LESSON OUTCOMES

CHAPTER 4
Able to define current, resistivity, resistance

& power.

Able to apply formula to solve problems in
resistance and resistivity
CURRENT &
Able to calculate the equivalent resistance in
series & parallel resistor arrangement.
RESISTANCE

ELECTRIC CURRENT
r

Static electricity that is electric charges at rest. Fe

When charges in motion, that is electric current.

Is defined as the net amount of charge that passes
through it per unit time at any point.
Area, A
Current (A) ∆Q
I= amount of charge that
∆t passes through the
Time interval (s) conductor, (C)

ELECTRIC CURRENT

For electric current to flow, a complete circuit is

needed.

Current will flow from +ve to –ve.
 RESISTANCE OHM’S LAW

Is the ratio of voltage to current
In many conductors, the resistance is independent of

the voltage; this relationship is called Ohm’s law.

Unit = Ohm, Ω

Symbol

RESISTIVITY, ρ RESISTIVITY

The resistance of a wire is directly proportional

to its length and inversely proportional to its
Resistivity depends on the type of the material
cross-
cross-sectional area and on the temperature.

For any given material, the resistivity increases with
Length of material, (m) temperature:
Cross-sectional area

Resistivity, (Ωm)

Material Resistivity, ρ ( Ω m)

Silver 1.59 × 10−8

Copper 1.68 × 10−8

Aluminum 2.82 × 10−8

Gold 2.44 × 10−8

Glass 1010−1014

A good electric conductors have a very low resistivity

A good insulators have very high resistivity

 POWER

Is the energy transformed by a device per unit time

P=IV = I2R

• SI unit = Watt (W)

Symbols for Circuit Elements

DC Circuits

EMF,

Electric circuit needs battery or generator to produce

current – these are called sources of emf.

A battery can transforms one type of energy
(chemical, mechanical, light and so on) into electrical
energy.

The emf,
of a battery is the maximum possible
voltage that the battery can provide between its
terminal.

There is resistance to the flow of charge within the
A circuit consisting of a resistor connected to the terminals of a battery called internal resistance, r
battery.
EMF AND TERMINAL VOLTAGE
Formula to find current

a and b – 2 terminals of the

battery

What we measure is the
terminal voltage,
Vab = Vb – Va

Formula to find terminal voltage

When no current is drawn from
the battery, the terminal
voltage equal to the emf. VT = IReq
Vab =


When current, I flows from the
battery, there is an internal VT =
- Ir
drop in voltage.

SERIES AND PARALLEL The current are the same on all resistors
⇒ I1 = I2 = I3 = I

RESISTOR The sum of voltage drop across all resistors

equals the voltage of the source
=> VS = V1 + V2 + V3

Total resistance for Series Circuit

=> Req = R1 + R2 +R3

Resistor in Series and Parallel

Series Parallel

The total current is the sum of the

current of individual resistors
VT = V1 + V2 + V3 VT = V1 = V2 = V3
⇒ I1 + I2 + I3 = I

The voltage across the resistors is the same.

=> V1 = V2 = V3 = V IT = I1 = I2 = I3 IT = I1 + I2 + I3

Total resistance for Parallel Circuits

=> 1/Req = 1R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3 Req = R1 + R2 + R3 1/Req = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3
 Solution
Example
Series and Parallel Resistors a) All the current that flows out of the battery
passes first through R1 and then R2 since
they lie along a single path. So, I – same for
both resistors
100Ω resistors are connected in a) in series b) in parallel to a
Two 100Ω
24V battery. What is the current through each resistor and what V = V1 + V2
is the equivalent resistance of the circuit? V = IR1 + IR2= I (R1+R2)

I = V / (R1+R2) = 24 / ( 100 + 100 )

= 0.120A

Req = R1+R2 = 100 + 100 Ω = 200 Ω

Or

Req = V / I = 2.4 / 0.120 = 200 Ω

Solution
b) Any given charge (or e-
e-) can flow through only one
or the other of the two resistors. Just as river may
break into 2 streams when going around an island,
here too the total current I from the battery split to
flow through each resistor, so

I = I1 + I2 , V = 24 V
I = I1 + I2 = V / R1 + V / R2= (24 / 100 )+
(24 / 100)
= 0.24 A + 0.24 A
= 0.48 A
Req = V / I = 24 / 0.48 = 50 Ω

Or

1/ Req = (1 / 100) + (1/100) = 2/100 = 1/50

Req = 50 Ω

Ammeters
Voltmeters
An ammeter measures current.
Ammeters are based on galvanometers, unless they are
A voltmeter measures voltage.
digital.

Voltmeter also are based on galvanometers, unless they
One or more shunt resistor which are connected in are digital.
parallel with the galvanometer

An additional resistance Rser is connected series with
the coil resistance r .