Electric Current and Electric Charge

1. What is Electric Charge

 It is the basic property of matter
 It causes attraction and repulsion in matter in presence of other matter
 The amount of electricity contained in an object is called Electric Charge It is denoted by Q.
2. What are Different Types of Charges

There are 2 types Of Charges

 Positive Charge
 Negative Charge
3. Important Property of Electric Charge
 Unlike Charges Attract Each Other
 So Positive Charge Attracts Negative Charge
 Like Charges Repel Each other


Protons They have Positive

Electrons They have Negative Charge
Neutrons They have no Charge

4. What is Electric Current

It is the flow of Electric Charges in Conductor

It is the amount of Electric Charge flowing in a body in 1 Second. It is denoted by I.

Electric Current = Electric Charge/Time

I = Q/t

What is SI unit of Electric Current

It is measured in Ampere. It is denoted by A

Electric Current = Electric Charge/Time

1 Ampere = 1 Coulomb/1 Second

What are Different Units of Electric Current?

It is measured in Ampere, Milliampere and Microampere

Ampere Milliampere Microampere

It is the SI Unit of Electric Current It is smaller unit of Electric Current 1 mA = 10 A

It is named after French Scientist Andre
Marie Ampere
As Electric current = Electric
Charge/Time
So, 1 Ampere = 1 Coulomb/1 Second
One ampere is defined as the current
produced when a charge
of 1 coulomb flows for 1 second.
1000 Milli Ampere = 1 Ampere
1 Milliampere = 1/1000 Ampere
1 Milliampere = 10 Ampere
It is even smaller unit of Electric Current
10,00,000 Milliamperes = 1 Ampere
1 Milliampere = 1/1000000 Ampere
1 Microampere = 10 Ampere
1 μA = 10 A
In Circuit Diagram, it is represented that Electric Current flows From Positive end to
negative end

This is because when electricity was first discovered, the existence of electrons was
not known

How is Electric Current Measured?

it is measured with the help of Ammeter. This instrument is connected in a series in an

electric circuit

Electric Potential Difference

Suppose we take 2 water tanks placed at the same level and fill them with water. We connect both with a tube Does Water
flow from one tank to another?

Answer No This is because there is no pressure

What if we increase height of one tank. Does Water flow from one tank to another?

Answer Yes This is because water now flows from tank having higher pressure to tank having lower pressure Hence, for flow of
water, there should be difference in water pressure

Similarly for flow of electricity, there should be difference in Electricity Pressure

This difference in Electric Pressure is called Potential Difference

What is Potential Difference?

The potential difference between two points in an electric circuit is defined as the work done to Move unit Electric Charge from
one Point to another in an electric circuit

Potential Difference = Work Done/Charge

V = W/Q

How is Potential Difference Measured?

It is measured in Volt (V) It is named after Italian Physicist Alessandro Volta

Potential Difference = Work Done/Charge

Since Potential Difference is measured in Volt(V), Work Done in Joule (J) and Charge in coulomb(C).

1 Volt = 1 Joule/1 Coulomb 1

V = 1 J /1 C

Hence, 1 Volt is amount of potential difference produced when 1 Joule of Work is

done to move 1 Coulomb of Charge from One point to another, in an electric circuit.

How is Potential Difference Measured?

It is measured by Device called Voltmeter It is always connected parallel to points

where potential difference is to be measured Potential difference between two
points in an electric circuit can be created with the help of cell or battery.
What is an Electric Circuit

It is a continuous and closed path through which electric current flows It contains different components like Cell or Battery Plug
Key Wires Electric Components (like Ammeter,Voltmeter) Bulb etc

What is Circuit Diagram

It is a diagram which shows how different components of circuit are connected

When we close the switch, the bulb glows

Ammeter

Ammeter is the device used to measure the electric current in a circuit.

Voltmeter

Voltmeter is the device used to measure the potential difference/voltage in a circuit. A voltmeter is connected across a resistor
or a combination of resistors.

Rheostat

The component used to regulate current without changing the voltage is called variable resistance or rheostat.

What is Ohm's Law?

Current flowing through a conductor is directly proportional to potential difference across its ends

Provided physical conditions like temperature remains the same

V∝I

Example Electric Current in Amperes Potential Difference

if we see If electric Current Increases, Potential Difference increases

If electric Current Decreases, Potential Difference decreases

Potential Difference is directly proportional to Electric Current

V∝I
V = constant × I

V/I = constant This constant is known as Resistance.

V = IR

What is Meaning of Resistance

The Property of Conductor due to which it opposes the flow of current through it

This is because Resistance is inversely Proportional to Electric Current

As per Ohm's Law Resistance is always constant for a given electric wire of a particular shape at a particular temperature it is
calculated as follows

Resistance = Potential Difference/Current

What is SI Unit of Resistance

It is Measured in ohm 1 Ohm = 1 Volt/1 Ampere

Explanation

Resistance = Potential Difference/Current Resistance is Measured in Ohm,

Potential Difference in Volt and Current in Ampere

1 ohm = 1 Volt/1 Ampere

1 Ω = 1 V/1

V = IR

Note Resistance is Inversely Proportional to Current

It means that if we increase Resistance ,Electric Current Decreases

If we decrease Resistance, Electric Current Increases

NCERT Question 7 The values of current I flowing in a given resistor for the corresponding values of potential difference V
across the resistor are given below – I (amperes) 0.5 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 V (volts) 1.6 3.4 6.7 10.2 13.2 Plot a graph between V and I
and calculate the resistance of that resistor.

