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Basic Electrical PDF
Basic Electrical PDF
Electrical
Basics
Basics
Chasi ng Spar k s
Chasi ng Spar k s
What is Electricity?
Everything that
has substance
and takes up
space, whether it
is solid, liquid, or
gaseous, is
made up of very
small particles
called atoms.
What is Electricity?
Scientists believe all
atoms have negatively
charged particles known
as electrons, which
revolve around a central
core, or nucleus. This
nucleus is believed to
be positively charged,
and to contain other
particles known as
protons and neutrons.
What is Electricity?
Electrons in the inner
orbit or orbits are
known as bound
electrons.
Those in the outer
orbit are called free
electrons, and can
be easily forced out of
their orbits, flowing
from one atom to
another.
Current Flow
Current Flow
The electron theory
states that current
flow is the organized,
forced movement of
free electrons in a
specific direction.
Continuous current
flow in only one
direction is known as
DC or Direct
Current.
Current Flow
Current Flow
Flow that alternates
back and forth is called
Alternating Current.
A good conductor is a
material that has many
free electrons, such as
copper. Lead and gold
have large numbers of
free electrons.
Current Flow
Current Flow
Good conductors
readily transmit
electricity.
The force that causes
electrons to move
from one atom to
another is called
electromotive force
(EMF).
Current Flow
Current Flow
Electromotive force
is caused by a
difference in
electrical potential
and is measured in
volts, also referred
to as voltage.
Current Flow
Current Flow
When electrons begin to flow, the effect is felt
instantly all along the surface of the
conductor, very much as force can be felt all
the way through a row of billiard balls.
Current Flow
Current Flow
Some older cars and
heavy equipment had
their positive battery
terminal connected
to the chassis or
frame and the
negative side of the
circuit was switched.
Practically no
production vehicle
uses this
configuration today.
Current Flow
Current Flow
Todays vehicles
have their negative
terminal battery
terminal connected
to the chassis or
frame, also known
as ground.
The positive feed
The positive feed
wires to vehicle
wires to vehicle
components all
components all
originate at the
originate at the
positive battery
positive battery
terminal
terminal
Current Flow
Current Flow
When a switch is
closed, current
flows from the
battery negative
post to chassis
ground, through the
load and switch,
and to the positive
terminal.
Current Flow
Current Flow
Even though the
ground has the
excess of electrons,
the positive post is
the one that is
generally regarded
as hot.
Current Flow
Current Flow
Electron theory
Electron theory
supposes current
flow to be from
negative to positive,
while Conventional
Theory supposes
the current flows from
positive to negative.
Current Flow
Current Flow
Thus, the current in
automotive circuits is
usually traced from
the source (battery)
to the load (bulb,
motor, etc.) and then
to ground.
Sources of Electricity
Sources of Electricity
A battery is a
chemical source of
electricity. It
contains a number
of positive plates
and an equal
number of
negative plates.
Sources of Electricity
Sources of Electricity
The positive
The positive
and negative
and negative
plates are
plates are
immersed in an
immersed in an
electrolyte
electrolyte
solution
solution
composed of
composed of
water and
water and
sulphuric
sulphuric
acid.
acid.
Sources of Electricity
Sources of Electricity
When the battery is
When the battery is
charged, a
charged, a
chemical reaction
chemical reaction
of the acid on the
of the acid on the
plates results in an
plates results in an
excess of electrons
excess of electrons
collecting on the
collecting on the
negative plates.
negative plates.
Sources of Electricity
Sources of Electricity
If a conductor is
If a conductor is
connected
connected
between the
between the
plates, current
plates, current
(electrons) will flow
(electrons) will flow
through the
through the
conductor from
conductor from
one plate to the
one plate to the
other.
other.
Electromagnetic
Electromagnetic
Induction
Induction
When a
When a
conductor
conductor
connected to a
connected to a
closed circuit is
closed circuit is
passed through a
passed through a
magnetic field,
magnetic field,
current is
current is
produced in the
produced in the
conductor.
conductor.
