Chapter- 12

Current Electricity

How is current
produced?

When a high potential is

connected by a conductive
material to a low potential.
Flow of electrons is called electric
current.
I
Units: C/s = Amperes (Amps)

Low
Potential
Equal
Potential

High
Equal
Potential
Potential

q
t

Low
Potential

High
Potential
Electro
n Pump

When the potentials are equal, the

current stops flowing
To increase the potential of the
electrons an electron pump must
convert (do work) another form of
energy into electrical potential energy.

Electron pump examples:

Voltaic or galvanic cell (dry cell)

Several cells connected (Battery)
Photovoltaic cell (solar cell)
Generator

Two types of current

Direct Current (D.C.) Flow of
electrons in only one direction

Battery

Alternating Current (A.C.) Flow of

electrons at first in one direction and
then the other direction.

Generator
In your House
60 Hertz

What affects current

flow?
Potential Difference Voltage
Resistance - slowing or reduction
of the flow of current

Resistance depends on the

material, length of material, and
the cross sectional area of the
material through which the current
L is moving.

R is resistance,
L is length,

is resistivity,
A is the cross sectional area

Ohms Law

Ohms Law stated The ratio of

V/I is a constant, where V is the
voltage applied across a piece of
material (such as wire) and I is
the current through the material.
R is the resistance of the piece
of material.
Units: Ohms
() = Volt/amp
Voltage
Resistance
R
Current

Electric Power

When there is current (I) in a

circuit as a result of a voltage (V),
the electric power (P) delivered to
thePower
circuit
is: voltage
current
P I V

Units: watts = amp x volt = J/s

Electric Power

Many electrical devices become hot when

provided with sufficient electric power. Toasters,
irons, space heaters, heating elements in electric
stoves, and incandescent light bulbs. In such
cases it is possible to obtain two equivalent power
equations
2

PI R
2

V
R

When electric energy is transferred into thermal

energy in a resistor, the increase in thermal
energy is:
2

Q I Rt

units: Kilowatt hour or Joules

Current in electric
Circuits

An electric Circuit is
a closed loop.
Basic Circuits consist
of three things:
Electron pump
(Battery)
Device that reduces
potential.
(User)
Conducting
connections
(Wires)

Direct Current Circuits:

Circuit closed loop in

which current can flow
Basic simple circuit
Voltage source
Voltage uses
conducting connections
(wire)

Diagrams for electric

circuits
Describe in words
use
photographs/drawings
Use symbols
(schematics)

Schematic Symbols

Drawing Schematic
Circuits

Draw symbol for battery and indicate +

and - terminals
Draw wire from + to the voltage user and
draw its symbol.
If a point where there are two current paths,
draw connection symbol and follow one path
to the user. Return to the second path and
draw to its user and continue until paths join.
Follow path to the - terminal
Check work
Connect ammeter in series
Connect voltmeter in parallel

Objectives

Describe the configuration of a

working circuit
Interpret circuit diagrams
Describe the characteristics of series
connections
Determine equivalent resistance of
circuits having two or more resistors.
Explain the cause of short circuits
Homework:
Read Pages 531-541
Pg 534 #1-3, Pg 537 # 6-9

Series Circuits

Only one path for current to follow

User followed by another user (ie.
Resistor followed by a light)

Vequ V1 V2 V3 ...

Series Circuit Rules

Current is the same for each user

The effective resistance is the
sum of all resistors in the series

Requ R1 R2 R3 ...

The sum of the voltage drop is

equal to the total voltage drop

Vequ V1 V2 V3 ...

Parallel Circuits

Two or more paths for current

to follow

Parallel Circuit Rules

Total current in the circuit is the sum

of the current in all its paths
(branches)

The equivalent resistance decreases

with more parallel resistors

I tot I 1 I 2 I 3 ...

1
1
1
1

...
Requ
R1 R2
R3

Voltage is the same in each path.

Objectives

Describe the configuration of a working circuit

Distinguish between series and parallel circuits
Describe the characteristics of series
connections and of parallel connections.
Interpret circuit diagrams
Determine equivalent resistance of circuits
having two or more resistors.
Explain the cause and prevention of
overloading household circuits.
Homework:
Read Pages 531-541
Pg 534 #1-3, Pg 537 # 6-9

Part I

Basic electric circuit and its

diagram.
What causes the flow of electrons
in a circuit.
Drift velocity.
Voltaic cell.

