BMW Young Academy

Basic Electrics & Electronics

Lesson 1: Basic Electrical Theory

Teacher Workbook
Jointly funded by the Quality Improvement Agency and BMW (UK) Ltd

About Young Academy

Discover the skills needed to work in the automotive industry and learn about the science and technology behind the cars with Young Academy, BMW Educations online resource for 14 to 16 year olds. Young Academy is a series of online lessons based on BMW Academys own award-winning apprenticeship programme. By working through the lessons, you will take a journey from learning about the principles of electrical theory, to developing an understanding of the skills and knowledge needed to become a motor industry technician. The Young Academy lessons incorporate the latest web-based training techniques, which enable you to learn in the same way as the apprentices at the BMW Academy. The Young Academy lessons are available from the BMW Education website at: www.bmweducation.co.uk/YoungAcademy.

About Lesson 1: Basic Electrical Theory

This lesson introduces students to the principles of electricity. Students will learn about the properties of electrons, how the movement of electrons creates a flow of electricity and how electrical circuit boards function. Working through the online lesson The online lesson is divided into five sections: Introduction Objectives Content Assessment Summary
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Students should work through each section in turn. Once the lesson has been launched from the website, students can move through the pages using the next or previous navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen. There is also a replay button, for repeating any of the activities or animations, and an exit button to end the lesson. The menu at the top of the screen can be used to move from one section to another without going through all the pages.

Lesson menu

Navigation buttons

Clicking on the help button shows how to use the navigation in more detail. Using the student workbook Each lesson is accompanied by a workbook that students can fill in as they work through the lesson on the computer. The workbook can be used to make notes and record answers to questions. The workbook is their personal record of what they have learnt. The teacher workbook contains the answers to the questions posed in the student workbook.

Finally The Young Academy lessons are the same lessons used by apprentices at the BMW Academy, which is why you will come across references to colleagues or other work-related words. Students should think of their classmates as their colleagues and the classroom as their work place to get an idea of what being an apprentice is like!

Lesson 1: Basic Electrical Theory

Overview

Objectives

Page 5

Electron Theory

Page 6

Electron Displacement

Page

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Electron Flow

Page 14

Automotive Circuits

Page 17

Lesson 1: Basic Electrical Theory Objectives

At the end of this lesson you should be able to: Explain the basic structure of atoms Explain the behaviour of ions Explain why various types of materials have an effect on resistance Explain the definitions of voltage and current resistance.

Lesson 1: Basic Electrical Theory Electrical Theory

Lesson 1: Basic Electrical Theory

Atomic Structure The basis for electricity is the electron. Electrons are extremely small particles that are part of an atom. An atom is basically composed of electrons, protons and neutrons. Question 1: Please label the diagram below:

Answer: Proton Electron

Neutron Nucleus

Each proton has one unit of positive charge and each electron has one unit of negative charge. The atom is balanced (the number of electrons is the same as the number of protons). A neutron, as its name suggests, has no charge.

Lesson 1: Basic Electrical Theory

Ions When the number of electrons equals the number of protons, the atom is balanced and there is no resultant charge. Question 2: What would happen if electrons are taken away from an atom? Answer: The atom would have a resultant positive charge and would become a positive ion.

Question 3: What would happen if electrons are added to an atom? Answer: The atom would have a resultant negative charge and would become a negative ion.

Lesson 1: Basic Electrical Theory

Charged Particles Question 4: Please tick the correct statement below: Answer: Ions with UNLIKE charges attract.

Question 5: Please tick the correct statement below: Answer: Ions with LIKE charges repel.

Lesson 1: Basic Electrical Theory

Electrical Potential
The force exerted on groups of charged particles is called the electromotive force or EMF.

Question 6: What name is given to the measure of EMF? Answer: Electromotive force

Question 7: What two terms are sometimes used instead of EMF? Answer: Potential difference and voltage

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Lesson 1: Basic Electrical Theory Electron Displacement

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Lesson 1: Basic Electrical Theory

Static Electricity Static electricity is the build-up of an electrical charge in an object. Static electricity can sometimes suddenly discharge, for example, when a bolt of lightning flashes through the sky. At other times, static electricity can cause objects to cling to each other, like socks fresh out of the tumble dryer. The static cling is an attraction between two objects with different charges, positive (+) and negative (-). This can be caused by friction. There are a number of ways that electrons can be moved from one material to another. Friction is one way. Rubbing a silk cloth over a glass rod causes electrons to move from the glass rod to the cloth.

