| Your Results | Global Average | |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 5 | 5 |
| Correct | 0 | 3.38 |
| Score | 0% | 68% |
Silver and gold are among the most highly conductive elements. Why is copper used much more often as a conductor in electrical circuits?
copper is durable and relatively cheap |
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silver and gold are brittle |
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all of these |
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silver and gold are costly |
All conductors have resistance and the amount of resistance varies with the element. But, resistance isn't the only consideration when choosing a conductor as the most highly conductive elements like silver and gold are also more expensive and more brittle than slightly less conductive elements like copper. A balance needs to be struck between the electrical qualities of a material and its cost and durability.
The most common circuit configuration is:
household |
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series |
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series-parallel |
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parallel |
Circuits are not limited to only series or only parallel configurations. Most circuits contain a mix of series and parallel segments. A good example is a household circuit breaker. Electrical outlets in each section of the house are wired in parallel with the circuit breaker for that section wired in series making it easy to cut off electricity to the parallel parts of the circuit when needed.
In a series circuit, which of the following is the same across all branches of the circuit?
current |
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voltage |
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conductance |
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resistance |
A series circuit has only one path for current to flow. In a series circuit, current (I) is the same throughout the circuit and is equal to the total voltage (V) applied to the circuit divided by the total resistance (R) of the loads in the circuit. The sum of the voltage drops across each resistor in the circuit will equal the total voltage applied to the circuit.
What is the voltage of most household electrical systems in the United States?
220V |
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60Hz |
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110V |
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60V |
Most households use electricity with a voltage of 110V.
Which of these materials is not a good conductor of electricity?
air |
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tin |
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gold |
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copper |
All conductors have resistance and the amount of resistance varies with the element. In general, metals make the best conductors of electricity and non-metals make the worst conductors of electricity.