Current&Resistance

PHY232Spring2008
JonPumplin
http://www.pa.msu.edu/~pumplin/PHY232
(PptcourtesyofRemcoZegers)

Electriccurrent
SofarwehavestudiedStaticElectricity.Nowconsiderthe
situationwherechargecanmoveandhenceproducean
electriccurrent.
+
+
+
+
A
Current=amountofchargeQthatflowsthroughanareaA
dividedbythetimeintervalt:

PHY232Current&Resistance

ElectriccurrentII
Amatterofconvention:Thedirectionofcurrentisthe
directioninwhichpositivechargesflow,eventhoughthe
flowisoftenofelectrons(negative)
HighV
HighV

LowV

LowV

Remember:positivechargemovesfromhigh
potentialtolowpotential
PHY232Current&Resistance

electriccurrentIII:whatreallyhappens
Whenelectronsmovethroughawiretheyundergomanycollisions
andatypicalpathlookslike:

HighV

LowV

Becauseofthecollisions,thevelocityisonaverageconstant
Thedriftvelocityoftheelectronsisactuallyveryslow(lessthan1
meterperhour).Sowhycanwehavehighcurrents?

demo:modelofresistance
Becausetherearesomanyelectrons!!!
PHY232Current&Resistance

electriccurrentIV

letsassumetheaverageelectronspeedisv

consideroneelectronatpointx
aftertimetitwillhavemoved.
adistanceD=vt
infactalltheelectronsoverthedistanceDwill
havemoved
thevolumeofthecylinderV=AD=Avt
ifn:numberofelectronsperunitvolume,the
numberofelectronsmovedis:nV=nAvt
thechargeQthathasbeenmoved:nAvtq
currentI=Q/t=nAvq
PHY232Current&Resistance

question
Acurrentof1AisrunningthroughaCopperwirewithcrosssection
1mm2.EachCopperatomproduces1freeelectron.
c) Howmanyfreechargecarriersperunitvolumearethere?(Given
thatthemolarmassofCuis63.5gandthedensityofcopperis
8.92g/cm2).b)Whatisthedriftvelocity?

a)Thevolumetakenby1molofCuatoms

thenumberofelectronsisalso1molinthisvolume
(=NA=6.02x1023)so:

PHY232Current&Resistance

question
b)Useso
with:n=8.46x1028m3,A=1mm2=1x106m2
q=1.6x1019CandI=1A=1C/s
sov=2.46x105m/s
I.e.thisis0.089minonehour.

PHY232Current&Resistance

waitasecond
Wasntchargesupposedtobecollectedonthesurfaceof
aconductor?
ThatonlyhappenswhentheconductorhasaNetCharge
(moreelectronsthanprotonsorfewerelectronsthan
protons).
Theconductingwireswearetalkingaboutareneutral.

PHY232Current&Resistance

batteries
Abatterycanproduceapotentialdifference
betweentheanode(negative)and
cathode(positive).Whenconnected
(I.e.usingawireorviaadevice)current
canflow.
Thechargeiscreatedthroughchemical
reactions.Oncethechemicalfuelis
used,thebatteryisempty
commonlyusedarezinccarbonbatteries.

PHY232Current&Resistance

Asimplecircuit
Abasicelectriccircuitconsistsofa
powersource(e.g.abattery)in
whichthe+andsideare
connectedviaawireandsome
device.
Aslongasthecircuitisopen,no
currentwillflowandhencethe
devicenotwork.

ON

OFF
PowersourcescanbeDC(DirectCurrent)orAC(Alternating
Current).WewilldealwithDCcircuitsfirst.

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question
Whichofthefollowinglightswillnotshineafterthe
switchesareclosed?
1

a)
b)
c)
d)

2
2,3
2,3,4
1,2,3,4

3
4

lights2and3willnotshinesincethereis
nopotentialdifferenceoverthecontacts

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howtomeasurecurrent?
A

ThecurrentanywherebetweenAandB
mustbeconstant,elseelectronswould
accumulateatacertainpointintheline
Adevicetomeasurecurrentinthelight
shouldthereforebeplacedinline(in
series)withthelight.Eitherside!!

