Electric

Current
Electricity
Current and Charge
Electric Current
Learning Objectives
 Define Electric Current

 Calculate the charge flow in a circuit

 Define charge carriers

An Electric Circuit
 What do we need for an electric circuit?
Electric Current
 The electric current is the rate of flow of
charge.
 This is due to the passage of charge
carriers.
 What is the unit of current?
 What is the symbol for current?
 What is the unit of charge?
 What is the symbol for charge?
Calculating Electric Current
 From the definition

DQ = IDt
DQ
I=
Dt
Charge Carriers
 What are the charge carriers in metals?
 Conduction electrons

 What about in a salt solution?

 Ions
Conductors, Insulators and
Semiconductors
 Insulator
 Each electron is attached to an atom
and cannot move away. When p.d.
applied across insulator no current
passes through as electrons cannot
move.
Conductors, Insulators and
Semiconductors
Conductors
 most electrons are attached to
atoms but some are delocalised,
these carry charge and move
through the metal when p.d. is
applied. The electrons are
attracted towards the positive.
Conductors, Insulators and
Semiconductors
 Semiconductors
 Number of charge carriers increases
with increasing temperature.
Resistance of semiconductor
decreases as temperature is raised.
 Pure semiconductor is an intrinsic
semiconductor because conduction
is due to electrons that break free
from the atoms.
Potential Difference and
Power
Electric Current
Learning Objectives
 Define Potential Difference

 Calculate Electric Power

 Explainhow energy transfers take place in

electrical devices
Potential Difference
A component connected to a battery
has electrons delivering energy to it from
the battery.

 Eachelectron carries a fixed amount of

energy and delivers it to the component.

 Theenergy is from the chemical energy in

the battery.
Potential Difference
 Electrons
do work as they travel through a
component and transfers all or some of its
energy.

 Thework done by the electron is equal to

the energy transferred.
Calculating Potential
Difference
 Potential
difference is defined as the work
done per unit charge.
W
V=
Q
EMF – Electromotive Force
 Theemf of a source of electricity is
defined as the electrical energy
produced per unit charge passing
through the source.
Energy Transfers
 In a device that has resistance (a heater),
the work done on the device is transferred
as thermal energy. Charge carriers
repeatedly collide with atoms.
 Electric motor turning at constant speed,
work done on motor is equal to the
energy transferred to the load and
surroundings. Charge carriers are
electrons forced through wires against
opposing force on electrons due to
magnetic field.
Energy Transfers
A loudspeaker, the work done is
transferred as sound energy. Electrons are
forced through wires of the vibrating
loudspeaker coil against the force on
them due to the loudspeaker magnet.
Electrical Power
A component with potential difference
across it V and a current I running through
it;
 Charge flow through it is Q = IDt
 Work done by charge carriers W = QV = IVDt
 Energy transfer = work done and as Power
is energy/time IVDt
= IV
Dt
P = IV
Resistance
Electric Current
Learning Objectives
 Describewhat causes electrical
resistance.

 State and use Ohm’s law.

Ohm’s Law
 Find the relationship between potential
difference across and current through a
resistor.
Ohm’s Law
 Thepotential difference across a metallic
conductor is proportional to the current
through it, provided the physical
conditions do not change.
Calculating Resistance
 Theresistance of any component is
defined as
the pd across the component
Resistance =
the current through it
V
R=
I
 Unit of resistance is the ohm, W
Resistivity
Electric Current
Learning Objectives
 Define Resistivity

 Complete compulsory practical on

Resistivity

 Explain what a superconductor is.

Resistivity
 Materialproperty dependent on
temperature.
 For a conductor of length L, cross
sectional area A and resistance R
RA
Resistivity, r =
L

 Units are Wm.

Superconductors
A superconductor is a wire or device
made from a material with zero resistivity
at or below a certain temperature.
 This temperature is the critical
temperature and is based on the
material.
 No p.d. across the superconductor and so
the current does not have a heating
effect.
Superconductors
 A superconductor loses its superconductivity
once the temperature is greater than the
critical temperature.
 A material with a critical temperature above
77K (boiling point of liquid nitrogen) is a high-
temperature superconductor.
 Superconductors are used to make high-
power electromagnets generating very strong
magnetic fields like in MRI scanners and
particle accelerators.