GENERAL PHYSICS 2

THIRD QUARTER
WEEK 5

CURRENT

Electric current is the movement of charged particles in a specific direction. The charged
particle may be an electron, a positive ion or a negative ion, and they are referred to as current
carriers. The symbol used for current is I because early scientists thought about the intensity of
the electricity in a wire.

Current is the measure of how much charge is passed through a given point in a conductor
per given amount of time. The unit of current is given in coulomb per second (C/s) and is named
ampere (A) after the French physicist Andre Marie Ampere (1775- 1836), who discovered that two
parallel wires attract each other when currents flow through them in the same direction and repel
each other when currents are made to flow in opposite directions.

The relationship between time, charge, and current is given as

𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 𝑞
𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 = 𝑜𝑟 𝐼 =
𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡

The unit is
𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑜𝑚𝑏 𝐶
𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑒 = 𝑜𝑟 𝐴 =
𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑠

AC and DC

If the current continues to flow in the same direction through the conducting wire all the
time, it is called direct current (DC). This is the kind of current that we get from flashlight cells and
batteries.

If the current periodically reverses the direction in which it is moving, it is called alternating
current (AC). This is the kind of current we have in our home and in school.

VOLTAGE

Voltage, which is also known as electromotive force (emf) or potential difference (pd), is the
electric pressure that causes current to flow. Potential difference is potential energy divided by
charge. The potential energy here is the work needed to move a charged body against the electric
force, toward or away from another charged body. If the two bodies have the same charge (e.g.,
both are positive), work is needed to move them closer. If the two charged bodies are of opposite
charge, work is needed to move them apart; Also, the term ’electromotive force’ could be .
misleading; it is not a force.

The symbol for voltage is V. The unit of voltage is the joule per coulomb which is called the volt
(V).
𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝑊
𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 = 𝑜𝑟 𝑉 =
𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 𝑞

The unit is
𝑗𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑒 𝐽
𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑡 = 𝑜𝑟 𝑉 =
𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑜𝑚𝑏 𝐶

Voltage can be created by techniques involving the production of excess electrons at one
terminal and a deficiency of electrons at another terminal. It can also be produced by a current
through a resistor. Devices such as an electric generator, electric cell, thermocouples, crystals and
solar cells produce voltage.

RESISTANCE

Resistance is the opposition a material offers to current. The symbol for resistance is R. All
materials offer some resistance to current but the amount of resistance differs from each other.
There are high-resistance and low-resistance materials. More energy is required to move electrons
through high-resistance materials.

The unit used to specify the amount of resistance is the ohm, represented by the symbol Ω.
The ohm is defined as the amount of resistance that allows 1 A of current to flow when the voltage
is 1 V. It can also be defined as the amount of resistance of a column of mercury 106.3 cm in length,
with a cross-sectional area of 1 mm2, and at a temperature of 0°C.

Resistance of an object depends on four factors: 1) length, 2) cross-sectional area, 3)

resistivity of the material and 4) temperature. The amount of resistance of an object is directly
proportional to its length and inversely proportional to its cross-sectional area. There is no simple
relationship between resistance and temperature. For most objects, the resistance increases with
an increase in temperature. But for some, such as carbon, the resistance decreases with an increase
in temperature.
Resistivity

The characteristic resistance of a material is given by its resistivity. Resistivity ratings allow
comparison of the abilities of different materials to conduct current. A table of resistivity in Ω-m
(ohm-meters) of some materials is presented below. It shows that a material with a lower
resistivity is a better conductor.,

The relationship of resistance (R) to length (ℓ), cross-sectional area (A) and resistivity (𝜌)
is given as,
𝜌ℓ
𝑅=
𝐴

Resistivity of Some Material

Materials Resistivity at 20oC (Ω-m)

Conductors
Nichrome 100 x 10-8
Platinum 10.6 x 10-8
Iron 9.71 x 10-8
Tungsten 5.65 x 10 -8
Aluminum 2.65 x 10-8
Gold 2.24 x 10-8
Copper 1.72 x 10-8
Silver 1.59 x 10-8
Insulators
Glass 107 to 1010
Quartz 7.5 x 1017
Semiconductors
Germanium (pure) 5 x 10-1
Silicon (pure) 3 x 103

Let us try to show an application of this relationship in the sample problems below.
Sample problem 1:

What is the electric resistance of a silver wire 0.50 m long with a diameter of 1.5 mm if the resistivity of
silver 1.59 x 10-8 Ω-m?

