ELECTRON DRIFT VELOCITY

When a current passes though a material the electrons flow as they move toward the positive electrode as the current moves in the opposite direction. Though they move at an average velocity since they cant go far without colliding with an atom, therefore the electron drift velocity is the mean velocity that the atoms traveling the direction of the electron flow. Since the velocity is dependant on the current that is accelerating the electrons and the possibility of the electron colliding with an atom the velocity could be given by the equation: v = (I)/(n x A x e) Where I is current and n is the number of electrons per unit area e is the charge of an electron and A is the cross sectional are The equation can then be rearranged to get: I=nxAxvxe

Why does the conventional current move in the opposite direction to the electron flow?

RESISTIVITY
Resistivity is the property of a material and so cannot be used for a whole circuit

Can be described as a ratio of the resistance, length and cross sectional area as:
Resistance (Length/Cross sectional area) so therefore Resistance = (Length x Resistivity) / Cross sectional area Resistivity is measured at a single temperature since Resistance Temperature

What is the unit for resistivity?

And what is conductivity?

POWER
The power of a circuit can be worked out by using the equation: Power = Voltage x Current Voltage = (Energy / Charge) Then using (Voltage = Current x Resistance ) you can get two other equations to describe power using resistance These equations can be used to help find the amount of energy lost in a component since you may not know the voltage across that part of the circuit which is derived from:

What is the unit for P?

And what is the unit for W?

CIRCUIT ANALYSIS
When given a difficult circuit with multiple e.m.fs just follow this process:

I3
I2 I1 I1

1. Mark out the direction and label any currents produced

2. Then use these to define the loops within the circuit e.g. At R2 all the currents are moving in the same direction and therefore all add together to give the current

Work out the combined current at R2

POTENTIAL DIVIDER
Potential dividers are used to create a stable voltage by using the ratio of the resistances from a set voltage in. The equation to give the Voltage Out is therefore: Vout = (R1 / (R1 + R2)) x Vin The resistors could be replaced with variable resistors to give a variable power supply or heat and light sensitive resistors to make control circuits

If the Vout is 7V and R2 is 6 and Vin is17.5V

what is R1 ?