Fundamentals of Elctricity &

Magnetism
Lec-1
Outline
• Atom
• Charge and current
• Resistor, capacitor, inductance
• Voltage supply and emf
• Electricity
• Magnetism
• Electricity and Magnetism
Recommended Book
 Fundamental of Electricity

Atom Model
• Protons
Nucleus
• Neutrons
• Electrons

“Each atom has the same number

Electron of protons and electrons.”

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong EEE3404 Electrical Engineering Principles 1 Weeks 1 ~ 2
Charge
• Electric charge, basic property of matter carried by some elementary particles
that governs how the particles are affected by an electric or magnetic field.
Electric charge, which can be positive or negative, occurs in discrete natural units
and is neither created nor destroyed.
• Unit of Charge is called Coulomb (C)
• Protons carries positive charge
it is relatively large mass
does not play active part in electrical current flow

•Electrons carries negative charge

– light mass
– play an important role in electrical current
flow
 Fundamental of Electricity

Free Electrons (Cause of

current)

Free Electrons

Applying Heat or Light

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong EEE3404 Electrical Engineering Principles 1 Weeks 1 ~ 2
 7. Electric current

• Electric current is the movement, or flow of electrons

through a conductive material
• OR
• Amount of current that flow through any crossectional area
of conductor in time t is called current
• It is measured as the rate at which the charge is moved
around a circuit, its unit is ampere (A)
I=Q/t or Q=It
• Unit of Electric current is called ampere
© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong EEE3404 Electrical Engineering Principles 1 Weeks 1 ~ 2
 Fundamental of Electricity
Electromotive Force

• In order to cause the 'free' electrons to

drift in a given direction an electromotive
force must be applied
• The emf is the 'driving' force in an
electrical circuit
• The symbol for emf is E and the unit of
measurement is the volt (V)

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong EEE3404 Electrical Engineering Principles 1 Weeks 1 ~ 2
 Potential Difference (p.d.)

• Whenever current flows through a circuit element in a circuit

such as resistor, there will be a potential difference(p.d.)
developed across it
• The unit of p.d. is volts(V) and is measured as the
difference in voltage levels between two points in a
circuit
• Emf (being the driving force) causes current to flow
• Potential difference is the result of current flowing through a
circuit element
• Thus emf is a cause and p.d. is an effect

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong EEE3404 Electrical Engineering Principles 1 Weeks 1 ~ 2
 Fundamental of Electricity
Potential Difference (p.d.)
Equivalent circuit of a
battery

E.m.f

LOAD

P.D.

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong EEE3404 Electrical Engineering Principles 1 Weeks 1 ~ 2
 Resistance
Fundamental of Electricity

• Resistance is the 'opposition' to the current flow

measured in ohms ( Ω )
R V
• Conductors have a low value of resistance E -
• Insulators have a very high resistance
• Load in DC/AC circuits

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong EEE3404 Electrical Engineering Principles 1 Weeks 1 ~ 2
Electricity & Magnetism
 Attracted?

Magnets
Properties

Have magnetic .. or not?

fields around
them.
N S
 Attracted?

Magnets
Properties Have two opposite poles (N & S)
– like poles repel, unlike poles
Have magnetic attract.
.. may be?
fields around
them.
N S
 Attracted?

Magnets
Properties Have two opposite poles (N & S)
– like poles repel, unlike poles
Have magnetic attract.
.. possibly?
fields around
them.
N S Exert little
or no force
on a non-
magnetic
material.
 Attracted?

Magnets
Properties Have two opposite poles (N & S)
– like poles repel, unlike poles
Have magnetic attract.
.. hopefully?
fields around
them.
N S Exert little
or no force
on a non-
Attract magnetic magnetic
materials by material.
inducing magnetism
in them.
N

Iron Steel
 Attracted?

Magnets
Properties Have two opposite poles (N & S)
– like poles repel, unlike poles
Have magnetic attract.
.. mmmm?
fields around
them.
N S Exert little
or no force
on a non-
Attract magnetic magnetic
materials by material.
inducing magnetism N
in them. S
S

N N

Poles induced in both iron and steel.

 Attracted?

Magnets
Properties Have two opposite poles (N & S)
– like poles repel, unlike poles
Have magnetic attract.
YES!!!
fields around
them.
N S Exert little
or no force
on a non-
Attract magnetic magnetic
materials by material.
inducing magnetism
in them.
N S

N
Iron loses
magnetism – it was Steel retains magnetism
only a temporary – it became a permanent
magnet magnet
Magnetic Field
The space or region
around magnet
where it can exerts
its force
Electromagnetism
• Electricity and magnetism are different facets of
electromagnetism
• a moving electric charge produces magnetic fields
• changing magnetic fields move electric charges
• This connection first elucidated by Faraday, Maxwell
• Einstein saw electricity and magnetism as frame-
dependent facets of unified electromagnetic force

Spring 2008
Magnetic fields from electricity
• A static distribution of charges produces an electric field
• Charges in motion (an electrical current) produce a
magnetic field
• electric current is an example of charges (electrons) in motion

Spring 2008
Relation Between electric field and Magnetic field
• The next part of the story is that a changing
magnetic field produces an electric current in a
loop surrounding the field
• called electromagnetic induction, or Faraday’s Law
The Electromagnetic Connection
• A changing magnetic field produces an electric field, and a changing
electric field produces a magnetic field.
• Electric and Magnetic fields can produce forces on charges
• An accelerating charge produces electromagnetic waves (radiation)
• Both electric and magnetic fields can transport energy
• Electric field energy used in electrical circuits, e.g., released in lightning
• Magnetic field carries energy through transformer, for example

Spring 2008