ELECTRICAL

QUANTITIES
& UNITS
CURRENT,
VOLTAGE, AND
RESISTANCE
 Refraction Question
How does charge affect current?

Learning Objectives:

1. differentiate current, voltage,

and resistance, and
2. use Ohm’s law to calculate
current, voltage, and resistance in
simple electric circuits.
 off on

When the switch is off, there is no current.

When the switch is on, there is current.
 CURRENT
• The flow of electric charge
• Measured in AMPERES (A)
• Rate at which charge
passes by a point on the
circuit. Faucet (Switch)
Tank (Battery)

Current is the measure Pipe (Wiring)

of how much charge (q) Pipe (Wiring)

is passed through a When the faucet (switch) is off, is there any flow
(current)?
given point in a NO
conductor per given When the faucet (switch) is on, is there any flow
(current)?
amount of time (t). YES
 CURRENT
Mathematically,

Q Charge (C)
Current (A)
I=
t
Intensity of the
electricity in a
wire
Time (s)
CURRENT
 CURRENT FLOW

Conventional Current assumes that

current flows out of the positive side of
the battery, through the circuit, and Conventional
back to the negative side of the battery. Current
This was the convention established
when electricity was first discovered,
but it is incorrect!
Electron Flow is what actually
happens. The electrons flow out of the Electron
negative side of the battery, through Flow
the circuit, and back to the positive
side of the battery.
 Sample Problem

A 2 mm long cross-section of wire is isolated and 20 C

of charge is determined to pass through it in 40 s.
Determine the current.

I=Q/t
= (20 C) / (40 s)
= 0.5 C/s = 0.5 A
 Sample Problem
A gadget runs for 120s while drawing 0.25 A of
current. How many Coulombs of charge does
the gadget contain?
Solution:
Given:
t= 120 s , I = 0.25 A
 VOLTAGE
The force (pressure) that causes current to flow.
The greater the voltage, the greater the force or
“pressure” that drives the charge through the circuit.
- measured in VOLTS (V)

Tank (Battery) Faucet (Switch)

Pipe (Wiring)
 VOLTAGE
Mathematically,

W Energy = Work
VOLTAGE
V=
q Charge

j
V=
C
Voltage in a
Circuit

off on

The battery provides voltage that will push

current through the bulb when the switch is on.
 RESISTANCE
The opposition of current flow
The greater the resistance, the less
Tank (Battery)
current gets through. Faucet
(Switch)
- measured in Ohms (Ω)
Pipe (Wiring)

What happens to the flow (current) if a rock

gets lodged in the pipe?
Flow (current) decreases.
Resistance in a Circuit
RESISTANCE
Resistor

off on

Resistors are components that create resistance.

Reducing current causes the bulb to become more dim.
 MULTIMETER
An instrument used to measure the properties of an
electrical circuit, including
Voltage Volts
Current Amps
Resistance Ohms
 Definition of Terms

Current is the measure of how much charge (q) is

passed through a given point in a conductor per given
amount of time (t).

Voltage is the electric pressure that causes current to

flow

Resistance is the opposition a material offers to

current
 OHM’S LAW
Current in a resistor varies in direct proportion to the
voltage applied to it and is inversely proportional to the
resistor’s value

The mathematical relationship between

current, voltage, and resistance
Quantities Abbreviations Units Symbols

Voltage V Volts V

Current I Amperes A
Resistance R Ohms Ω
 OHM’S LAW CHART
Cover the quantity that is unknown.

Solve for V
V
I xR
V=IR
Ohm’s Law Chart
OHM’S LAW CHART
Cover the quantity that is unknown.

Solve for I
V
I=V/R
I R
Ohm’s Law Chart
OHM’S LAW CHART
Cover the quantity that is unknown.

Solve for R
V
R=V/I
I R
 OHM’S LAW
The flashlight shown uses a 6 volt battery and has a
bulb with a resistance of 150 W. When the flashlight is
on, how much current will be drawn from the battery?

Schematic Diagram
IR
V
+
VT = VR I R
-

VR 6V
IR = = = 0.04 A = 40 mA
R 150 W
 Sample Problem
1. How much current flows through a lamp with
resistance 90Ω when it is connected to a 220-V
outlet?
Solution:
Given: R = 90Ω , V = 220 V
 Sample Problem
2. What is the resistance of a lamp which allows
0.8 A current when 110.0 V is applied to it?

Solution:
Given:
 Sample Problem
3. What is the voltage across a resistor with a
resistance of 10Ω that has a current of 20A
going through it?
Solution:
Given:
Practice with Ohm’s Law

Ohms Volts Amps

4 100 25
15 150 10
2 30 15
9 45 5
6 48 8