The Art of Concept Maps

Today we learnt about concept mapping. It may sound easy, but it is quite the opposite. First of all it is necessary to understand clearly all the topics you are dealing with in order to determine their relationships with each other. As if it wasn't already difficult, we were told to create a concept map with our group without any forms of written or verbal communication i.e no speaking, writing, etc... The concepts we were trying to link and describe was current, voltage, power, and circuit laws.

This is a picture of the end result of our concept map:

10 things to remember when dealing with electricity:

1) First of all what is electricity?
   Electricity is a flow of electrons around a circuit.

2) Current is the rate of charge flow between two points measured in coulombs per second. This unit for current is amperes which is symbolized by I. Current can be measured by a device known as an ammeter. The general formula for current is as follows:

I = charge (Q)
     -----------
      time (t)

3) Voltage is known as electric potential difference which is measured in volts. The voltage between two points can be measured by a device known as a voltmeter. Voltage is defined by energy/charge :

V = E (in joules)
     --------------
      Q (charge)

4) Difference between series and parallel circuits
A series circuit is an electric circuit arranged so that the current passes through all of the loads in one unbranched pathway 
and...
in a parallel circuit the electric circuit is arranged with parallel loads that are connected side by side where electric current can flow through multiple pathways  

5) Circuit Laws
Resistance in Series:
From Kirchhoff's Law:     VT = V₁ + V₂ + V_{3  =} VN

                                                    IT = I₁  = I₂  = I_{3   =}   I_{N
 
From Ohm's Law :}          R_{T =} R₁ + R₂ + R_{3   =}  RN

<sub>Resistances in Parallel: 

From Kirchhoff's Law:</sub>            I_{T  =}  I₁ + I₂ + I_{3  + IN}

                                                   V_{T =}  V₁  = V₂  = V<sub>3  = VN

From Ohm's Law :</sub>         1         1         1          1
                                      --   =   --    =   --    =   --  
                                     R_T         R₁          R₂          R₃ 

6) Power is the rate at which work is done which can be defined by:

P = IV   OR       V²
                        -----
                        R
The unit for power is watts or (w).

7) Energy is work done in joules which can be measured by :
    E= VIT

8) The unit of charge is coulombs which can be defined as a group of electrons. 1 C= 6.24 X 10^18 and the charge of one electron is 1.60 X 10^-19 C.

9) Resistance is the opposition to current flow which can be defined by using the following equation:

R = V
       --
       I

The unit for resistance is ohms (Ω).

10) Two theories describing energy transfer:
Conventional Current - This theory was developed by Benjamin Franklin. This is the model of positive current flow which states that electrons move from the positive (+) terminal, through the circuit, to the negative (-) terminal. 

However, we know today that this theory is wrong but use it anyway because it is too late to change the way we regard energy flow. The correct theory is known as electron flow.

Electron Flow- states that electrons move from the negative (-) terminal, through the circuit, to the positive (+) terminal.


Look how the whole unit of electricity can be briefly summed up in just about 10 points!