Chapter17

CurrentandResistance

Units of Chapter 21
Electric Current
Resistance and Ohms Law
Energy and Power in Electric Circuits
Resistors in Series and Parallel
Kirchhoff
Kirchhoffs
s Rules
Circuits Containing Capacitors
RC Circuits
Ammeters and Voltmeters
2

LESSON OUTCOME
The student should be able:

1. To identify the definition of electric current and the

electric current flow
flow.
2. To verify Ohms Law.
3. To define the electrical power.
4. To solve p
problems regarding
g
g series and parallel
p
circuits.

6. State and use Kirchhoffs Laws.

7. Define and use capacitance formulae, and determine capacitance
off parallel
ll l plate
l t capacitor.
it
8. state the characteristics Ammeter and voltmeter.

Current
Practical
Practicalapplicationswerebasedonstatic
applications were based on static
electricity.
Asteadysourceofelectriccurrentallowed
A steady source of electric current allowed
scientiststolearnhowtocontroltheflowof
electric charges in circuits
electricchargesincircuits.

Introduction

Electric Current
ElectricCurrent
The
Thecurrentistherateatwhichthechargeflows
current is the rate at which the charge flows
throughasurface.
Lookatthechargesflowingperpendicularlythrougha
surfaceofareaA.

TheSIunitofcurrentisAmpere(A)
1A=1C/s
1 A 1 C/

Section17.1

Instantaneous Current
InstantaneousCurrent
The
Theinstantaneouscurrentisthelimitoftheaverage
instantaneous current is the limit of the average
currentasthetimeintervalgoestozero:

If
Ifthereisasteadycurrent,theaverageand
there is a steady current, the average and
instantaneouscurrentswillbethesame.
SIunit:A

Section17.1

Electric Current, Cont.

ElectricCurrent,Cont.

Thedirectionofthecurrentisthe
direction positive charge would
directionpositivechargewould
flow.
Thisisknownasconventional
currentdirection.
Inacommonconductor,suchas
copper,thecurrentisduetothe
motionofthenegatively
chargedelectrons.

Itiscommontorefertoamoving
chargeasamobilechargecarrier.
Achargecarriercanbepositive
or negative
ornegative.

Section17.1

Power
In
Inaconductorcarryingacurrent,theelectric
a conductor carrying a current, the electric
potentialofthechargesiscontinually
decreasing.
Positivechargesmovefromregionsofhigh
potentialtoregionsoflowpotential.
Ucharges =qVisnegative
Oftenonlythemagnitudeisdesired
y
g

Thepowerdeliveredtothecircuitelementis
gy
y
p
theenergydividedbytheelapsedtime.
Section17.1

Current and Drift Speed

CurrentandDriftSpeed
Chargedparticlesmove
g p
throughaconductorof
crosssectionalareaA.
nisthenumberofcharge
i th
b
f h
carriersperunitvolume.
nAxisthetotalnumber
ofchargecarriers.

Section17.2

Current and Drift Speed, Cont.

CurrentandDriftSpeed,Cont.
The
Thetotalchargeisthenumberofcarrierstimesthe
total charge is the number of carriers times the
chargepercarrier,q
Q=(nAx)q

Thedriftspeed,vd,isthespeedatwhichthecarriers
move.
vd =x/t

Rewritten:Q=(nAvd t)q
Finally,current,I=Q/t=nqvdA

Section17.2

Current and Drift Speed, Final

CurrentandDriftSpeed,Final
If
Iftheconductorisisolated,theelectrons
the conductor is isolated the electrons
undergorandommotion.
Whenanelectricfieldissetupinthe
When an electric field is set up in the
conductor,itcreatesanelectricforceonthe
electrons and hence a current
electronsandhenceacurrent.

Section17.2

Charge Carrier Motion in a Conductor

ChargeCarrierMotioninaConductor
Thezigzagblackline
representsthemotionofa
chargecarrierina
conductor.
Thenetdriftspeedissmall.

Thesharpchangesin
direction are due to
directionaredueto
collisions.
Thenetmotionofelectrons
is opposite the direction of
isoppositethedirectionof
theelectricfield.

Section17.2

Electrons in a Circuit
ElectronsinaCircuit
Assumeyoucloseaswitchtoturnonalight.
y
g
Theelectronsdonottravelfromtheswitchtothe
bulb.
Theelectronsalreadyinthebulbmoveinresponse
totheelectricfieldsetupinthecompletedcircuit.
Abatteryinacircuitsuppliesenergy(notcharges)to
A b tt
i
i it
li
( t h
)t
thecircuit.

Electrons in a Circuit, Cont.

ElectronsinaCircuit,Cont.
The
Thedriftspeedismuchsmallerthantheaverage
drift speed is much smaller than the average
speedbetweencollisions.
Whenacircuitiscompleted,theelectricfieldtravels
p
,
withaspeedclosetothespeedoflight.
4 m/s,
g
p
Althoughthedriftspeedisontheorderof10
theeffectoftheelectricfieldisfeltontheorderof
108 m/s.

