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Electricity is fascinating to learn about and experiment with. Scientists have learned, and
still learn about it. Man has learned to control and use electricity, even though he still
does not completely understand their nature. Although, electricity acts mysteriously at
times, there is no reason to consider it to be supernatural.
Various laws and principles of electricity reflect the realities and philosophy of life also.
These will also be discussed along with the electrical properties.
Electricity in the wires and outlets usually found in homes and schools is too dangerous
for experiments, but, one or a few low volt batteries are safe to experiment with. In the
light of the above points, the content discussed later is intended to enable students to:
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Concept Map of Electricity
Introduction
It has been over 250 years since Ben Franklin discovered two kinds of electrical charges.
It’s been almost 200 years since Hans Oersted and Michael Faraday developed ideas of
electric fields, currents, and magnetism. At about the same time, British
electrician/engineer William Sturgeon invented the electromagnet. Because of these men
and other pioneers in the fields of magnetism and electricity, we enjoy watching
television, listening to our stereos, surfing the Internet on our computers, and heating
our food in microwave ovens. Let us understand various concepts of electricity, as
enlisted in the concept map (Figure 1) now.
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Understanding Electricity Using Systems Perspective
We all come across such incidents in life which motivate us to progress in life. Same
way, many times we face challenges, which temporarily act as obstacles in our path of
progress. But, these hindrances have a special role to play. In fact, a reflection on various
scientific principles, indicates that hindrances help in maintaining balance in many
situations. Everywhere around us we observe two major forces acting on all types of
systems: one which pushes the systems forward, the other which hiders the forward
movement and slows down the speed. But, can this hindering force always be
considered as a drawback, or as we believe everything has a positive side, can this also
have some usefulness? Lets try to solve this mystery through the example of electrical
systems.
The foundational subsystem of electrical systems (bulbs, heaters, fans, iron, etc.) is an
electric circuit consisting of three essential elements: (i) a push, (ii) a flow of matter in a
closed circuit and (iii) an obstacle. Through the push, energy is transferred from the
outside into the system, and through the obstacle it is removed from the system. The
push supports forward movement of matter in system, whereas, the obstacle hinders
this forward movement. Now, considering an electric circuit as a system, in electrical
terminology the push can be considered as a voltage V (potential difference), the flow as
current I, and the obstacle as resistance R. The speed of the motion of matter (i. e. the
charged particles) will increase with the increase in the push, and decrease if the obstacle
is made stronger. Thus, in mathematical terms it can be assumed that I (current) is
proportional to V (voltage / potential difference) and inversely proportional to R
(resistance).
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There is one more important aspect related to an electric circuit system. Can you try to
guess it?
Whenever there is any motion of matter, then energy (kinetic) gets associated with it.
Similarly, when the charged particles move in a closed circuit, these produce electrical
energy which can be converted to other forms mainly as heat and light energy.
Now can you make out the positive side of resistance in an electric circuit? It is simple. It
is due to this resistance only, that the energy produced due to the moving charged
particles in a circuit, can be put to use and converted into different forms of energy.
So the lesson learnt is that we must never give in the face of challenges, but, try to see
how these can benefit us and help in improving us for becoming assets for the society.
We must work hard with determination and conviction in ourselves to overcome these
challenges.
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Types of Electric Circuits
Circuits typically contain a voltage source, a wire conductor, and one or more devices
which use the electrical energy. A circuit having resistances in series (Fig. 4) is called
series circuit, while the circuit having resistances attached in parallel is called a parallel
circuit. (Fig. 5).
Fig 6
Fig 7
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The pressure of the water flowing through the pipes can be compared to the voltage
(electric potential) flowing through the wires of the circuit. The unit used to measure
voltage is volts (V). Water flows from a reservoir of higher pressure to the reservoir of
lower pressure; flow stops when the pressure difference ceases (Fig 8). Water continues
to flow because a difference in pressure is maintained with the pump.
Fig 8 Flow of water from a high pressure reservoir to a low pressure one.
Just as water current is flow of water molecules, electric current is the flow of electric
charge. In circuits, electrons make up the flow of charge (Fig 9).
Fig. 9
Ampere is the unit of current (I) which is a measure of how much electrical charge (Q)
is flowing in a circuit in time (t) and is measured in units of amps (Fig 10).
Fig 10
The current varies depending on the force behind the current and the resistance to flow.
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Fig. 11 Current is inversely proportional to resistance.
Potential difference, or voltage, is the electrical potential energy per coulomb of charge.
Resistance (R) is the opposition to the flow of an electric current, causing the electrical
energy to be converted to thermal energy or light. The unit for measuring resistance is
the ohm (Ω).
