DIRECT CURRENT

Electric Current (I)

Current electricity is about moving charged particles. If you allow the charge that builds up in static
electricity to flow, you get a current.
Current is the rate of flow of charge; it is the amount of charge flowing per second through a
conductor.
SI unit Amps (A), 1A = Cs-1. I = current (A)

𝑸 Q = charge (C)
𝑰=
𝒕
t = time (s)

Conventional current (simple current), behaves as if positive charge carriers cause current flow. Its
flow from positive terminal to the negative terminal, opposite to the flow of electrons, negative to
positive terminal.

Good conductors can conduct electricity because they have free electrons. Example, metals, etc.
Bad conductor (insulator) has no free electrons. Example plastic, rubber, glass etc.

Example 1

A charge of 12 C passes through the filament of a car headlamp bulb in 4 s. What is the current?

Example 2

A current of 0.5 A flows for 20 s through a small electric motor. How much charge has passed?

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Tonga High School F6 Physics 2022 Compiled by Gerard Tupou
Example 3

A current of 200 mA flows for 2 minutes. How much charge has passed?

Voltage

Refers to the work done to move a positive test charge from one location to another. The term
“work” can be replaced with the term “electric potential energy,” since to store energy in, or give
energy to, an object, work must be done.
Potential difference, electrical potential energy or voltage, electromotive force (𝜺) emf.
Symbol, V.
𝑽 = 𝑾⁄𝑸
SI unit, Volt (V). 1V = 1 J/C.

Resistance

Resistance is an opposition to current flow in an electrical circuit.

Symbol, R
SI unit, Ohms (Ω).
In conductors, resistance is directly proportional to temperature. In insulators, resistance is inversely
proportional to temperature.
Resistance is inversely proportional to current.
All electrical components have resistance.

Factors which affect resistance of a wire

i. Resistance is proportional to the length (L) of the wire 𝝆𝑳

ii. Resistance is inversely proportional to cross-section area (A) of the wire 𝑹=
𝑨
iii. Resistance depends upon the material (𝝆) of the wire.

Ohm’s Law

Electric current flowing in conductors is inversely proportional to the resistance, when voltage,
temperature, etc are remain constant.

V = voltage (V)
𝑽 = 𝑰𝑹
I = current (I)
R = resistance (R)

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Tonga High School F6 Physics 2022 Compiled by Gerard Tupou
Internal Resistance of a power supply

The chemical inside a battery, or components inside a power supply, have resistance and this also
affects the current. The resistance inside a voltage source is called internal resistance (r).
To calculate the internal resistance (r) used ohm’s law.

𝑽
𝒓=
𝑰

Electromotive force (𝜺)

The potential difference across the terminals of a voltage source, when no current is flowing from it,
is called EMF (𝜺). If a circuit is connected so that the current flows from the source, the voltage
across the terminals will be less than 𝜺.

Terminal voltage (V) = EMF – Voltage across r. 𝑽 = 𝜺 − 𝑰𝒓 OR 𝑽 = 𝑰(𝑹 + 𝒓)

Example

The potential difference across the cell when no current flow through the circuit is 3V. When the current
is 0.37 A is flowing, the terminal potential difference falls to 2.8 V. Determine the internal resistance (r)
of the cell.

Solution

𝑽 = 𝜺 – 𝑰𝒓 𝜀 = 3𝑉
𝑉 = 2.8𝑉
𝑽− 𝜺 𝟐. 𝟖 − 𝟑 𝐼 = 0.37𝐴
𝒓= = = 𝟎. 𝟓𝟒 Ω
−𝑰 −𝟎. 𝟑𝟕

Power (P)

Rate of work done.

SI unit Watts (W), 1W = 1 J/s

𝑾 𝑽𝟐
𝑷= = 𝑽𝑰 = 𝑰𝟐 𝑹 =
𝒕 𝑹

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Tonga High School F6 Physics 2022 Compiled by Gerard Tupou
Series and Parallel Circuits

When multiple resistors are used in a circuit, the total resistance in the circuit must be found before
finding the current. Resistors can be combined in a circuit in series or in parallel.

Series Circuit Parallel Circuit

 Current is constant throughout  Current is add up or share
the circuit (IT = I1 = I2….) (IT = I1 + I2 + ….)
 Voltage is add up or share,  Voltage is constant
(VT = V1 + V2 + …) (VT = V1 = V2 = ….)
RT = R1 + R2 + ….. 1 1 1
= +
𝑅𝑇 𝑅1 𝑅2

Example 1

Find the total resistance of the three resistors connected in series.

Example 2

Find the total resistance of the same three resistors now connected in parallel.

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Example 3: Combination Circuit

For the circuit diagram shown below:

Solution

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Exercise

1. A circuit diagram is shown.

Calculate:

a) The total resistance of the circuit.

b) The current leaving the battery.
c) The reading on the voltmeter.
d) The current in the 3 Ω resistances

2. Consider the following circuit and answer the questions that follow:
a) Calculate the total resistance of the circuit.
b) What is the voltage drop across the 3 Ω resistors?
c) Calculate the energy dissipated in the 4 Ω resistors in 5 minutes.

3. Mark has a battery-operated CD player that he wants to connect to his car battery. The voltage of
his car battery is 12.0 V and his CD player is marked “4.5 V, 30 mA”. He knows that he cannot
connect it directly to the car battery, so he decides to connect it in a circuit with a switch initially
open as shown in the diagram below.
(i) Calculate the resistance of the CD player.
(ii) Calculate the voltage across the 187.5Ω
resistor if the CD player has the correct voltage
across it when the switch is closed

4. Refer to the diagram below and answer the questions that follow

(i) Determine the reading on the ammeter.

(ii) Find the value of the unknown resistance,
R.

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Tonga High School F6 Physics 2022 Compiled by Gerard Tupou