Given: ℓ = 0.50 m
1𝑚
d = 1.5 𝑚𝑚 𝑥 = 1.5 𝑥 10−3 𝑚
1 𝑥 103 𝑚𝑚
−8
𝜌 = 1.59 𝑥 10 Ω − 𝑚
Find: R
Solution:

First, find the area (A)

𝜋𝑑 2
𝐴=
4
 (3.14)(1.5 𝑥 10−3 𝑚)2
=
4
𝐴 = 1.77 𝑥 10−6 𝑚2

Then, find R
𝜌ℓ
𝑅=
𝐴
(1.59 𝑥 10−8 Ω. 𝑚)(0.50 𝑚)
=
1.77 𝑥 10−6 𝑚2
𝑅 = 4.49 𝑥 10−3 Ω

Sample Problem 2:
Jonell wants to use a glass rod as an insulator. The rod`s diameter is 9 mm and its resistivity at 20 oC is 1 x
109 Ω-m. how long must the rod be to offer a resistance of 9.1 x 10 10 Ω?
Given:

R = 9.1 𝑥 1010 Ω
𝜌 = 1 𝑥 109 Ω − 𝑚
d = 9 𝑚𝑚 (𝑜𝑟 9 𝑥 10−3 𝑚)
𝜋𝑑 2
𝐴=
4
(3.14)(9 𝑥 10−3 𝑚)2
=
4
(3.14)(8.1 𝑥 10−5 𝑚)2
=
4
= 6.36 𝑥 10−5 𝑚2

Find: ℓ
𝜌ℓ
𝑅=
𝐴

𝑅𝐴
ℓ=
𝜌

(9.1 𝑥 1010 Ω)(6.36 𝑥 10−5 𝑚2 )

=
1 𝑥 109 Ω. 𝑚
5.79 𝑥 106 𝑚
=
1 𝑥 109
ℓ = 5.79 𝑥 10−3 𝑚 𝑜𝑟 5.79 𝑚𝑚

A SIMPLE CIRCUIT
An electric circuit is a conducting loop in which a current can transfer electrical energy from a suitable
source to a useful load. Electric circuit has the following essential parts:

1. A source or supply to provide the voltage needed to force current through the circuit. (e.g., battery)
 2. Conductors through which the current can travel (e.g., copper wire, gold, silver)
3. A load is a device that converts electrical energy into some other useful form (e.g., electric motor, light
bulb). Different loads have different amounts of resistance.
4. A control device or switch which continues or discontinues the flow of electric current through the circuit
(e.g., push buttons, single-poles switch, single –throw switch)

UNDERSTANDING OHM`S LAW

Although the three electrical quantities, current, voltage and resistance, are used differently, they are
related to each other. A German physicist named George Simon Ohm (1787 – 1854) discovered this relationship
and it was named in his honor. This relationship is now known as Ohm`s Law. It is stated as, current is directly
proportional to the voltage and inversely proportional to the resistance.

In equation form, it is given as

𝑉
𝐼=
𝑅
𝑉
From this equation, 𝑉 = 𝐼𝑅 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑅 =
𝐼

While we can calculate the current, voltage and resistance mathematically, there are devices which can give
us measurements of these three quantities in a circuit. The three devices are the ammeter which measures current
in amperes (or milliamperes), the ohmmeter which measures resistance in ohms and the voltmeter which measures
voltage in volts.
Let us take some examples to show how Ohm`s law is applied to simple circuits.

Sample Problem:

How much current flows through a lamp with resistance 90 ohms when it is connected to 220-V outlet?
Given: R = 90 Ω
V = 220 V
Find: I
Solution:
𝑉
𝐼=
𝑅
220 𝑉
=
90 Ω
𝐼 = 2.44 𝐴
Power in Circuit

Power is the rate of energy transfer. It is equal to the product of the current and voltage. In equation form, it is
given as

P = IV
And its unit is the watt (W) when voltage is in volts and current is in amperes.

If you express the previous formula in terms of I and V, the formula for current and voltage, respectively, will be
𝑃 𝑃
𝐼= 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑉 =
𝑉 𝐼
If we combine Ohm`s law and the power formula, it will result in another variation of the power formula.
 𝑉
Let us substitute 𝐼 = 𝑖𝑛 𝑃 = 𝐼𝑉. It will yield
𝑅

𝑉
𝑃 = ( )𝑉
𝑅
𝑉2
𝑃=
𝑅
On the other hand, if we substitute V =IR in P = IV, it will yield

P= I (IR)
P = I2R
This tells us that given any two of the three quantities (current, resistance and voltage) we can solve for power.

Example:
What is the power input to an electric heater that draws 3 A from a 220-V outlet?

Given: I = 3A
V = 220 V
Find: P
Solution :
P = IV
(3 A)(220 V)
P = 660 W