General Physics 2

Module 6
Electric Current (I)

Prepared by:
Ian Karlo Perilla
Special Science Teacher I
6 Module 6

Electric Current

What I Need to Know

The learners…
1. Distinguish between conventional current vs. electron flow
2. Apply the relationship charge = current x time to new situations or to solve related problems
3. Describe the effect of temperature increase on the resistance of a metallic conductor,
4. Describe the ability of a material to conduct current in terms of resistivity and conductivity.
5. Apply the relationship of the proportionality between resistance and the length and cross
sectional area of a wire to solve problems
6. Differentiate emf of a source and potential difference (PD) across a circuit
7. Given an emf source connected to a resistor, determine the power supplied or dissipated by each
element in the circuit
8. Solve problems involving current, resistivity, resistance, and Ohms Law in contexts such as, but
not limited to, batteries and bulbs, household wiring, and selection of fuses.
9. Operate devices for measuring current and voltages
10. Draw a circuit diagrams with power sources (cell or battery), switches, lamps, resistors (fixed and
variable) fuses, ammeters and voltmeters

What I Know

1. If the current through a floodlamp is 6.35 A what charge passes through it in 5 minutes? How
many electrons it is?
2. Suppose you want to connect a remote speaker to your stereo. It needs to be 20 m away. You are
using copper wire. What should be the diameter of the wire if the resistance of each wire must be
less than 0.10 Ω (ohms)?
3. How long is a wire made from 85 cm3 of copper if its
resistance is 20 ohms? The resistivity of copper is 1.7
x10-5 ohm-m.
4. Consider the I-V Graph. (1) Is it Ohmic or non-ohmic?

5. Calculate the resistance of the material at 8 volts.

 6. Identify which loads are in series and parallel
connection

7. For the given circuit below, what is the equivalent

resistance between points A and B?

8-10. Calculate the power delivered to each resistor

What’s New?
Do you remember what electricity is? in simple words, it can refer to the flow of electrons from
atom to atom. You’ve learned on the previous modules that we can detach electrons from an
outer shell of an atom through various ways - one of that is through a “push”, an electrical force,
from a nearby charged object.
That relates to the idea that electrons in an atom will move if the atom was subjected to an electric
field E: Yes, it will move following the path from the region with high potential to the region with
low potential
So, our aim is to make the electrons flow. (That is what we need to do) I am highlighting the
word flow, since there is a slight difference when we say transfer and flow. Flow refers to a
continuous movement.

What Is It
I. The Analogy. The “flow” of electrons is called electric current. As said earlier, e moves from
high to low potential. This mean that is we have a potential difference between two points.., e will
move. Lets use an illustration…
 o Think of this: flow of water means the amount of water passing through a certain section
of the pipe at any given time right? in the same way, electric current means the
amount of charge passing through a certain section of the wire at any given time. And
like water which flows only if theres a change in pressure, electrons will only flow if
there’s a pressure difference on a section..

HIGH PRESSURE LESS PRESSURE

SAME PRESSURE

same pressure = no water flow Different pressure = water flows

(From area with more pressure to
area with less pressure)

In the same way. .Electrical pressure

Direction of current
difference = Electrons to flow here…
(conventional)

HIGH VOLTS LOW

(9v VOLTS (0V There is a flow inside this
terminal) Terminal) connecting wire.
(0

o So.. if electron flow is analogous to water, so it means that metal wire can run out of
electrons since pipes run out of water too? When does the metal wire run out of
electrons?
o Answer is No. That is the reason the water analogy can be misleading, much better
analogy is the picture below. Imagine the wire as the pipe, and the balls inside are
the free electrons on each atoms. So the wire has a “chain” of electrons inside, if there
is no pressure, the ball stays still but if there is a push on one end, all balls will
move: Its just like the ball just swaps location. Similarly inside the wire.
o If there is no current, it does NOT simply mean that the wire don’t have the electrons
inside.. its just there, but like staying still (averagely speaking)
 Note: It's a closed
electrical circuit. The
This is la better illustration. We think
electrons go around
of electrons like the ball insidel if and around in the
you put pressure on one end, ALL wires; like your blood in
the “ball” will move, like swapping the body, it is a closed
positions to the right.. loop.

*more about this later.

II. Calculating the electric current

1 Ampere means 1
Question 1.1 If the current through a floodlamp is 6.35 A what charge passes Coulomb of charge
through it in 5 minutes? How many electrons it is? passing at this cross
Answer: Q=It = 6.35 (300 s) = 1905 C (well, that’s a lot of charge) section per second

Then.. 1905 C x (1 e / 1.60 x 10^-19) = 11.90625x10^21 (that’s a lot of

electrons!!!)
Another equation to remember:

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KM5bq0O48o

III. How to increase Electric Current?

Like to increase the amount of water flowing in a cross section of a pipe, what we need to
consider is: (1) less obstruction inside the pipe (2) think of the shape of the pipe (3) exert higher
pressure. Lets relate this to electricity.

