Science Glossary Terms

The current in which charged particles travel through a circuit in one direction.

The current in which electrons move back and forth.

• An electrical device that changes the size of the potential difference (V) of an alternating current.
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• A safety device that's placed in series with other circuits that lead to appliances and outlets
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• A safety device that's found in older buildings and some appliances. Placed in Series with other circuits that lead to appliances and outlets.
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Is the rate at which an appliance uses electrical energy.

A unit of electrical power. 1W=0.001kW

A unit of electrical power. 1kW=1000W

The energy that's used by an appliance at a given setting. Determined by multiplying power rating by the amount of time used.

The unit of electrical energy.

• A label that gives details about how much energy an appliance uses in one year of normal use.
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• A meter that records the total electrical energy used by hour and sends the information to the utility company immediately.
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A system of pricing in which the cost of each kW times hours of energy is used differently at different times of day.

The electricity that's consumed by an appliance or device when it's off.

The ratio of useful energy output to total energy input, expressed as a percentage.

The continuous minimum demand for electrical power.

• The production of electricity using a source of moving water.
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A demand for electricity that's greater than the base load and is met with burning coal and natural gas.

The greatest demand for electricity. Met by using hydroelectric power and natural gas.

A source of energy that can be replaced in a small amount of time.

A source of energy that can't be replaced as quickly as its used.

Energy that's directly converted from the energy of the Sun into electricity.

The generation of a direct current when certain materials are exposed to light.

Electrical energy converted from animal and plant matter.