ELECTRICITY

1. Electric Current
2. Conventional Current
3. Electric Circuit
4. Electric Potential and Potential Difference
5. Symbols used in Circuit Diagram
6. Ohm’s Law
7. Resistance and Resistivity
8. Conductance and Conductivity
9. Series and Parallel combination of resistors
10. Heating Effect of Current
11. Joule’s Law of Heating
12. Electric Power and Electric Energy
13. Electric Fuse

Created by C. Mani, Deputy Commissioner, KVS RO Gurgaon

Electric Current
The electric current is defined as the charge flowing through any section
of the conductor in one second.

Q (if the rate of flow of charge is steady)

I =
t

Different types of current:

a) Steady current which does not I b c

vary with time a

b) & c) Varying current whose

magnitude varies with time d
d) Alternating current whose 0
magnitude varies continuously t
and direction changes
periodically
SI unit of electric charge is coulomb (C) and SI unit of time is second (s).

SI unit of electric current is coulomb / second or C/s. (From the formula)

Or SI unit of electric current is ampere (A). (Named after the French

scientist, Andre-Marie Ampere
(1775 – 1836))

Note:
 Q = ne ( Q – charge, n – no. of electrons and e – electronic charge)
 Charge of one electron is 1.6 x 10-19 coulomb.
 1 coulomb is equivalent to the charge of 6.25 x 1018 electrons.
 1 coulomb, in fact, is very high charge.
 Therefore, charge is expressed in smaller units like milli coulomb (mc) or
micro coulomb (µC).
 Similarly current is expressed in milli ampere (mA) or micro ampere (µA).
Conventional Current

Conventional current is the current + -

whose direction is along the direction of + + + + -
the motion of positive charge under the + -
action of electric field. + I -

-
Conventional current due to motion of - - - - +
electrons is in the direction opposite to - +
that of motion of electrons. +
I
-
+
Electric Circuit
A continuous and closed path of an electric current is called an electric
circuit.
A simple electric circuit consists of a cell (or battery), switch (or key) and
load (or resistance).
An ammeter (current measuring instrument) is always connected in series
in an electric circuit.
A voltmeter (potential measuring instrument) is always connected in
parallel (shunt) across the load (or resistance).
V
I

R
I I I A

K K
E E

A Simple Electric Circuit An Electric Circuit with

Ammeter and Voltmeter
Electric Potential
Electric potential is a physical quantity which determines the flow of charges
from one body to another.
It is a physical quantity that determines the degree of electrification of a body.
Electric Potential at a point in the electric field is defined as the work done in
moving (without any acceleration) a unit positive charge from infinity to that
point against the electrostatic force irrespective of the path followed.

W
V=
Q

SI unit of electric potential is volt (V) or J C-1 or Nm C-1.

(named after Alessandro Volta (1745-1827), an Italian Physicist)
Electric potential at a point is one volt if one joule of work is done in
moving one coulomb charge from infinity to that point in the electric field.
Electric Potential Difference
Electric Potential Difference between any two points in the electric field is
defined as the work done in moving (without any acceleration) a unit positive
charge from one point to the other against the electrostatic force irrespective
of the path followed.

WAB
VB - VA = ∆V =
Q

1. Electric potential and potential difference are scalar quantities.

2. Electric potential at infinity is zero.
3. Electric potential near an isolated positive charge (q > 0) is positive and that
near an isolated negative charge (q < 0) is negative.
4. cgs unit of electric potential is stat volt. 1 stat volt = 1 erg / stat coulomb
 Symbols used in Circuit Diagram
S.No. Component Symbol
1 Electric cell

2 Battery

3 Plug Key or Switch (Open)

4 Plug Key or Switch (Closed)
5 Wire joint

6 Wires crossing without joining

7 Electric bulb
or

8 Resistor or Resistance
9 Variable resistance or rheostat or

10 Ammeter A

11 Voltmeter V
Ohm’s Law
The electric current flowing through a conductor is directly
proportional to the potential difference across the two ends of the
conductor when physical conditions such as temperature, mechanical
strain, etc. remain the same.
I
IαV or V α I or V = R I

E
Ohm’s Law Experiment

V
I
I

R
I A

0
V
K
E
Graph is linear (straight line)
Resistance
The resistance of conductor is the opposition offered by the
conductor to the flow of electric current through it.