1. “Less obstruction inside” In electricity this is what we called Resistance. Resistance is like the
measure of the “obstructions” inside the wire that resist efficient “flow” of electrons. Are there really
obstructions inside? Hmm.. somehow, impurities inside the wire might act as obstructions and it
depends on the nature of the wire, what material it is made of. (some materials are really good
conductor, some are not). Each material has a chemical property known as resistivity ρ “rho”
(measure in ohm-meter)
Note:
a. High resistivity means the material has more tendency to resist the flow (poor
conductor)
 b. Low resistivity means the material has the tendency to let the flow going. (good
conductor)
So.. material of the wire is really important

Silver is a better conductor

than copper. It has low
resistivity

Just compare the resistivity

of each material to find out
which is a better conductor
or not.

Hard rubber is a better

insulator than glass or a dry
paper

c. Did you know, temperature also affects resistance? Typically, the higher the
temperature the greater the resistance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaXggeH-dEo

2. “Consider the shape of the pipe”. small (diameter) pipe is more resistant to flow. And make this
type of pipe longer gives you poor flow. This is also true to wires..
So what to do for good electrical flow? THICK wires + shorter length..
 To calculate the resistance (measured in ohms, Ω “omega”) in terms of the cross sectional
area of the wire and its length, you can use this formula.

Question 1.2: Suppose you want to connect a remote speaker to your stereo. It needs to
Note:
be 20 m away. You are using copper wire. What should be the diameter of the wire if the
resistance of each wire must be less than 0.10 Ω (ohms)? Resistance changes
depending on the
R=ρ(L/A) shape and size of the
wire while resistivity
A = ρ(L/R) = (1.68x10-8 )(20) / 0.10 = 3.36x10-6 m2 does not. Resistivity
(Area of circle) A = πr2; so through calculation r = 1.034x10-3 m ; diameter is solely depends on the
type of the material
D=2.07 mm

(so your wire should be 2.07 mm thick )

Question 1.3: How long is a wire made from 85 cm3 of copper if its resistance is 20 ohms? The resistivity
of copper is 1.7 x10-5 ohm-m.
Ans: L=10m, find the solution.

3. “Exert high pressure”. High pressure on a pipe makes the water flow faster. This is also true inside
the wires. Electrical pressure commonly known as the electrical potential; when there is a pressure
difference (potential difference), charges will flow. So we need to build high pressure difference
between the circuit. Take battery (dry cell) as an example; battery serves as a “pump” that exerts
 pressure on the circuit. You will see the word “EMF” (Electromotive Emf is the
force a.k.a. source voltage) on batteries or any source of the electrical voltage developed between two
pressure, it gives you idea how much of Joules of energy given by the terminals of a battery or
source divided by each Coulomb to enable a unit electric charge to move source, in the absence of electric
across the circuit. current. Voltage is
a. Did you know: As time goes by, battery dies why? the potential difference develop
ed between the two electrode
i. A dry cell stores energy chemically.
potentials of a battery
ii. There is chemical reaction happening that under any conditions.
makes one part of the battery with an excess
of electrons, and another part with a lack of
electrons.
iii. The excess electrons want to go to the other side (because like charges
repel) so.,that generates electrical pressuer
iv. The battery will die if it cannot create the chemical reaction anymore..

b. Did you know: Electrical components such as light bulb also have resistance? If
this resistive component (can called as resistors) where placed/connected in the
middle of a wire, then it acts like a big obstruction, making the flow of the
electrons harder..

II. Relationship between Current, Resistance and Electrical Pressure

In early 1800’s A man named George Simon Ohm found that electricity acts like water in a
pipe. Ohm discovered that the current in a circuit is directly proportional to the electric pressure and
inversely to the resistance of the conductors:
I=V/R
(commonly known as Ohm’s Law)
Question 1.3: At a certain section of a circuit, the
resistance of the materials is calculated at 18 ohms and
the current is 15 amps, what is the potential difference at
that section?
Answer: V=IR = 15(18) = 270 V

Did you know that Ohm’s Law is not actually a law? The equation V=IR is only applicable if
the material or the resistive component (resistors) in a circuit is considered to be “ohmic”. Ohmic
materials obeys ohm’s law. Non-Ohmic materials do not.
Here is the Current-Voltage (I-V) Graphs of some
non-ohmic resistors. You’ll see that the increase in
voltage is not directly proportional to the current
and creates a non-linear graph. Some of these
materials are the filament lamp and thermistors.