Electromagnetic
Electromagnetic
Induction
Induction
Alternators, generators, and
Alternators, generators, and
various inductive sensors
various inductive sensors
use this principle to do their
use this principle to do their
work.
work.
Static Electricity
Static Electricity
Electrons can
Electrons can
move from one
move from one
body of matter to
body of matter to
another by
another by
friction. Scuffing
friction. Scuffing
your shoes on
your shoes on
carpet on a cold,
carpet on a cold,
dry day can
dry day can
cause a nice zap!
cause a nice zap!
Lightning
Lightning
is
is
another form
another form
of
of
static
static
electricity
electricity
discharging
discharging
from the
from the
atmosphere
atmosphere
to the earth.
to the earth.
Electrical Circuits
Electrical Circuits
Electrical Circuits
Electrical Circuits
An electrical circuit is a complete path
for current flow basically defined as
being froma power source to a load
component that has resistance and uses
electricity to do its work, and finally a
ground path back to the negative
terminal of the power source.
Circuit Components
Circuit Components
One component
necessary for all
circuits is a power
source.
In an automobile, the power source is the
battery when the engine is switched off and the
alternator when the engine is running..
Circuit Components
Circuit Components
Conductors are
wires and cables,
usually protected
from each other
and ground by
insulation, and
they carry the
current in an
electrical circuit.
Circuit Components
Circuit Components
Note: In an automotive
circuit, the vehicle
chassis and the engine
block are actually
conductors in the
circuit.
Circuit Components
Circuit Components
Controls (switches) are
necessary to turn the circuit
on and off.
Circuit Components
Circuit Components
The Load is a device
that uses up
electricity and turns it
into work.
Light bulbs and motors are
among the examples of
loads in an automotive
circuit
Circuit Components
Circuit Components
The Circuit
Protector is a
device that protects
the conductors and
components in a
circuit in case of an
overload.
Current Will Flow
Current Will Flow
IF...
IF...
The switch is closed
The circuit protector is
not open
Charge is available
Ohms Law
Ohms Law
Ohms Law is the basic rule for the
relationships between voltage, current, and
resistance.
1. CURRENT FLOW IS DIRECTLY
PROPORTIONAL TO VOLTAGE
2. CURRENT FLOW IS INVERSELY
PROPORTIONAL TO RESISTANCE
Ohms Law
Ohms Law
1. CURRENT FLOW IS DIRECTLY
PROPORTIONAL TO VOLTAGE:
Simply put, this means that an increase in
VOLTAGE will cause an INCREASE in current
flow. This is true because voltage is, in effect,
electrical pressure. The higher the voltage,
the higher the pressure, thus the higher the
current flow. Remember:
1 volt pushes 1 amp through 1 ohm.
Ohms Law
Ohms Law
2. CURRENT FLOW IS INVERSELY
PROPORTIONAL TO RESISTANCE
This statement means that
an increase in
RESISTANCE will cause a
DECREASE in current flow.
Ohms Law
Ohms Law
High current
flow
Added
resistance
Lower Current
flow
Ohms Law
Ohms Law
Vol t age
Vol t age
equal s
equal s
Cur r ent
Cur r ent
t i mes
t i mes
Resi st anc e
E is used to
denote volts.
R denotes
resistance.
I denotes
current.
Resi st anc e
Ohms Law
Ohms Law
1 volt pushes 1 amp
through 1 ohm, right?
Okay, how many amps will
12 volts push through 6
ohms?
Resistance 2 ohms
Draw 5 Amps
Resistance 2 ohms
Draw 6 Amps
10
volts
12
volts
Vol t age i s
Vol t age i s
l i k e
l i k e
Pr essur e
Pr essur e
Vol t age i s l i k e Pr essur e
Vol t age i s l i k e Pr essur e
NOTE:
Increasing
voltage in
a given
circuit
always
increases
current
draw.