ThedeviceiscalledanAmperemeter
(ammeter)

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howtomeasurevoltage?
A

Tomeasurethevoltagetothelight,
realizethatweneedtomeasurethe
potentialdifferencebetweenAandB
Adevicetomeasurevoltagetothelight
shouldthereforebeplacedinparallel
withthelight
ThedeviceiscalledaVoltmeter

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ResistanceI
HighV

LowV

Whenelectronsmovethroughamaterial,theyundergo
manycollisionswhichhindersthemotion(likefriction).
Withoutsuchcollisions,theelectronswouldaccelerate
(sincethereisaforceactingonthem)
Theresistiveforcecounterbalancestheelectricforceso
thedriftvelocityisconstant
Whentheresistiveforceishigh,thecurrentwillgodownif
thevoltagedifferencethatdrivesthemotionremainsthe
same.
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ResistanceII
high
pressure

flow

low
pressure

Comparewithwaterflowthroughapipe.Ifthepipe
becomesnarrow,flowisreduced.Ifthelengthoverwhich
thepipeisnarrowbecomeslonger,flowisfurtherreduced.
soresistanceR:
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ResistanceIII
high
pressure

flow

low
pressure

+ V

voltageistheequivalentofpressureandcurrentthe
equivalentofflow
Ifpressure(voltage)differenceincreases,theflow(current)
willincrease
Iftheresistanceincreases,theflowcurrentwillgodownif
thepressuredifferenceremainsthesame
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Ohmslawandresistivity
Ohmslaw

Foraspecificmaterial,theresistanceRcanbecalculated
using:

whereR:resistance(inV/A=(Ohm)),theresistivity
(materialdependentinm),lthelengthoftheobjectandA
thecrosssectionoftheobject
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Ohmslaw
OhmslawimpliesthatIisproportionaltoV,whichistrue
formanymaterialsbutnotforall:

Ohmicresistance

Nonohmicresistance

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question
Avoltageof100Visputoverathickwireofunknown
material.Thecurrentismeasuredis4.5x103A.Thecross
sectionofthewireis1cm2andthelengthis10m.What
materialisthecablemadeof? Material
Resistivity
R=V/I=0.022=l/A
so:=0.022A/l
A=1cm2=0.0001m2
l=10m
=2.2x107Ohm.m
Lead

PHY232Current&Resistance

(Ohm.m)

Silver

1.59x108

Gold

2.44x108

Lead

22x108

Silicon

640

Quartz

75x1016

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aresistorbank..
isanadjustableresistor
adjustlengthofwire

longwire

V
demo
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question
Apersonmeasurestheresistanceovera10mlongcable
throughameasurementofVandI.HefindsatV=10Vthat
I=1A.Asecondcablemadeofthesamematerialand
lengthbutwitharadiusthatis2timeslargerthanthe
originalcableisthenstudied.AtavoltageV=10V,what
currentismeasured?
a)
b)
c)
d)

1A
2A
4A
8A

Ifradiusx2thenAx4andRx0.25
I=V/RsoIx4andthus4A

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superconductors
Forsomematerialtheresistivity
dropstonearzerobelowacertain
temperature(thecriticaltemperature)
Forsuchamaterial,currentwould
continuetoflowevenifthepotential
iszero!
Element
Mercury
Tin
Lead
Niobium
Aluminum
Cuprate
Perovskite
PHY232Current&Resistance

Tc(K)
4.15
3.69
7.26
9.2
1.14
138
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resistorsinacircuit
resistorsarecommonlyusedincircuits
theirresistanceisusuallymuchhigherthantheresistance
oftheconnectingwiresandthewiresareusuallyignored.
devices/lightsetcarealsoresistors
Thesymbolusedforaresistoris

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question
aresistorof10Ohmisputinacircuit.10Visputoverthe
resistor.Theresistorisreplacedbyoneof100Ohm.By
whatfactordoesthecurrentthroughtheresistorchange?
a)0.1
b)1(unchanged)
c)10

IfRx10,thenI/10soa)0.1

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thelightbulb

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electricalenergyandpower
considerthecircuit.Thepotential
energylostbyachargeQfalling
throughapotentialdifferenceVis
Theenergylostpertimeunit(the
powerdissipatedis:

P:Watts(J/s)
Fortheenergyconsumed(E=Pxt)oftenkWh(kilowatthour)isused
1kWh:energyconsumedin1houratarateof1000W
1kWh=1000Wx3600s=3.6x10 6J
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question
Avoltageof10VisputoverawirewithcrosssectionA
andlengthl.Thewireisthenreplacedwithoneofthe
samematerialthathascrosssection2Aandlength4l.At
thesametimethevoltageisincreasedbyafactorof2.By
whatfactordoesthedissipatedpowerchange?
a)thesame
b)doubles(factorof2)
c)quadruples(factorof4)
d)halves(factorof0.5)
Ax2andlx4soRx2.
Vx2(notethatI=V/R=constant)
P=V2/RsoPx2
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question
A400Wcomputerisusedfor8hoursperday.The
electricitycosts10centsperkWh.Howmuchdoesitcost
torunthecomputerfor1year(8houreachday)?

400W=0.4kW
perday:0.4kWx8hrs=3.2kWh
peryear3.2kWhx365=1168kWh
costperyear:$0.10x1168=$116.80

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