The resistance of short, thick piece of wires is less than that of long, thin pieces.
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Lets Experiment
Make an electric circuit using two ammeters (used for measuring current in a circuit),
voltmeter, a low volt battery, LED / bulb, connecting wires, a switch / key, etc. to
make the LED / bulb glow. Draw the diagram of the circuit (in the space provided) in
which the bulb glows. Also, notice when do the ammeters show deflection.
Conclusion based on the experiment: Since, for measuring current using an ammeter,
the whole amount of current flowing in a circuit should pass through it, hence, ammeter
always needs to be connected in series to be able to measure current. Current increases
as the voltage increase. Due to charge conservation, same current flows into and out of
light bulb.
Q3. What are the units of voltage, current and resistance? Also write their symbols.
Q4. By using the readings taken from the experiment, draw a graph between the voltage
and current. Is it a straight line?
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Lets Revise
Ans:
Current: The flow of electrons from one place to another.
Measured in amperes (amps)
It has Kinetic energy
2. What is resistance?
Ans:
The opposition to the flow of an electric current, producing heat.
The greater the resistance, the less current gets through.
Good conductors have low resistance.
Measured in ohms.
Ans:
Material of wire – aluminum and copper have low resistance
Thickness – the thicker the wire the lower the resistance
Length – shorter wire has lower resistance
Temperature – lower temperature has lower resistance
4. What is voltage?
Ans:
The measure of energy given to the charge flowing in a circuit.
The greater the voltage, the greater the force or “pressure” that drives the charge
through the circuit.
Ohm’s Law defines the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance.
It was developed by German physicist Georg Ohm, for whom both Ohm’s Law
and the unit of measure for resistance were named. It states that the voltage (V)
in a circuit is equal to the product of the current (I) and the resistance (R), or
V=I R
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CALCULATIONS
2. Calculate the value of resistance of a bulb drawing a current of 1.5 amp from a
battery of 3 volts.
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ELECTRICAL POWER (P) AND ENERGY (J)
The work done (W) or the energy (J) required by a voltage source is equal to the work
done by the electrical field in an electrical device or resistor
Work (J) = Power (P) x Time (t)
It can be said that electrical energy is a measure of the amount of power used and the
time of use. Electrical energy is the product of the power and the time.
Example Problem 1: How much power is used in a circuit which is 110 volts and has a
current of 1.36 amps?
Solution:
P=IV
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Solution:
E = P X time
P=IV
CALCULATE
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A Closer Look at Electricity
Although, till now basic concepts of electricity have been discussed, now, let us try to
understand the details related electricity with reference to atom, electrons, protons, etc.
The Atom
An atom is the smallest particle into which an element can be divided without losing its
identity. A group of identical atoms is called an element. All matter is composed of
atoms. Whether we are discussing metal, wood, or glass, they are all made up of atoms.
Before we go any further, let’s take a step back and look at some useful terms. The
smallest particle of a substance that still has all of its characteristics is called a molecule.
A molecule consists of two or more atoms. If a molecule of metal is divided into smaller
parts, it is no longer metal.
There are over a hundred different types of atoms. There are as many elements as there
are atoms. A few of the more common elements are iron, nitrogen, and oxygen;
important elements in terms of electrical conductivity are copper, silver, and gold. Since
there are so many different materials in the world, most materials are made up of more
than one element. When different kinds of atoms combine chemically, they form
materials referred to as compounds. Two very familiar compounds are table salt and
water. Table salt is made up of the elements sodium and chloride; water is made up of
the elements hydrogen and oxygen.
Since we need to develop an understanding of what electricity is, let’s take a closer look
at the atom. There are three principle parts of the atom. They are the electron, proton,
and neutron. An electron is an elementary particle carrying one unit of negative
electrical charge. The proton is found in the nucleus and has a positive electrical charge
equal to the negative charge of an electron. Neutrons and protons have about the same
weight, but the neutron has no electrical charge. Figure 14 illustrates a helium atom. The
nucleus is the very dense region consisting of protons and neutrons at the center of an
atom. The electrons revolve around the nucleus in an elliptical, or oval-shaped, path.
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Figure 15 Positive charge of a proton with lines of force extending outward.
We saw in Figure 14 that the electrons orbit outside the nucleus. Although an electron is
about three times larger than a proton, the proton weighs over 1800 times more. Since
electrons are negatively charged, the lines of force produced by an electron come in from
all directions. See Figure 15.
