Characteristics of Electrical Magnitudes
De la Torre Oleas, Geovanny Israel1
Abstract — The physical quantities are those properties of
the bodies that can be measured, the electrical magnitudes are
those quantities related to Ohm's law. The main electrical
magnitudes are electric charge, voltage, current, resistance,
power, and energy. The electric charge is the amount of
electricity stored in a body, voltage occurs when an electric
field acts on a particle to move it from one place to another,
i.e., it is the work per unit charge. The intensity of electric
current is the electric charge that crosses a section of the
conductor per second, Resistance is the difficulty offered to
the passage of current, Electrical power can be defined as the
amount of electrical energy generated or consumed every
second and finally, electrical energy is the power per unit of
time. The study of this magnitudes is of great importance
because it provides advanced knowledge to apply at the time
of measurements of the same quantities in specific cases in
daily life and industrial level, and also allows differentiating
the different measuring devices and units that each quantity
needs for proper understanding.
Index Terms — electrical magnitudes, voltage, current,
intensity, resistance, power, energy.
I. INTRODUCTION
Electrical quantities are those properties of bodies that can
be measured and are related to Ohm's law, which is one of the
fundamental laws of electricity. This law was postulated by
the German physicist and mathematician George Simon OHM
and determines the existing relationships between the basic
electrical quantities present in any electrical circuit such as the
electric current intensity expressed in Amperes, the electric
voltage expressed in Volts, and the electric resistance
expressed in Ohm [1].
The electrical quantities are related to each other depending
on the material through which the passage of electric current
occurs, since this material depends on the difficulty or ease of
current flow within a circuit. For example, the behavior of the
current intensity is inversely proportional to the behavior of
the resistance, so that by increasing the current intensity, the
resistance of the same will decrease and vice versa if the
voltage remains constant for both cases.
When analyzing the relationship between current intensity
and voltage it is observed that they are directly proportional to
each other, therefore, if the current intensity increases or
decreases, the voltage will increase or decrease respectively,
provided that the value of the resistance connected to the
circuit remains constant [2]. This paper establishes the
characteristics of the electrical quantities used in ohm's law,
their units and forms of measurement.
II. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
This section covers the explanation of what electrical
quantities are, as well as the definition of each of the existing
types of quantities and their characteristics.
A. Electrical Magnitudes
Physical quantities are defined as those concepts that
represent a property of some real or possible physical object,
such as the position of a particle and the time it takes to
traverse a distance, i.e., a quantity is any property of bodies
that can be measured, for example temperature, velocity,
mass, weight, etc. When working with properties and units of
electricity related by Ohm's law, we refer to electrical
quantities. [3]
Electrical magnitudes are the basis of electricity and
electronics because they are the phenomena that interact with
components either as energy sources or as sensing data
depending on how they are used [4]. The main electrical
magnitudes and their respective units are shown in Table I.
TABLE I
ELECTRICAL MAGNITUDES
Magnitudes Symbol Unit Unit Symbol
Charge C Coulomb C
Voltage V Volts V
Current I Amperes A
Resistance R Ohms Ω
Power P Watts W
Energy E Watt per Hour Wxh
B. Electric Charge and Current
The electric charge is the amount of electricity stored in a
body. It is measured in Coulombs (C), a charge of 1 Coulomb
is equivalent to 6.25 x 1018 electrons. The atoms of a body are
electrically neutral, i.e., the negative charge of its electrons
cancels out with the positive charge of its protons. A body can
be charged positively (positive potential) by removing
electrons in the atoms and negatively (negative potential) by
adding electrons [5].
By having one body with negative potential and another
with positive potential, between these two bodies we have a
potential difference. The bodies tend to be in neutral state, that
is to say to have no charge, that is why if we connect the two
bodies with a conductor (element through which the electrons
can pass easily) the electrons of the body with negative
potential pass through the conductor to the body with positive
potential, so that the two bodies tend to their natural state, that
is to say neutral. This generates movement of electrons and is
called electric current. [6]
C. Voltage
Voltage is the difference in potential between two points,
generating the movement of electrons from the point of higher
potential to the point of lower potential in a conductor.