Figure 1. Filament Lamp

Question 1.6: Consider the I-V Graph below. (1) Is it Ohmic or non-ohmic? (2) Calculate the
resistance of the material at 8 volts.

This is non-ohmic. The material do not follows a linear I-V graph. At 8 V the current of the material is..
20 amps (check the graph). So the resistance of the material is R=V/I= 8/20 = 0.4 ohms
IV. Basic Circuit
1. Loads (electrical components such as bulb etc) + wires + source (EMF) = circuit

2. How electron flows in a circuit?

a. The conventional current (what they think it was)
b. The electron flow (the reality)

Did you know? Benjamin

Franklin set the direction
of the conventional
current. He called one
side positive because he
thought that was the side
that had the excess
electrons, so “positive”
meant excess. BUT we
now know that it is the
negative side with the
excess electrons.. So in
reality the electron flows
from negative to
positive.

When doing computation

use the conventional
3. Drawing a Circuit. current, because that is
a. Pictorial Diagram the convention we are
using.. electrical plans
b. Schematic Diagram
use this, commercially
speaking they use it..
(even though the
electrons really flows in
the opposite way)
 A pictorial circuit diagram uses
simple images of components, while a
schematic diagram shows the
components of the circuit as simplified
standard symbols; both types show the
connections between the devices,
including power and signal
connections.

An ammeter is a measuring device

used to measure the electric current in
a circuit. A voltmeter is connected in
parallel with a device to measure its
voltage, while an ammeter is connected
in series with a device to measure its
current.

4. Loads in Series and Parallel Connection

In simple words…
1. a series circuit is made by connecting the end of one device to the beginning of
another (its like sets of components on a same wire).
2. In parallel circuits the same terminals of both devices are connected together.

These bulbs are These bulbs are

connected in series connected in
(because it looks parallel (looks like
like they are they branched out
connected on a from a parent
one continuous wire)
wire)

Parallel Connections
Branches out from a parent
wire.. so the technique is
tracing the wire.. do not be
fooled by the schematic
diagram.
 Remember:

Loads in Series Loads in Parallel

Connection: Connection:

One pathway Two or more pathways

branched out from a
One pathway = one common wire
current (Ex: if there are 3
loads connected on the Current splits
same pathway, then they
Voltage between loads
have the same current)
the same
Voltage between loads is
shared in ratio to
resistance

Resistance adds up.

Draws less
current,battery last
longer

Question 1.7.
Identify which loads are in series and parallel
connection
*answer at the last page

5. Calculating the Equivalent Resistance

Why interested in calculating resistance

toal? Because it will tells you the
current..

We connect our appliances in parallel,

because the electrical pressure of loads
in parallel connections are the same.. if
you connect it in series, electrical
pressure drop happen causing the
appliance to not work to their full
capacity. the electrical energy drawn
from the source is shared by all the
appliance connected in series.
Figure 2. Equivalent Resistance Example
Question 1.8: Show the solution for Figure 2.
Example 1.1: Finding the Equivalent Resistance
For the given circuit below, what is the equivalent resistance between points A and B?

The two resistors R1 and R2 with value 4 ohms are in series. So, their equivalent resistance value will be:

So our circuit will look like this now..

Rs , R3 and R4 are now in parallel. The equivalent resistance of the circuit.

Example 1.2: Difficult Equivalent Resistance Problem

To get the Equivalent Resistance we combine resistors in series and in parallel. Here, 6 ohms and 3 ohms
are in parallel. So, the equivalent resistance is given as

Also, the 1ohms and 5ohm resistors are in series. Hence the equivalent resistance will be given as,

So.. this is what it looks like now (simplified)

After reduction, we now notice, 2 ohms and 2 ohms are in series, so the equivalent resistance
This 4ohm resistor is now in parallel with the 6ohm resistor. So, their equivalent resistance will be given
as

Now replacing the above circuit with appropriate values, the three resistors will be in series. So, the final
equivalent resistance is given as

6. Power Dissipation of each Load

To calculate the power disspated at each load, you can use the ff formulas:
P=IV or
P = RI2 (If given the current) or
P=V2/R (If current is not given)
Question 1.9: Calculate the power delivered to each resistor
Identify: Calculate the power delivered to each resistor
Set-Up: We need to calculate the current passing at the 4 ohm resistor, first we need to add labels for the
current in each wire, we label I1 to the current passing at the source, the 2ohm resistor and the 4 ohm
resistor, I2 to the current passing to the 1 ohm resistor, and I3 to the current passing to the 3 ohm resistor.
The goal is to calculate the equivalent resistance for us to find out current I1.
Execute:

Req = 2 + Req(1) +4
Req = 2 + ¾ + 4
Req = 27/4 ohms
Given Vsource = IReq we can find I.
I =Vsource / Req = (20)/(27/4) = 80/27 amps = I1

Through analysis we know that I1 = I2 + I3 in this example.