Electric Circuit

Diagram of Electric
Circuit

Remember: Electric Potential

EnergyTwo Unlike Charges
Higher Potential
Energy

Lower Potential
Energy

To cause movement of a charge,

there must be a potential difference.

While the switch is

open:
Free
electrons (conducting electrons)

are always moving in random motion.

The random speeds are at an order of

106 m/s.
There is no net movement of charge
across a cross section of a wire.

What occurs in a wire when the

circuit switch is closed?

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/HBASE/electric/imgele/micohm.gif

What occurs in a wire

when the circuit switch
An electric field is established
is
closed?
instantaneously (at almost the speed of
light, 3x108 m/s).

Free electrons, while still randomly

moving, immediately begin drifting due
to the electric field, resulting in a net
flow of charge.

Average drift velocity is about

0.01cm/s.

Closing the switch establishes a

potential difference (voltage) and an
High
electric field in the circuit.
Low

Electrons
flow in a
net
direction
away
from the
(-)
terminal.

Potential

Potential

Question:

If the drift velocity is about

0.01cm/s, why do the lights turn
on instantaneously when the
circuit switch is closed?

Conventional Current

By tradition,
direction in
which
positive
charges
would flow.

Direction is
opposite of
electron
flow.

Question:
What is required in order to have
an electric current flow in a circuit?

Answer:
1. A voltage source.
2. The circuit must be closed.

Battery (Chemical
Cell):

A device that converts chemical

energy to electricity.
A battery provides a potential
energy difference (voltage
source).

Voltaic Cell

Alessandro Volta (1800s)

Battery

Cu and Zinc
Electrodes. Why?

Question: Why is the

bird on the wire safe?

Question:
Why do electricians work
with one hand behind
their back?

Question:
Why is the ground prong
longer than the other
two in a plug?

Example: Third rail of

subway

http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/subway-t
rack.gif

Part II

Electric Current
Ammeter
Resistance
Resistor

Electric
Current:

The flow of
electric
charges.

Electric
Current, I
I=q
t

Rate
Unit: Coulomb / sec = Ampere
Andre Ampere (1775-1836)

( A)

Conventional current has

the direction that the (+)
charges would have in
the circuit.

http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/36/236-004-D4AA985F.gif

 Direct

Current
DC

Provided by
batteries

Alternating

Current
AC

Provided by
power companies

Ammeter

Measures electric
current.

Must be placed in
series.

Example:

What charge flows through a

cross sectional area of a wire in
10min, if the ammeter measures
a current of 5mA?

Answer: 3C

Resistance

Resistance of an object to the flow

of electrical current.

R= V / I

Resistance equals the ratio of

voltage to current.
Unit: Ohm ()

Ohms Law (Georg Ohm,

1787-1854)
V = IR

The voltage , V, across a resistor

is proportional to the current, I,
that flows through it.
In general, resistance does not
depend on the voltage.

Ohmic Resistor

A device that obeys Ohms Law,

whos resistance does not depend
on the voltage.

Resistor

An object that
has a given
resistance.

A Battery Provides Energy

The battery
pumps positive
charges from
low (-) to
high (+)
potential.

Electric Circuit

Resistors use up Energy

A resistor uses
up energy.

When the
current goes
through the
resistor it goes
to a lower
potential.

Electric Circuit

Question:

Which point has

a lower
potential, A or B?

Electric Circuit

Example:

Calculate the current through

a 3 resistor when a voltage
of 12V is applied across it.

Answer: 4 A

Example:

A 6 resistor has a power source

of 20V across it. What will happen
to the resistance if the voltage
doubles?

Part III

Factors that affect resistance.

Potentiometer
Voltmeter

Resistance

Depends on type of material,

size and shape, temperature.
R= L
A

L: length of the wire

A: cross-sectional area
: resistivity (inherent to material)

Example:

What happens to the resistance

when the length is doubled and
the area is quadrupled?

Answer: It changes by 1/2

Temperature
Dependence of
For
Resistance
metals: as temperature increases
the resistance increases. At very low
temperatures resistance can become
zero: superconductivity.

For semiconductors: the opposite

occurs.

Potentiometer

A variable
resistance.

Used for dimmers,

fan speed controls,
etc.

Potentiometer Symbol

Voltmeter

Measures the voltage

between two points in an
electric circuit.

Must be connected in
parallel.

A voltmeter is
connected in parallel.

Ammeter

Measures electric
current.

Must be placed in
series.