Question 8: When this happens, the glass rod becomes? Answer: The rod becomes positively charged.

Question 9: .and the silk cloth becomes? Answer: The cloth becomes negatively charged.

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Lesson 1: Basic Electrical Theory

Chemical Action The chemical action of a battery is another way to displace electrons.

When the circuit is complete, the electrolyte reacts with the negative electrode causing electrons to flow through the bulb to the positive electrode. Electrolyte is normally a liquid solution (sulphuric acid and distilled water) that enables a battery to supply electrical energy. Lead acid batteries have lead plates immersed in this solution and a reaction takes place between these lead plates and the solution when the battery is being discharged.

Question 10: Describe what happens to the electrolyte. Answer: When the light is on the electrolyte turns to water and the material of the electrode is changed through chemical action.

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Lesson 1: Basic Electrical Theory Electrical Flow

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Lesson 1: Basic Electrical Theory

When the switch is closed on the circuit below, the circuit is completed or closed and electrons flow through the wire a flow of electric current is taking place.

Question 11: What is the unit of current called? Answer: The ampere or amp

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Lesson 1: Basic Electrical Theory

You will notice that the flow of electrons is from the negative electrode to the positive electrode. However, many people wrongly believe that current flows from the positive terminal to the negative terminal. Question 12: Please complete the sentence below: This assumption is called the conventional flow and it incorrectly assumes that the current flow will Answer: Flow from the positive to negative terminal.

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Lesson 1: Basic Electrical Theory Automotive Circuits

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Lesson 1: Basic Electrical Theory

Diagrams

Question 13: Please label the components below: Answer:

Bulb

Fuse

Switch

Battery

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Lesson 1: Basic Electrical Theory

Generally in automotive circuits, one side of the electrical component is connected to the battery, whilst the other side is earthed (which means it is connected to the ground). Most vehicles use earth return systems where the metal body of the vehicle is used as part of the circuit. The vehicle body is called the earth (or ground) and is normally connected to the negative side of the battery terminal. The use of the word return is associated with the current flow in the circuit. When a lamp is connected to a battery by two cables, one cable is called the feed and the other the return. By substituting the vehicle body for the return cable, an earth return system is formed.

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Lesson 1: Basic Electrical Theory Automotive Circuits

Resistance

Electrical resistance is the property of a given material that determines how much current will flow when a given voltage is applied across it. Materials can be classified into three categories depending on their electrical resistance properties: conductor; insulator; or semi-conductor. Current will flow through the materials or path with least resistance.

Question 14: Describe what is meant by the term conductor and provide an example: Answer: Conductors have atoms that will easily give up electrons and will produce current flow even with a small EMF. Copper, iron and aluminium are good conductors.

Question 15: Describe what is meant by the term insulator and provide an example: Answer: Insulators have atoms that hold on tightly to their electrons. It takes a large EMF to force any electron movement in insulators, thus the current flow is small. Diamonds and glass are good insulators.

Question 16: Describe what is meant by the term semi-conductor and provide an example: Answer: Semiconductors are elements with unique atomic structures. By combining semiconductors with other materials, the number of electrons available to create current flows can be modified. Silicon and germanium are semiconductors. Transistors are made from semiconductors.

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Lesson 1: Basic Electrical Theory Assessment

Question 1: How many electrons would be needed to balance the electrical charge of the nucleus? Answer: 8 (oxygen atom)

Question 2: A battery is connected to each of the following materials. Which branch will the current flow through? Answer: Copper Wire

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Lesson 1: Basic Electrical Theory

Question 3: Please draw a line to match the statements with the correct word.

The first one has been completed for you as an example. Answer:

Question 4: Materials that easily give up their electrons are called: Answer: Conductors

Question 5: What is used instead of the term EMF? Answer: The terms Potential Difference of voltage

Well done! You have now completed Lesson 1: Basic Electrical Theory. Please record your score in the box.

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