We know what I1 is.. so we need another equation to get the other missing variables, I2 and I3
Clue: Since the 3 ohm and the 1 ohm resistors are parallel to each other, then there voltage drop is
the same. V=IR, we get:
Vat3ohm = V at 1ohm
I3 (3) = I2 (1)
3I3=I2
So we can substitute now the value of I2 to find I1
I1=I2+I3
80/27 = 3I3 +I3
80/27 = 4I3
I3= 20/27 amps Note: some student are just looking to
sample problems and then copy the step
by step solution. However, please
And then we will get I2: remember that each problem has
different solution.
I2=3I3
Example: Here we know that I1=I2+I3,
I2 = 3(20/27) this is TRUE in this example, but it is not
I2=60/27 amps always applicable to other problems you
may encounter.

Now we know the values of I1, I2 and I3.. we can now get So.. this tells you that be mindful on the
the amount of power delivered on each load. concept: specially what happens in every
wire and every load in a series parallel
Power dissipated = power used/wasted circuit.

Power used @ 2 ohm resistor = R(I12) = (2)(80/27)2 = 12800/729 watts

Power used @ 4 ohm resistor = R(I12) = (4)(80/27)2 = 25600/729 watts
Power used @ 1 ohm resistor = R(I22) = (1)(60/27)2 = 3600/729 watts
Power used @ 3 ohm resistor = R(I3 2) = (3)(20/27)2 = 1200/729 watts

So.. the total power dissipated is equals to 1600/27 or 59.26 watts

So this means that the source supplied 59.26 watts (joules per second) to the circuit.
Checking: Power supplied @ source = IV = I1(20) = (80/27)(20)=59.26 watts
So our computation is correct!
For more information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbzGi3EiwVo
 Whats More?

1. Find the current through the battery

Solution: https://www.electrical4u.com/equivalent-resistance/

2. Calculate the power supplied by the battery, and the power used by each resistors.
3. Can you read this electrical plan of a house? If yes, what does it say?

https://www.edrawmax.com/house-wiring-diagram/
 What I have learned?
1. Distinguish between conventional current vs. electron flow
2. Apply the relationship charge = current x time to new situations or to solve related problems
3. Describe the effect of temperature increase on the resistance of a metallic conductor,
4. Describe the ability of a material to conduct current in terms of resistivity and conductivity.
5. Apply the relationship of the proportionality between resistance and the length and cross
sectional area of a wire to solve problems
6. Differentiate emf of a source and potential difference (PD) across a circuit
7. Given an emf source connected to a resistor, determine the power supplied or dissipated by each
element in the circuit
8. Solve problems involving current, resistivity, resistance, and Ohms Law in contexts such as, but
not limited to, batteries and bulbs, household wiring, and selection of fuses.
9. Operate devices for measuring current and voltages
10. Draw a circuit diagrams with power sources (cell or battery), switches, lamps, resistors (fixed and
variable) fuses, ammeters and voltmeters

What I Can Do?

Watch the following video and create a 2-5 minute video summarizing the concepts of the following in
Taglish:
1. What current is; What resistance is? What electric potential is; What affects resistance?
2. What is EMF? What is Terminal Voltage? How it relates to energy?
3. Calculate the Total Resistance Rtot of the circuit
4. Calculate power dissipation of each element in the circuit
5. Application and significance of this concepts in real life.

Water Analogy to Electrical Systems: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoRlclML3tE

Explaining EMF: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k077CwKGiwk

Grading Rubrics: (Please refer to our demonstration rubrics in the previous modules)
 Assessment:
Answer the following questions:
(For Items 1-3) The graph below shows the current vs. voltage characteristics (IV) graph of a filament
lamp.

