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University Physics Volume 2

Key Terms

University Physics Volume 2Key Terms

Key Terms

capacitance
amount of charge stored per unit volt
capacitor
device that stores electrical charge and electrical energy
dielectric
insulating material used to fill the space between two plates
dielectric breakdown
phenomenon that occurs when an insulator becomes a conductor in a strong electrical field
dielectric constant
factor by which capacitance increases when a dielectric is inserted between the plates of a capacitor
dielectric strength
critical electrical field strength above which molecules in insulator begin to break down and the insulator starts to conduct
energy density
energy stored in a capacitor divided by the volume between the plates
induced electric-dipole moment
dipole moment that a nonpolar molecule may acquire when it is placed in an electrical field
induced electrical field
electrical field in the dielectric due to the presence of induced charges
induced surface charges
charges that occur on a dielectric surface due to its polarization
parallel combination
components in a circuit arranged with one side of each component connected to one side of the circuit and the other sides of the components connected to the other side of the circuit
parallel-plate capacitor
system of two identical parallel conducting plates separated by a distance
series combination
components in a circuit arranged in a row one after the other in a circuit
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