Therefore, it is said that voltage is the cause of generating
current in a circuit. [7]
In other words, voltage occurs when an electric field acts on
a particle to move it from one place to another, i.e., it is the
work per unit charge. The unit of measurement of voltage in
the International System of Units is the volt (V) and is
measured with a multimeter; this determines the categorization
into "low" or "high voltage". Voltage, electromotive force and
electric potential have the volt as the unit of measurement [8].
When the voltage is 0V (zero volts, there is no potential
difference between one pole and the other), there is no more
possibility of current. The term "high voltage" characterizes
electrical circuits in which the voltage level used requires
isolation and safety measures. The equation governing the
voltage is given in (1), where I is the current and R is the
resistance [1].
(1)
D. Current Intensity
The intensity of electric current is the quantity of electrons
that pass through a point in one second, that is to say, it is the
electric charge that crosses a section of the conductor per
second. It is measured in Amperes (A), with the ammeter. For
example, a current of 1 A (ampere) is equivalent to one charge
per second (6.25 trillion electrons that have passed through in
one second). [9]
An electric current is produced when there is a potential
difference between the ends of an electrical conductor. The
electrical voltage causes charges to experience attractive and
repulsive forces and to move, the intensity of which is
measured in amperes (A) in the International System of Units.
[2]
The free electrons circulating in a conductor per unit time
generate a current intensity. Depending on how the electrons
move within an electric circuit, there are two types of electric
current: direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC). [2].
The equation defining the current intensity is presented in (2),
where C is the charge, t is the time, V is the voltage and R is
the resistance. [1].
(2)
E. Electric Resistance
Resistance is the difficulty offered to the passage of current,
i.e. electrons encounter resistance in their movement. All the
elements of a circuit have resistance, except the conductors
that are considered almost null [10]. The flow of electrons or
the flow of electric charge decreases due to the opposition
encountered by the current generated by the electrical
resistance. They are conceived as obstacles to the passage of
electric current to any device connected to an electrical circuit.
Resistance converts electrical energy into thermal energy
and, in this sense, is similar to mechanical friction in that it
dissipates electrical energy in the form of heat. The circulation
of electrons is carried out in an organized way within the
electrical circuits and depends on the resistance present in
them, this means that the higher the resistance, the lower the
order in which the charge circulates, and vice versa. When
there is a high resistance, a process of energy release is
generated by the collision of electrons with each other, this
energy is released in the form of heat generating the increase
in conductor temperature. The lower the resistance, the greater
the existing order, but when the resistance is high, they begin
to collide with each other and release energy in the form of
heat. This situation causes the conductor temperature to vary,
i.e. the higher the resistance present in the current flow, the
higher the conductor temperature increase [10].
Resistance is measured in Ohms (Ω), with an ohmmeter or
ohmmeter, but on many occasions, we can use the multimeter,
a device that measures voltages, currents and resistances. The
resistance of a receiver or the resistance between two points of
an installation can be measured. There are some electrical-
electronic components called resistors that are components
that are placed in the circuits precisely for that, to offer more
resistance to the passage of the current where they are placed
in the circuits. [11]. The equation governing the resistance is
given in (3), where V is the voltage, and I is the current
intensity. [1].
(3)
F. Electrical Power
Power is the rate at which energy is generated or consumed
and because it always has the same value within an electrical
circuit it can be measured at any instant of time. Power is
directly proportional to energy, so the more power a system
develops, the more energy it can expend in that time.
However, if the power is not enough to satisfy the needs even
if the energy of a system can be transformed, it will not be
useful [12].
Electrical power can be defined as the amount of electrical
energy generated or consumed every second. It is measured in
watts (V) with a wattmeter. The equation defining the
electrical power is presented in (4), where V is the voltage,
and I is the current intensity. [1].