1. At 4.0 V, the current of the filament lamp is?

a. 8x10-3A c. 16x10-3A

b. 0.5x10-3A d. Need more information

2. At 4.0V, the resistance of the filament lamp is?

a. 0.25 Ohms c. 8000 Ohms

b. 250 Ohms d. 4000 Ohms

3. Base on its IV Graph, the filament bulb is a/an?

a. Ohmic c. Same

b. Non-Ohmic d. Need more information

For Items 4 and 5:

4. Draw the schematic diagram of the figure:

5. Show the direction of the conventional current in the diagram.
6. Compute for the resistivity of the wire (see figure below);

7. Which of the following statements are true?

a. High conductivity of a wire means that it is more capable for handling currents
b. High resistivity of a wire means that it is more capable in handling current.
c. EMF or Electromotive force is the ideal voltage of a source.
d. Voltage is potential difference between two points while EMF is the ideal voltage

Problem Solving:
8-9. A household water heater has a resistance of 30 Ohm. The operating voltage is 220 V. Find the
following:
a. the current passing through the resistive element in the water heater
b. the rate at which water is being heated
10-11. A light bulb has a 25 W rating, and it is plugged into a socket with terminals at a 220 V potential
difference. Assuming that the current is steady at this voltage and power, find the
(a) current passing through the lightbulb and
(b) the resistance of the lightbulb.

For Item 12, refer to the figure below.

12. Find the emf of the battery if the internal resistance of the battery is 1 Ohm.

13. A person notices a mild shock if the current along a path through the thumb and index finger exceeds
80x10 -6 A. Compare the maximum possible voltage without shock across the thumb and index finger
with a dry skin resistance of 4.0x10 5 Ohms and a wet skin resistance of 2000 Ohms.

14. If a current of 60.0 mA exist in a metal wire, how many electrons flow pass a given cross section of
the wire in 10 minutes? In what direction do the electrons travel with respect to the current?

15-16. In a 3 m length of a wire with a uniform radius of 0.40 cm, a potential difference of 10.0 V is
found to produce a current of 0.40 A.
What is
a.) the resistance of the wire?
b.) the resistivity of the wire?

Refer to the circuit below:

17. What is the equivalent resistance of the circuit?

18. If the circuit is connected to a 12 V source, how much power is supplied to the circuit?
19. How much power is dissipated in the 12 Ohm resistor?
20. How much power is dissipated in the 5.0 Ohm resistor?
21. How much power is dissipated in the 6.0 Ohm resistor?

Multiple Choices
1. Resistor A has a resistance of 12 ohms and Resistor B has a resistance of R ohms. If these resistors
were combined in a circuit, the equivalent resistance is 3.0 ohms. What is the value of R and how it
should be connected to Resistor A?
a. 2.4 ohms, parallel
b. 2.4 ohms, series
c. 9.0 ohms, series
d. 4.0 ohms, parallel
e. 4.0 ohms, series

2. Find the current in the source; given the source to be 20 V, and the loads in the circuit, four 20 ohm
resistors, are connected in parallel.
a. 0.25 A
b. 1.0 A
c. 4.0 A
d. 5.0 A
e. 100 A

3. Wire A and Wire B have the same lengths but different diameters. They are connected in parallel to
a battery. Which of the following quantity is NOT the same for the wires?
a. The potential difference between both ends
b. Current
 c. Electric field
d. Drift velocity

4. The EMF of a battery is equal to its terminal potential difference:

a. Under all conditions
b. Only when it is charged
c. Only when the current is large
d. Only when there is no current
e. Under no conditions

5. The current in the 5.0 ohm resistor is?

For items 6-7. Refer to figure below.

In the figure, all the bulbs are identical and all the batteries are identical.

6. In which circuit the bulbs be dimmest?

7. In which circuit the bulbs be brightest
A. Reflection:
Write your personal insights about the lesson using the prompts below.
I understand that _____________.
I realize that __________________.

Reflective Journal Rubric

Evidence of 5 3 2 Score
Thoughtfulness
Focuses reflections on
the topics, activities or 15%
tasks presented in the
activity.
Supports reflections 25%
with examples based
on a personal account
or real-life experience.
Reveals feelings 5%
(negative or positive)
towards the topic or
work with explanation.
Relates current 10%
insights with the
past/present/
Future applications
Relates lessons
learned with what one
already knows/to a
real-life situation.
Encompasses all 15%
topics discussed or
assigned as coverage
of reflection
Presents no idea that is 15%
questionable.
Others (Pls. specify)
Submitted on Time 10%
Final Mark 100%

Final Mark 100%

Additional Activities
Watch the following videos: Module 6: Playlist
Sample problems Electric current using Q=It:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnerSf7sSw8

Explaining what really happen inside the wire microscopically (Drift Velocity):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-En7qY5vzY

Explaining EMF:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k077CwKGiwk

Equivalent Resistance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjW4H3fKi8o

Power Dissipation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zILtv-Yll-0

Discussion Forum:
Which specific learning in this module you find new? or which of the following you find interesting?