Section17.2

Georg Simon Ohm

GeorgSimonOhm
1787
1787 1854
Formulatedtheconcept
ofresistance
Discoveredthe
p p
proportionality
y
betweencurrentand
voltages

Section17.4

Resistance
In
Inaconductor,thevoltageappliedacrossthe
a conductor the voltage applied across the
endsoftheconductorisproportionaltothe
current through the conductor
currentthroughtheconductor.
Theconstantofproportionalityisthe
resistance oftheconductor.
of the conductor

Section17.4

Resistance, Cont.
Resistance,Cont.
Unitsofresistanceareohms
Units of resistance are ohms ()
1=1V/A

Resistance
Resistanceinacircuitarisesduetocollisions
in a circuit arises due to collisions
betweentheelectronscarryingthecurrent
with the fixed atoms inside the conductor
withthefixedatomsinsidetheconductor.

Section17.4

OhmssLaw
Ohm
Law
Experimentsshowthatformanymaterials,including
p
y
,
g
mostmetals,theresistanceremainsconstantovera
widerangeofappliedvoltagesorcurrents.
ThisstatementhasbecomeknownasOhmsLaw.
V=IR

Ohms
Ohm sLawisanempiricalrelationshipthatisvalid
Law is an empirical relationship that is valid
onlyforcertainmaterials.
MaterialsthatobeyOhmsLawaresaidtobeohmic.
y

Section17.4

OhmssLaw,Cont.
Ohm
Law Cont
Anohmicdevice
Theresistanceisconstant
overawiderangeof
voltages.
lt
Therelationshipbetween
currentandvoltageislinear.
g
Theslopeisrelatedtothe
resistance.

Section17.4

OhmssLaw,Final
Ohm
Law Final
Nonohmicmaterialsare
thosewhoseresistance
changeswithvoltageor
current.
current
Thecurrentvoltage
relationshipisnonlinear.
Adiodeisacommon
exampleofanonohmic
device.
device

Section17.4

Resistivity
The
Theresistanceofanohmicconductorisproportional
resistance of an ohmic conductor is proportional
toitslength,L,andinverselyproportionaltoits
crosssectionalarea,A.

istheconstantofproportionalityandiscalledthe
resistivity ofthematerial.
Seetable17.1
See table 17 1

Section17.4

Electrical Energy in a Circuit

ElectricalEnergyinaCircuit
Inacircuit,asachargemovesthroughthebattery,
,
g
g
y,
theelectricalpotentialenergyofthesystemis
increasedbyQV.
Th
Thechemicalpotentialenergyofthebatterydecreasesby
h i l
i l
f h b
d
b
thesameamount.

Asthechargemovesthrougharesistor,itlosesthis
g
g
,
potentialenergyduringcollisionswithatomsinthe
resistor.
Thetemperatureoftheresistorwillincrease.
h
f h
i
ill i

Section17.6

Energy Transfer in the Circuit

EnergyTransferintheCircuit
Consider
Considerthecircuit
the circuit
shown.
Imagineaquantityof
g
q
y
positivecharge,Q,
movingaroundthe
circuitfrompointA
backtopointA.

Section17.6

Energy Transfer in the Circuit, Cont.

EnergyTransferintheCircuit,Cont.
PointAisthereferencepoint.
Point A is the reference point.
Itisgroundedanditspotentialistakentobezero.

As
Asthechargemovesthroughthebatteryfrom
the charge moves through the battery from
AtoB,thepotentialenergyofthesystem
increasesbyQV.
y
Thechemicalenergyofthebatterydecreasesby
thesameamount.

Section17.6

Energy Transfer in the Circuit, Final

EnergyTransferintheCircuit,Final
Asthechargemovesthroughtheresistor,fromCto
g
g
,
D,itlosesenergyincollisionswiththeatomsofthe
resistor.
Theenergyistransferredtointernalenergy.
h
f
d
l
WhenthechargereturnstoA,thenetresultisthat
some chemical energy of the battery has been
somechemicalenergyofthebatteryhasbeen
deliveredtotheresistorandcauseditstemperature
torise.

Section17.6

Electrical Energy and Power, Cont.

ElectricalEnergyandPower,Cont.
The
Therateatwhichtheenergyislostisthe
rate at which the energy is lost is the
power.

FromOhmsLaw,alternateformsofpower
are

Section17.6

Electrical Energy and Power, Final

ElectricalEnergyandPower,Final
TheSIunitofpowerisWatt(W).
The SI unit of power is Watt (W).
ImustbeinAmperes,RinohmsandVinVolts

The
Theunitofenergyusedbyelectriccompanies
unit of energy used by electric companies
isthekilowatthour.
Thisisdefinedintermsoftheunitofpowerand
p
theamountoftimeitissupplied.
1kWh=3.60x106 J

Section17.6