NCERT Question 8 The values of current I flowing in a given resistor for the corresponding values of potential difference V
across the resistor are given below – I (amperes) 0.5 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 V (volts) 1.6 3.4 6.7 10.2 13.2 Plot a graph between V and I
and calculate the resistance of that resistor.

Example 12.3 How much current will an electric bulb draw from a 220 V source, if the resistance of the bulb filament is 1200
Ω? (b) How much current will an electric heater coil draw from a 220 V source, if the resistance of the heater coil is 100 Ω?

Example 12.4 The potential difference between the terminals of an electric heater is 60 V when it draws a current of 4 A from
the source. What current will the heater draw if the potential difference is increased to 120 V?

Question 1 Potential difference between two points of a wire carrying 20 ampere current is 1 Volt. Calculate the
resistance between these points.
Question 2 A simple electric circuit has a 24 V battery and a resistor of 6 ohms. What will be the current in the circuit?
Question 3 An electric iron draws a current of 3.4 A from the 220 V supply line. What current will this electric iron
draw when connected to 110 V supply line?
Factors on which Resistance of Conductor Depends
It depends upon following factors

1. Length of Conductor

Resistance of a conductor is directly proportional to its length R ∝ l

if we increase the length of a wire (conductor),its resistance

increases(and hence less current can pass through it) If we reduce
length,resistance decreases (and hence more current can pass through it)

2.Area of Cross Section

If we cut a wire and see through it horizontally, it is in form of a circle

This Area of Circle is called Area of Cross Section of the Wire Resistance of
a conductor is inversely proportional to its area of cross section. R ∝ 1/A

Suppose a wire is 14 mm thick It means its diameter has 14 mm

Radius=Diameter/2=14/2=7 mm

Area of Cross Section of Wire= πr

Area of Cross Section of Wire= 22/7×7 Area of Cross Section of Wire= 154 m

If we double Area of Cross Section (by increasing thickness of wire)

Resistance gets halved and hence more electricity can pass through it.

But if we reduce area of cross section (example we take thin fire)

Resistance increases and hence less electricity can pass through it

Note This is the reason that we use thick wire to carry more electrical load (as thick wire has more area of cross section and
2 2 2 wire has more area of cross section and offers less resistance and more electricity can pass through it )

3.Nature of Material Resistance also depends on the nature of the material Conductors offer less resistance(Example copper)
Insulators offer more resistance (Example Plastic)

Effect of Temperature on Resistance

In case of Pure Metals, Resistance increases on Increasing Temperature and Decreases on Decreasing Temperature.

But in case of alloys (like nichrome), Temperature has no effect on the resistance.

Now, we know that R ∝ l And, R ∝ 1/A

Combining the above two, we get R ∝ l/A

R = constant x (l/A)

R = ρ (l/A)

This constant is called resistivity. It is denoted by ρ (rho).

Electrical Resistivity

Resistivity is the characteristic property of the material by which it resists the amount of current through it.

SI Unit of resistivity is ohm meter.

Factors on which resistivity depends

 Nature of material
 Physical conditions, like temperature

On the basis of resistivity of material, different materials can be categorized

into

Conductors Those materials which have very low resistivity and allow the
current to pass through them easily. Eg copper.

Insulators Those materials which have very high resistivity and do not allow
the current to pass through them easily. Egplastic.

There are some materials whose resistivity lies between that of conductors
and insulators. They are called alloys.

Alloys are made up with one or more than one metals. (Eg Nichrome)

Note Resistivity of an Item does not depend upon length of wire or Area of Cross Section.It remains constant for a particular
material.

It is the Resistance which changes with length of wire/Area of Cross Section

Resistance in Series
In this type of combination, different resistors are joined end to end.

R = R1 + R2 + R3

Example

Suppose Resistance of 2 resistors are 20 Ω and 30 Ω

Hence, R1 = 20 Ω and R2 = 30 Ω

Total Resistance = R1 + R2 = 20 + 30 = 50 Ω

IMPORTANT POINTS When 2 Resistors are Connected in Series

1. I (Current) will be same

2. Total Potential Difference V = V1 + V2 +V3

3. Total Resistance R = R1 + R2 + R3.

Resistance in Parallel
Different Resistors are connected between 2 points parallel to each other 1/R =
1/R 1 + 1/R 2 + 1/R 3

IMPORTANT POINTS

When 2 Resistors are Connected in Parallel

1. Total Current I = I + I + I 1 2 3 2.
2. Potential Difference(v) across all both Resistors remain the same
3. 1/R = 1/R 1 + 1/R 2 + 1/R 3

