Topic 19 – Current of Electricity AS Level

19.2 - Potential difference and power Voltage and Energy

Learning Outcomes
 define potential difference and the
volt
 recall and use V = W/Q
 recall and use P = VI and P = I 2R

Potential Difference (p.d.)

1. Current in an electrical circuit is
analogous to water flowing in a system
1. In the diagram, 3 voltmeters are used to
pipes.
measure voltages of
2. A pressure difference is required for
(a) Power supply (12 V)
water to flow from a point of higher
(b) 20 Ω resistor (8 V)
pressure to a point of lower pressure.
(c) 10 Ω resistor (4 V)
3. Similarly, a p.d. is required for a current
2. The voltage measured by the voltmeter
to flows from a point of higher electric
across the power supply are different
potential to a point of lower electric
from the other 2 voltages across the 2
potential.
resistors.
4. The potential difference (p.d.) between
(a) A voltage where the charge losing
two points in an electrical circuit is
energy (from electrical energy to
defined as the amount of electrical
other forms of energy) is p.d, V
energy converted into other forms of
(b) A voltage where the charge gaining
energy when 1 coulomb of charge
energy (from other forms of energy
moves from one point to the other.
to electrical energy) is an e.m.f, E.

W 3. Thus, the voltage across the power

V= supply is an electromotive force, e.m.f
Q
where, while the voltage across each resistor is
V = p.d. between two points a potential difference, p.d.
W = work done by converting electrical
energy to other forms of energy
Q = the charge that flows between two
Points

5. The SI unit for p.d. is volt (V).

Therefore p.d. is also known as voltage.
4. Electric current is a flow of electric
Note: charge around the circuit.
-1
1V=1JC 5. A 12 V power supply gives 12 J of energy
to each charge (coulomb).
6. The charge flow with 12 J of energy and
transfer some of its energy to each
resistor.

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Topic 19 – Current of Electricity AS Level

7. When 1 coulomb of charge moves through Example 2

a 20 Ω resistor, the p.d of 8 V indicate 1.25 x 1019 electrons enter a resistor every
that 8 J of electrical energy has been second when it is connected to a 6 V
transfer into other form of energy. accumulator.
(a) Calculate the current flowing in the
8. When 1 coulomb of charge moves through
circuit.
a 10 Ω resistor, 4 J of electrical energy
(b) Describe the energy conversion in the
has been transferred.
accumulator, connecting wire and
resistor.
Note:
The p.d. between two points is measured by
connecting a high resistance voltmeter
parallely across the two points

Example 3
How much energy had been transfer if 5 C
of charges moved across a potential
difference of 10V?
The current across a point is measured by
connecting a low resistance ammeter in
series with that particular point.

Example 4
The p.d across the lamp is 1.3 V. How many
joules of energy are transformed into light
and heat when a charge of 20 C passes
through the lamp?

Example 1
A 240 V, 100 W of LED lamps is connected
to 240 V main supply while another same
lamp connected to a 12 V car battery. Both
lamps have the same ammeter readings and Example 5
yet the 240 V lamp glows more brightly than 72 J of work has to be done to carry 6 C of
the 12 V lamp. Explain why this happen. charge across two parallel metal plates,
what is the p.d across the metal plates?

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Topic 19 – Current of Electricity AS Level

Example 6 Electrical Power

Electron in a television tube are accelerated 1. The rate at which electrical energy is
by a potential difference of 20 kV between converted into other forms of energy
the filament and the screen. The charge of (work done) is known as electrical power.
the electron is -1.6 x 10-19 C. Calculate the 2. The electrical power, P is given by
gain in K.E of each electron.
W
P=
t
Since W = QV

𝑄𝑉
P=
𝑡

𝑄
P= 𝑉
Example 7 𝑡
An electron in a particle accelerator have 𝑄
1 MeV (1 mega-electronvolt) of energy when Since I =
𝑡
it has been accelerated through a potential
P = IV
difference of 1 million volts. Calculate the
energy gained by the electron. 3. The unit of power is Watt (W) or J s-1.
4. Based on ohm’s law,
𝑉
V = 𝐼𝑅 and I=
𝑅
Therefore,

𝑉2
P = I 2R and P=
𝑅
Example 8
A torch bulb is rated 2.2 V, 0.25 A. Example 9
Calculate Calculate the rate at which energy is
(a) the charge passing through the bulb in transferred by a 230 V main supply which
one second provides a current of 8.0 A to an electric
(b) the energy transferred by the passage heater.
of each coulomb of charge.

Example 10
A larger power station supplies electrical
energy to the grid at a voltage of 25 kV.
Calculate the output power of the station
when the current it supplies is 40 kA.

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Topic 19 – Current of Electricity
Example 11
(a) A power station produces 20 MW of
power at a voltage of 200 kV. Calculate
the current supplied to the grid cables.
(b) The grid cables are 15 km long, with a
-1
resistance per unit length of 0.20 Ω km
How much power is wasted as heat in
these cables?
Example 12
An electric cooker is usually connected to
the main supply in a separate circuit from
other appliances, because it draws a high
current. A cooker is rated at 10 kW, 230 V.
(a) Calculate the current in the cooker
when it is fully switched on.
(b) Suggest a suitable current rating for
the fuse for this cooker.
Example 13
An electric kettle is rated at 2.5 kW, 230 V
Determine a suitable current rating of the
fuse to put in the three-pin plug. Choose
from 1 A, 5 A, 13 A and 30 A.
AS Level
Example 14
An energy-efficient light bulb is labelled
230 V, 15 W. Calculate
(a) the current which flow through the bulb
when fully lit.
(b) its resistance when fully lit.
Example 15
A calculator is power by a 3.0 V battery.
The calculator’s resistance is 20 kΩ.
Calculate the power transferred to the
calculator.
Example 16
A 12 V car battery can supply a current of
10 A for 5.0 hours. Calculate how many
joules of energy the battery transfers in
this time.
Example 17
A lamp operated for 20 s. The current in
the lamp is 10 A. In this time, it transfer
400 J of energy to the lamp. Calculate
(a) how much charge flow through the lamp
(b) how much energy each coulomb of
charge transfers to the lamp
(c) the p.d. across the lamp