Electrons revolve around the nucleus of the atom similar to the way the earth rotates
around the sun. In atoms that contain more than one electron (all atoms except
hydrogen), each electron has its own orbit. It is possible for two or more atoms to share
common space; in many materials, closely spaced atoms share both electrons and space.
Figure 16 shows the electron orbits of an atom.
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Figure 17 Electron orbits.
The two electrons closest to the nucleus are said to occupy the first shell, or orbit of the
atom. This first shell can only have two electrons. Atoms that have more than two
electrons, like iron with 26 electrons, must have a second, third, and fourth shell, or
orbit. Have you ever heard the expression, “Opposites attract and likes repel?” Well,
much like the magnetic poles of a magnet that will repel if like poles are brought
together and attract if unlike poles are brought together, the law of charges states that
opposite charges attract and like charges repel. This basic law will help you understand
the importance of attraction and repulsion of electrons and protons in the atom.
Electric Charge
Electrons and protons exhibit electric charges of opposite polarity. Polarity refers to the
type (positive or negative) of charge. The proton possesses a positive charge and the
electron is negatively charged. As already illustrated these charges produce lines of
force. A basic law of physics, known as the law of charges, states that opposite charges
attract and like charges repel. Figures 18 and 19 illustrate this law.
Fig. 18 Unlike charges attract each other Fig. 19 Like charges repel each other
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When considering the electric charge of an atom, the neutron can be ignored since it has
no electric charge. An atom such as helium, illustrated in Figure 14 in its natural state, is
electrically neutral. Helium has 2 protons in the nucleus and 2 electrons orbiting the
nucleus. Even though the electrons and protons are electrically charged, the net electric
charge is zero.
Electricity is not magic. Current is simply electrons in motion. Next, we will learn how
those electrons are put into motion.
Valence Electrons
The outermost shell of an atom is referred to as the valence shell, or ring. Electrons
located in this valence shell are called valance electrons. These electrons are atomic
particles involved in chemical reactions and electric currents. The valence shell cannot
hold more than 8 electrons. A conductor, for example, is comprised of a material that
contains between 1 and 3 valence electrons. A conductor is a material that readily
conducts electricity.
One of the forces that help keep electrons in orbit is the force of attraction between
unlike charges. The closer together two particles of opposite electric charges are, the
greater the electrical attraction between them. So, the attraction between the proton in
the nucleus and the orbiting electron decreases as the electron gets farther from the
nucleus. Because of this, valence electrons are more loosely held than the electrons in the
inner shells. Here are a few characteristics of valence electrons:
They can be more easily removed from the atom than electrons in the inner shell.
Valence electrons possess more energy than electrons in the inner shells because
the farther an electron is from the nucleus, the more energy it possesses.
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Lets revise
1. What is a conductor?
2. When does the attraction between the proton in the nucleus and the orbiting
electron decrease?
Lets revise
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Ions
The departure of a valence electron leaves a previously neutral atom with an excess of
positive charge, or more protons than electrons. Atoms which have more or less than
their normal complement of electrons are referred to as ions. When an atom has an
excess of electrons, it becomes a negative ion; when an atom loses electrons, it becomes a
positive ion. The amount of energy necessary to cause a valence electron to become free
is different with each element.
The number of an atom’s valence electrons determines how much energy is required to
create a free electron. Typically, if there are fewer electrons in the valence orbit, less
energy is required to free that valence electron.
Lets revise
1. How does an ion become positive?
Direct Current
A direct current (dc) power source provides a voltage whose polarity and output voltage
never change direction. Dc power sources provide two terminal devices, one terminal
negative and the other positive, with respect to each other. Direct current sources of
energy include batteries, dc generators, and electronic power supplies.
Lets revise
1. What never changes in direct current?
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Alternating Current
Alternating current (ac) power sources produce a voltage that periodically reverses
polarity and magnitude. An example of an ac power source is an ac generator.
Alternating current has one major advantage over direct current; the voltage can be
increased or decreased by using a transformer. A transformer is an electrical device by
which alternating current of one voltage is changed to another voltage.
When electric current runs through a conductor, a magnetic field is produced.
Magnetism makes motors, transformers, and even your doorbell possible. In
electromagnetism we will discuss magnetism, electromagnets, and some of the devices
that work because of this force.
Lets revise
1. What is one major advantage alternating current has over direct current?
Heating effect of electricity is one of the widely used effects in the world.
Heating effect of electricity is one of the widely used effects in the world. When electric
current is passed through a conductor, it generates heat due to the resistance it offers to
the current flow. The work done in overcoming the resistance is generated as heat. This
is studied by James Prescott Joule and he enunciated various factors that affect the heat
generated. The heat produced by a heating element is directly proportional to the square
of the electric current (I) passing through the conductor, directly proportional to the
resistance (R) of the conductor, time (t) for which current passes through the conductor.