Electric Circuit in Series
Electric Circuit in Parallel
Electric Power
What is Power
Rate of Doing Work is called Power
Power = Work Done/Time Taken
It is measured in Joule per second
Example Suppose 20 Joules of work is done in 4 seconds
Power =Work Done/Time Taken
=20 Joules/4 Seconds
= 5 Joules/Second
What is Electric Power Rate at which electric energy is consumed in a electrical circuit
Power = VI
What is SI unit of Power
It is Watt 1 Watt = 1 Volt × 1 Ampere
1 watt is power generated by Electrical Device when an electrical appliance is operated at Potential Difference Of 1 Volt and a
current of 1A flows through it.
What is Commercial Unit of Electric Power
It is measured in Kilowatt Hour (KWh)
Advantages
 In this case, it is easier to switch on
or off all the appliances connected
together.
 Also it is safer as less current flows
through circuit
 It is used when hundreds or
thousands of bulbs are to be used
together (So that same current
passes through all, and they can
switched on and off together.)
Example:Diwali light decoration
 Even if one electrical appliance
stops working due to some defect,
all other appliances work fine.
 Individual appliance can be turned
off or on separately
 Each electrical appliance gets the
same voltage as the power supply
line.
 Since overall Resistance of Circuit
decreases, devices can draw more
current to operate
Disadvantage
 If one electrical appliance stops
working due to some defect, then all
other appliances would stop working.
 All electrical appliances have
only one switch due to which they
can not be turned on and off
separately.
 All the appliances do not get
the same voltage as the voltage gets
divided in series combination.
 The equivalent resistance
increases too much due to which the
amount of current flowing becomes
very small.
 This method becomes
cumbersome to use if thousands of
bulbs/appliances are to be switched
on or off
 It is less safe as more current can
pass through the circuit
1 Kilowatt hour = 1000 Watt × 3600 Second

1 Kilowatt hour = 3600000 Watt Second

1 Kilowatt hour = 3.6 × 10 watt seconds

1 Kilowatt hour = 3.6 × 10 Joule

Heating Effect of Electric Current

Electric Energy = Electric power × Time

It is Measured in Watt second or Joule

Meaning of Heating Effect

When an electric current passes through a conductor the conductor becomes hot after some time and produces heat This is
called heating effect of Electric Current

Example 1

A bulb becomes hot after its use for some time.This is because of heating effect of electric current

Example 2

When we switch on an electric iron,it becomes hot.This is also because of heating effect of electric current

H = I2RT

This is known as Joule's law of heating.

The law implies that the heat produced in a resistor is

directly proportional to the square of current for a given resistance

 It means if we double the current,the heat becomes 4 times

 if we half the current,the heat becomes 1/4 times
 Hence,more the current,more the heat. Less the current,less heat produced.

ii. directly proportional to resistance for a given current

It means if we use a wire made of metal having more resistance (like nichrome wire),it will produce more heat

But if we use wire made of metal having less resistance (like copper),it will produce less heat

iii. directly proportional to the time for which the current flows through the resistor

It means if we switch on an electric gadget for more time, it will get heated up more

But if we use an electric gadget for less time (switch it off after use),it will get less heated

Why do some electric appliances get heated up more (like electric iron) while others get heated up less(like TV)

It is because electric iron has a heating element like high resistance wire which help in converting most of electric energy

into heat energy

1. H = (VI)t

2. H = I2Rt

Applications of Heating Effect of Electric Current

Heating Effect of Electric Current is Used in Various Appliances like

 Electric Bulb
 Electric Iron
 Electric Fuse

Electric Bulb

 Electric bulb contains following Thin Filament made of Tungsten metal

 Connecting Copper Wire to make current pass Glass Covering Argon or
Nitrogen Gas enclosed in the bulb
 When electric current is passed through tungsten filament it glows and produces light and heat

Note

 Tungsten Metal is used to make filament because It offers higher resistance ,and produces more heat
it has very high melting point (3380 Degree Celsius) .It does not melt while producing heat
 Argon or nitrogen Gas is used instead of Oxygen in Glass Bulb because they do not react with tungsten like oxygen
 This makes the bulb last longer

Electric Iron and Electric Kettle

These contain Coils(Circular wires) made of Nichrome Metal Connecting Copper Wires

Note = Nichrome is an alloy of nickel and chromium

It offers high resistance and produce large amount of heat

They are connected to copper wires which are good conductor of electricity but offer

very little resistance and hence very less heat

Hence, When electric current is passed Copper wire doesn't heat up, it only passes
electricity to Nichrome Coil

But Nichrome Coils get heated up producing large amount of heat

This heat is used for ironing clothes or heating water.

Electrical Fuse

Fuse is an electrical safety device

If excess current flows through an appliance ,it breaks off the circuit

Thus it prevents overheating of appliance and electrical fires

How does Fuse work?

It contains wire made of metal like aluminium,copper,lead etc these metals have low
melting point

When excess current flows through circuit,the metal wire melts.

Thus, breaking the circuit

Thus it prevents overheating of electrical appliance and electrical fires.