Vol t age i s l i k e Pr essur e
Vol t age i s l i k e Pr essur e
Voltage is also
Voltage is also
expressed as a
expressed as a
difference in
difference in
potential when it
potential when it
refers to
refers to
electromotive
electromotive
force caused by a
force caused by a
difference in
difference in
electrical charges
electrical charges
between two
between two
points in a circuit.
points in a circuit.
Cur r ent
Cur r ent
Current is
Current is
the flow of
the flow of
electrons
electrons
between two
between two
points in a
points in a
closed
closed
circuit that
circuit that
have a
have a
difference in
difference in
potential.
potential.
Cur r ent
Cur r ent
The unit of
The unit of
measurement
measurement
to determine
to determine
current flow is
current flow is
the
the
ampere
ampere
(abbreviated
(abbreviated
amp ).
amp ).
Cur r ent
Cur r ent
One ampere is
One ampere is
defined as the
defined as the
movement of
movement of
one
one
coulomb
coulomb
of electrons
of electrons
past a given
past a given
point in one
point in one
second. A
second. A
coulomb is
coulomb is
one billion
one billion
billion
billion
electrons.
electrons.
Cur r ent
Cur r ent
Current is
Current is
thus a
thus a
measure of
measure of
the rate of
the rate of
electrical flow.
electrical flow.
It can also be
It can also be
known as
known as
amperage
amperage
or
or
draw
draw
,
,
and is
and is
measured with
measured with
an
an
ammeter
ammeter
.
.
Cur r ent
Cur r ent
When two
When two
loads are
loads are
connected
connected
parallel, as in
parallel, as in
the illustration
the illustration
on the left,
on the left,
each draws
each draws
current
current
independently
independently
of the other.
of the other.
Cur r ent
Cur r ent
In the picture,
In the picture,
bulb A draws
bulb A draws
2 amps, while
2 amps, while
bulb B draws
bulb B draws
1 amp. The
1 amp. The
total current
total current
flow in the
flow in the
circuit is 3
circuit is 3
amps.
amps.
Cur r ent
Cur r ent
In the picture,
In the picture,
bulb A draws
bulb A draws
2 amps, while
2 amps, while
bulb B draws
bulb B draws
1 amp. The
1 amp. The
total current
total current
flow in the
flow in the
circuit is 3
circuit is 3
amps.
amps.
Cur r ent
Cur r ent
Important:
Important:
The total
The total
current draw
current draw
in a parallel
in a parallel
circuit equals
circuit equals
the sum of the
the sum of the
individual
individual
current draws.
current draws.
Cur r ent
Cur r ent
If the same two
If the same two
bulbs are
bulbs are
connected in
connected in
series instead of
series instead of
parallel, their
parallel, their
combined
combined
resistance will
resistance will
be
be
18 ohms
18 ohms
.
.
Cur r ent
Cur r ent
0.67 amps X 18 ohms = 12 v
12 v/ 18 ohms = 0.67 amps
Resi st anc e
Resi st anc e
Resi st anc e
Resi st anc e
Resistance is an opposition to
current flow offered by a load or a
resistor.
Resi st anc e
Resi st anc e
Even conductors have some
Even conductors have some
resistance; for example, a
resistance; for example, a
piece of 22 gauge copper wire
piece of 22 gauge copper wire
60 feet long has one ohm of
60 feet long has one ohm of
resistance. Larger diameter
resistance. Larger diameter
wires have less resistance.
wires have less resistance.
Resi st anc e
Resi st anc e
Heat
Heat
generally causes
generally causes
resistance to increase in a
resistance to increase in a
conductor or connection.
conductor or connection.
Resi st anc e
Resi st anc e
An interesting and somewhat volatile
An interesting and somewhat volatile
relationship exists between heat and
relationship exists between heat and
resistance in electrical wiring
resistance in electrical wiring
Resi st anc e
Resi st anc e
Since every connection has some
Since every connection has some
resistance, that resistance produces
resistance, that resistance produces
heat
heat
Resi st anc e
Resi st anc e