

We will begin by discussing the difference between an electrical conductor and an insulator.

Conductor: electricity flows easily through a conductor. Copper is a good conductor of electricity and is commonly used in electrical wiring. The human body is also a good conductor of electricity.

Insulator: insulators resist the flow of electricity. Insulating materials are used to coat copper conducting wires and are used to make electrical work gloves. Insulators help to protect humans from coming into contact with electricity flowing through conductors.

We have just stated that conductors allow electricity to flow through them while insulators resist the flow of electricity. Let's discuss some additional terms that are used to describe how electricity is transferred through conductors. These terms are Voltage, Current, and Resistance.

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Electrical Voltage (V): voltage can be thought of as electrical pressure, it is the force that causes electrical charge to move or flow through a system.

Electric Current (I): electric current is measured in amperes, and is defined as the rate at which electric charge travels through a conductor.

Electrical Resistance (R): the rate at which electricity flows through a circuit is affected by the resistance of the components and/or wires in the circuit. Increased resistance results in a decrease in the amount of current that will flow through the wire. Appliances, lights, power tools can all be thought of as resisters.

Ohm's Law: Ohm's law is a mathematical formula that is used to describe the relationship between voltage (V), current (I), and resistance (R). Ohm's law can be written as follows:

I = V / R

As you can see, according to Ohm's law, the current (I) of a system is related to the voltage and the resistance of the system.