THE RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN ELECTRIC
CURRENT AND POTENTIAL
DIFFERENCE
Potential difference, V

• A gravitational analogy can be

used to explain electric
potential difference.
• The movements that require
work done by an external force
would turn the this work into
potential energy.
• For example, the potential
energy of water at top of a
waterfall is greater than at the
bottom.
Potential difference

• The potential difference, V,

between two points in a circuit
is defined as the amount of
work done, W, when one
coulomb of charge passes from
one point to the other point.

• The SI unit for potential

difference is Volt, V
Example:

If a charge of 5.0 C flows through a

wire and the amount of electrical
energy converted into heat is 2.5 J,
calculate the potential difference
across the ends of the wire.
Solution:
Charge, Q = 5.0 C Energy, E = 2.5 J
Potential difference, V = E/Q
V = 2.5J/5.0 V
V = 0.5 V
 Current and potential difference
• Example of electric
circuit.
• In the electric
circuit, the greater
the potential
difference or
voltage, the greater
the current flow
• In other words,
when the potential
difference between
two points in circuit
increases, the
current flowing
through it increases
and vice versa
 Ohm’s Law

• The potential difference across a

conductor is directly proportional to
the current flowing through it when
the temperature of the conductor is
kept constant
VαI
or V/I = R
• This relationship is known as Ohm’s
Law
• The constant R is the resistance of
the conductor.
 Ohm’s Law

Ohm’s law states that the current

that passes through an ohmic
conductor is directly proportional to
the potential difference applied
across it if the temperature and
other physical conditions are
constant
An ohmic conductor is one which obey Ohm’s
Law, while conductor which does not obey
Ohm’s law is known as a non-ohmic conductor
 Resistance, R

• What is the resistance?

 Resistance is a term that describes
the opposition experienced by the
electrons as they flow in a conductor.
 Measured in the SI unit called ohm, Ω.
 The resistance, of an ohmic conductor
is the ratio of the potential difference,
V to the current, I
Example:

• A potential difference of 3.0 V applied across a

resistor of resistance R drives current of 2.0 A
through it. Calculate R
• Solution:
V = 3.0 V , I = 2.0 A
R = V/I
R = 3.0/2.0
R = 1.5Ω
 Resistance, R

• Resistance can be good or bad

Good Bad
•Resistance allow us to •Resistance
use electricity for heat causes some of
and light. the electrical
energy to turn
•The heating coil of an
into heat, so
electrics kettle produces
some electrical
heat because it has
energy is lost
resistance
along the way
•In the light bulb, the
current flowing through
a resistance filament
Factors that affect the
resistance
• Length
• Cross-sectional area
• Types of material
• Temperature of a conductor
 Superconductors

• The resistance in many electrical

machines such as electric motors,
generators and transformers is
large, producing vast amounts of
heat during its operation
• The resistance of conductors will
decrease when the temperature of
the metal drops.
• There are some metals and
compounds whose resistances fall to
zero below a certain critical
temperature, Tc.
• When their resistance become zero,
these materials are called
• The graph shows the abrupt
disappearance of resistance at
critical temperature, Tc.
• Many more superconductors have
been found but all these materials
still require cooling by expensive
cooling agents such as liquid helium
Application of superconductors

• Superconductors are very useful

because they can make electric cars
more feasible and computers much
faster.
• Superconducting magnets which
would make things like magnetic
levitation (MAGLEV) trains and
medical imaging machines such as
the magnetic imaging machines such
as the magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) scanner more economical
 Question
1. The work done to move 4 C of charge from a point to
another point in an electrical field is 100 J. What is the
potential difference between the two points?
2. Diagram shows an incomplete circuit used to investigate
how the resistance of a bulb varies with the current.
 Question

a) What is meant by resistance

b) Add a voltmeter and ammeter to the circuit in
diagram to measure the potential difference
across the bulb and the current flowing through
it
c) How do you measure the resistance of the bulb
d) If the potential difference across the bulb is 2.5
V and the current flowing through it is 0.25A,
what is the resistance of the bulb?
e) The resistance of the bulb is 50Ω when its
filament is cold. Sketch a graph of resistance
against the current flowing through the bulb.