Professional Documents
Culture Documents
information and calculations
Quantity Symbol Unit Symbol
Length l Metre m
L‐1
Mass m Kilogram kg
Electrical Quantities
Time t Second s
Current I Ampere A
Temperature t Degree oK or oC
Kelvin
Molecules and atoms Atom
• All matter consists of large All atoms consist of
numbers of particles termed three basic
molecules, being the smallest
pieces of matter that can exist constituent parts:
separately, e.g. H2O (water) 1. Electrons;
• Molecules can be subdivided into
atoms and comprise one or more
2. Protons; and
atoms bonded together. 3. Neutrons.
• An atom is the smallest particle of
matter that can take part in a
chemical change.
• Positively‐ and negatively‐charged bodies are
mutually attracted to one another.
z An electron is an elementary particle charged with a • Similarly charged bodies repel one another.
small and constant quantity of negative electricity.
z A proton is similarly defined but charged with
positive electricity whilst the neutron is uncharged
and is therefore neutral.
z In an atom,
«the number of electrons normally equals the number of
protons;
«it is the number of protons that determins to which
element type the atom belongs.
Electrical Services Fundamentals
Current electricity Medium
• The transfer of electrons takes place more readily in a
• For convenience the point of high potential is medium in which atoms can readily release electrons, e.g.
termed the positive and the point of low copper, aluminium and silver. Such material is termed a
potential is termed negative, conductor.
• Conventionally a current is said to flow from • A material that does not readily permit electron flow is
positive to negative potential. termed an insulator. e.g. wood, plastic, glass, nylon and
rubber.
• There is also a family of materials termed
semiconductors which have certain characteristics that
belong to neither of the other groups.
• The emf represents the driving influence • The energy introduced into a circuit is
that causes a current to flow. transferred to the load unit by the transmission
system, and the energy transferred due to the
• The emf is not a force but represents the
passage of unit charge between two points in a
energy expended during the passing of a circuit is termed the potential difference (pd).
unit charge through the source;
• If all the energy is transferred to the load unit,
• An emf is always connected with energy the pd across the load unit is equal to the
conversion. source emf.
Electric Power
Both emf and pd are similar quantities. • Since current is the number of coulombs per
• An emf is always active in that it tends to second, and power is the number of joules per
produce an electric current in a circuit whilst a second (watts), we see that
pd may be either passive or active. Power (in watts) = Joules/Second
• A pd is passive whenever it has no tendency to = (Joules/Coulomb) x (Coulomb/Second)
create a current in a circuit. = volts x amps
= number of Watts
Multiplier of Units
• Change of Units