It is given by the expression H = I2Rt and is well known as Joule’s Law.
The orbiting electrons have a negative charge, the protons have a positive charge, and
the neutrons display no charge. Because the neutron has no charge, the nucleus has a net
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positive charge. The element type is determined by how many protons are in the
nucleus. Helium, as already noted has 2 protons in its nucleus; copper has 29. The
atomic number of an element is equal to the number of protons in the nucleus.
Applications of the heating effect of electric current include appliances like electric
immersion water heater, electric iron box, etc. All of these have a heating element in it.
Heating elements are generally made of specific alloys like, nichrome, manganin,
constantan etc. A good heating element has high resistivity and high melting point. An
electric fuse is an example for the application of heating effect of electric current. The
rating of 3 A of an electric fuse implies the maximum current it can sustain is three
ampere
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SUMMARY
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TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
____ 1. Coulomb's law says that the force between any two charges depends
a. directly on the size of the charges.
b. inversely on the square of the distance between the charges.
c. both A and B d. none of the above
____ 2. When the distance between two charges is halved, the electrical force between
the charges
a. doubles. b. reduces to one fourth.
c. halves. d. quadruples. e. none of the above
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____ 5. When a charged cloud passes overhead, the ground below is charged by
a. induction. b. polarization. c. deduction. d. electrification.
____ 6. Two charged particles held close to each other are released. As they move, the
force on each particle increases. Therefore, the particles have
a. opposite signs. b. the same sign. c. charges that cannot be determined
____ 8. The electrostatic force between two charges located 8 meters apart is 0.10 N.
What will the force be between these charges when they are located 2 meters apart?
a. 0.01 N b. 0.03 N c. 0.1 N d. 0.8 N e. 1.6 N
____ 9. An ampere is a:
a. unit of resistance. b. unit of current. c. type of charge. d. voltage. e. current.
____ 10. Compared to thin wires, electrical resistance in thick wires is:
a. less. b. the same. c. greater.
____ 11. For most conductors, as their temperature increases, their resistance
a. decreases. b. increases. c. stays the same.
____ 14. Power outlets in our homes typically have a potential difference of
a. 30 V. b. 120 A. c. 60 A. d. 240 V. e. 120 V.
____ 15. When an 8-V battery is connected to a resistor, 2 A of current flows in the
resistor. What is the resistor's value?
a. 2 ohms b. 4 ohms c. 8 ohms d. 16 ohms e. more than 16 ohms
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____ 16. The current through a 5-ohm resistor connected to a 150-V power supply is
a. 1A. b. 10 A. c. 30 A. d. 150 A. e. none of the above
____17. A 15-ohm resistor has a 5-A current in it. What is the voltage across the resistor?
a. 5 V b. 15 V c. 20 V d. 25 V e. more than 25 V
____ 18. How much power is used by a 12.0-V car battery that draws 0.5 A of current?
a. 0.5 W b. 6 W c. 12 W d. 24 W e. 30 W
____ 19. A 60-W light bulb and a 100-W light bulb are both rated at 120 V. Which light
bulb has the larger resistance?
a. the 60-W bulb b. the 100-W bulb c. Both have the same resistance.
e. none of the above
____ 20. In order for current to flow in a circuit, you must have
a. a switch that is open. b. a complete path for the current.
c. two light bulbs in parallel. d. two light bulbs in series. e. all of the above
____ 21. When two light bulbs are connected in series, the
a. current through each light bulb is proportional to the resistance of the bulb.
b. same amount of current always flows through each bulb.
c. neither A nor B
____ 22. When resistors are put in series next to each other, their overall resistance is
a. the same as the resistance of one of the resistors.
b. larger than the resistance of any individual resistor.
c. smaller than the resistance of any of the resistors.
____ 23. As more lamps are put into a series circuit, the overall current in the circuit
a. stays the same. b. increases. c. decreases.
____ 24. Compared to the resistance of two resistors connected in series, the same two
resistors connected in parallel have
a. less resistance. b. more resistance. c. the same resistance.
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____ 26. A short circuit occurs when
a. the positive wire is connected directly to the negative wire.
b. very short wires are used in the circuit.
c. current lasts in the circuit for only a short time.
d. all of the above e. none of the above
____ 27. A 60-W light bulb and a 100-W light bulb are both connected in parallel to a
120-V outlet. Which light bulb has more current in it?
a. the 100-W bulb b. the 60-W bulb c. Both have the same current.
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