V
R=
I

Resistance in terms of physical features of the conductor

l where ρ is proportionality constant called ‘ resistivity’

R =ρ or ‘specific resistance’, l is the length of the conductor
A and A is the area of cross section of the conductor.

Resistance is directly proportional to length and inversely proportional

to cross-sectional area of the conductor and depends on nature of
material.

Resistivity depends upon nature of material and not on the geometrical

dimensions of the conductor.

Both the resistance and resistivity vary with temperature.

SI unit of resistance is ‘ohm’ and its symbol is ‘Ω’.
If the potential difference across the two ends of a conductor is 1 V and
the current through it is 1 A, then the resistance of the conductor is
said to be 1 ohm.

SI unit of resistivitiy is ‘ohm-m’ or Ωm.

Conductance and conductivity

Conductance is the reciprocal of resistance. Its S.I unit is mho.
Conductivity is the reciprocal of resistivity. Its S.I unit is mho / m.
Resistance of a system of resistors
Resistors in series R1 R2 R3
Resistors are said to be in I I
series combination when
they are connected end to
end. I V1 V2 V3 I
In series combination, I I
A
1. Current through each V K - +
resistor is same.

2. Potential difference across resistors of unequal resistance is different.

However, the total p.d. is the sum of the p.d. across the individual resistors.
V = V1 + V2 + V3
IR = IR1 + IR2 + IR3
Or R = R1 + R2 + R3
The Effective or Equivalent Resistance of the resistors in a series
combination is the sum of the resistances of the individual resistors.
Note:
The Effective or Equivalent Resistance of the resistors in a series
combination is greater than the greatest of them.
Resistors in parallel V
R1
Resistors are said to be in
parallel combination when I1
they are connected together I I2 R2 I
between two points.
I3 R3
I I
In parallel combination,
I I
1. Potential difference A
across each resistor is K - +
V
same.
2. Current through resistors of unequal resistance is different. However, the
total current supplied by the battery is the sum of the currents through
the individual resistors.
The reciprocal of Effective or Equivalent
I = I 1 + I 2 + I3 Resistance of the resistors in a parallel
combination is the sum of the reciprocals
V V V V of resistances of the individual resistors.
= + +
R R1 R2 R3 Note:
1 1 1 1 The Effective or Equivalent Resistance of the
Or = + +
R R1 R2 R3 resistors in a parallel combination is smaller
than the smallest of them.
 HEATING EFFECT OF CURRENT
Joule’s Law:
When an electric current is passed through a conducting wire, the electrical
energy is converted into heat energy. This effect is called ‘heating effect of
electric current’.
It is also called ‘Joule Heating’.
Joule’s Law gives Q = I2 R t Q is in Joule, I in Amp, R in ohm and t in sec.

I2 R t Q is in Calorie, I in Amp, R in ohm and t in sec.

Q=
J

Cause of Heating Effect of

Current:
When a battery is connected to the ends of a conductor, electric field is set
up. The free electrons move in the direction opposite to the field. They
undergo collision with the positive ions and atoms of the conductor. The
average kinetic energy of vibration of the ions and the atoms increases and
hence the temperature increases.
Note: The course of electron through resistor is like that of the stone falling
in water.
Electric Power
Electric power is the rate at which work is done by an electric current.
P=VI P = I2 R P = V2 / R

SI unit of power is ‘watt’.

Other units are ‘kW’ and ‘hp’.
1 kW = 1000 W 1 hp = 746 W

Electric Energy
Electric energy is the total work done by an electric current in a given time.
E=VIt E = I2 R t E = V2 t / R
Commercial Unit of Electric Energy is kWh or B.O.T.U.
1 kWh = 1000 w x 3600 s
= 3600000 w-s or joule
= 3.6 x 106 joule
Electric Fuse
Electric fuse is a protective device used in series with an electric circuit or
an electric appliance to save it from damage due to overheating produced
by strong current in the circuit or appliance.
Fuse is generally made of alloy of 63% tin and 37% lead.
It has high resistance and low melting point.

Electric Heating Appliances use Nichrome wire (alloy of Ni and Cr).

It is used because:
i) It has high specific resistance ii) It has high melting point
iii) It has high malleability iv) It is not easily oxidised.
For given V, PαI Pα1/R
i.e. i) Higher the power of the appliance, more is the current drawn
ii) Higher the power of the appliance, less is the resistance.

More of Electricity in Higher Class…