The Nature of Electricity

Chapter 1
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 Structure of the Atom

 anything that has mass and occupies space.

MATTER

 composed of very small particles called atoms.

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 Structure of the Atom

elements atoms of only one kind

MATTER

compounds combination of elements.

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 Structure of the Atom

ATOM

SUB-ATOMIC PARTICLES

Electron

Proton
Neutron
The number of protons within the nucleus of any particular atom specifies the atomic number of that atom.
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 Structure of the Atom

ATOM

A stable (neutral) atom has a certain amount of energy, which is

equal to the sum of the energies of its electrons and have a
different energies called energy levels.

The energy level of an electron is proportional to its distance from

the nucleus.

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 Structure of the Atom

number
atomic
of
protons = number

IN
protons
= neutron
= BALANCE

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 Structure of the Atom

Electrons and nucleus

of
an atom

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 Examples Structure of the Atom

Describe the two simplest atoms.

Atom proton/s electron/s

hydrogen 1 1

helium 2 2

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 Examples Structure of the Atom
Describe the two simplest atoms.
1
Hydrogen Number of orbiting
Atom - electrons
Orbiting electron
Shell
1P
+
Nucleus
(1 proton)
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 Examples Structure of the Atom

Helium Atom
2
-
2P Nucleus
(2 protons, 2
2N neutrons)
+

-
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 third shell
4
-
8 second shell
-
Silicon Atom - 2 First shell

14 P
- - 14 N - -
+
- - -
- Nucleus
(14 protons,
-
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14 neutrons)
 Q Structure of the Atom
P
O
N
M
L
K
8
2

Nucleus
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 The Electric Charge

(+) (+)

LIKE
CHARGES
(-) (-)

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 The Electric Charge

UNLIKE
(+) (-)
CHARGES

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 The Electric Charge

The Law of Electric Charge

Like charges repel each other;

unlike charges attract each other.

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 The Coulomb

magnitude of the electric charge.

 Symbol, Q, expressed in units, C

 A charge of one negative coulomb, -Q, means a body contains
a charge of 6.25 x 1018 more electrons than protons.

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 The Coulomb

Example
What is the meaning of +Q?

Ans:

A charge of one positive coulomb means a body contains a

charge of 6.25 x 1018 more protons than electron.

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 The Coulomb

Example
2. A dielectric material has a negative charge of 12.5 x 1018
electrons. What is its charge in coulombs?

Ans:
Since the number of electrons is double the charge of I C
(1 C = 6.25 x 1018 electrons)
-Q = 2C

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 The Electrostatic Field

when two objects of opposite polarity are brought near each other,
the EF is concentrated in the area between them.

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 Potential Difference

 The difference in potential between two points that

represents the work involved or the energy released in
the transfer of a unit quantity of electricity from one point
to the other.

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 Potential Difference

 The basic unit is volt (V), indicating the ability to do the

work of forcing electrons to move, and called voltage.

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 Current

 the movement or the flow of electrons.

 To produce current, the electrons must be

moved by a potential difference.

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 Example
1. If a current of 2 A flows through a meter for 1 minute (min),
how many coulombs pass through the meter?

Ans:
1 A is 1C per second (C/s).
2 A is 2 C/s.
60 x 2C = 120 C pass through the meter in 1 min.
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 Example
Current can be expressed as an equation:
Q
I=
T

I = current, A
Q = charge, C
T = time, s
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 Current Flow

Conventional Current Flow

Electron Flow
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 Sources of Electricity
 Generator
 Chemical Battery

 Thermal Energy
 Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) Conversion
 Thermionic Emission
 Solar Cells

 Piezoelectric Effect  Thermocouples

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 Direct Current
 current that moves through a conductor or
circuit in one direction only.

 voltage sources such as cells and batteries

maintain the same polarity of output voltage
 The voltage supplied by these sources is called
direct-current voltage, or simply dc voltage.
 A dc voltage source can change the amount
of its output voltage.

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 Direct Current

+
V
-
DC current DC voltage
+I +V
Magnitude Magnitude
of current of voltage

Time Time

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 Alternating Current

 source periodically reverses or alternates in polarity

The voltage and current direction go through many

reversals each second in the system.

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 Alternating Current

AC current
AC voltage

+ +
+ +
- Time - Time

- -

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