(4)
G. Electric Energy
Energy is the capacity to make things work and must be
measured over a certain period (one second, one hour, one
year...). Therefore, electrical energy is the power per unit of
time [13]. Energy has the capacity to be consumed, i.e., the
longer a receiver is connected the more energy it will
consume. Also, a receiver that has a lot of power will consume
a lot of energy, so the energy depends on two things, the
power of the receiver and the time it is connected.[14]
Its unit is the w x h (watt per hour), but a multiple is usually
used which is the Kw x h (Kilowatts per hour). If we put in the
formula the power in Kw and the time in hours, we will obtain
the energy in Kw x h. The form will be generated during the
electronic submission process. The equation governing the
voltage is given in (5), where P is electrical power and t is the
time. [1].
[6] Salazar, E. "Guías del estudiante. Electricidad y corriente eléctrica."
Centro de Recursos Digitales. Educarchile. 2019.
[7] Broncano, E., and Teneda A. “Estudio de voltaje de paso y voltaje de
toque mediante la implementación de un módulo didáctico”. BS thesis.
Ecuador: Latacunga: Universidad Técnica de Cotopaxi; Facultad de
Ciencias de la Ingeniería y Aplicadas., 2020.
[8] Mendoza, N. “Análisis y diseño para módulo alimentador de voltaje que
se integre al desarrollo un laboratorio educativo portátil orientado a
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[9] Vargas, F., et al. "La intensidad eléctrica y la biorremediación de
Aspergillus niger en suelos contaminados con hexadecano, en Loreto,
Perú." Ciencia Amazónica (Iquitos) 8.2. 209-220. 2020
[10] Macías García, M. E., Contreras Hinojosa, C., Anaya Zamora, R.,
García, M. E. M., Hinojosa, C. C., & Zamora, R. A. “Resistencia
equivalente en un circuito eléctrico”. Tecnológico de Monterrey
[11] Ley Samos, M. “Determinación de resistividad eléctrica mediante un
robot de manipulación micromética”. MS thesis. Universidad de
Quintana Roo, 2021.
[12] Durán Flores, B. “Cálculo De Potencia Eléctrica Para Un Prototipo De
Auto Eléctrico Usado En Rallys Solares”, Revista de Ciencia,
Tecnología e Innovación, vol. 19, n.º 23, pp. 126-151, jul. 2021.
[13] Minaya Gonzales, J. "Analisis de los valores de la potencia eléctrica
para diferentes condiciones de flujo en unidades de bombeo”. Bachellor
Thesis. Universidad Nacional San Agustín De Arequipa. Facultad De
Ingeniería De Producción Y Servicios Escuela Profesional De Ingeniería
Mecánica. 2018.
[14] Martinez, F. A. P., Vivas, O. A. G., & Rosas, Y. S. S. “Cuantificación
del ahorro de energía eléctrica en clientes residenciales mediante
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226. 2017.
BIOGRAPHIES

(5) De la Torre, O. Israel. (Born in Quito, Ecuador on

III. CONCLUSION
The study of the characteristics of electrical quantities,
based on ohm's law such as electric charge, voltage, current,
resistance, power and energy is of great importance because it
provides advanced knowledge to apply at the time of
measurements of the same quantities in specific cases in daily
life and industrial level, and also allows differentiating the
different measuring devices and units that each quantity needs
for proper understanding.
April 13, 1994. He studied high school at the Colegio
Técnico Salesiano Don Bosco de la Kennedy acquiring
the title of Industrial Technician in Electricity and
Electronics. In 2013 he entered the UPS to study
Electrical Engineering, in 2015 he entered the UTE
where he studied Mechatronics Engineering. In 2017 he
studied Telecommunications Engineering at UDLA, and currently he is
studying at the University of Israel to obtain the title of Engineer in
Electronics and Control.

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