Module 7:

Current, Voltage
and Resistance
 What is
Current,
Voltage and
Resistance?
 Current
is a measure of the number of electrical charges passing
through a cross section of a conductor in each time carried by
electrons that moves from positive terminal to negative
terminal of the energy source (e.g. battery).
Capital letter I is the symbol used for current and measured in
terms of ampere (A), named after Andre-Marie Ampere a
French physicist who made important contributions in the
theory of electricity and magnetism.
Current can be measured
using ammeter. It must
be connected in series, or
its positive terminal is
connected to the positive
terminal of energy source
and negative terminal to
negative terminal.
Voltage
is also known as electromotive force (emf) and or potential
difference (pd). It is the work done or energy transferred
between two points in a circuit per coulomb of charge
supplied by energy sources such as battery (a combination
of two or more dry cells). In a simpler term, it is the “push”
to the charges in the circuit.
The symbol for voltage is capital V and its unit of
measurement is joule (J) per coulomb (C) or volts (V),
named after Alessandro Volta, an Italian Physicist and
inventor of voltaic pile, an electric battery.
Voltmeter is used to measure voltage
which should be connected in parallel
or the positive terminal is connected to
the positive terminal of the bulb while
its negative terminal is connected to the
negative terminal of the bulb.
 Resistance
 is a measure of the opposition to current flow in
an electrical circuit.
 It is represented by capital R and is measured in
terms of ohms (Ω).
 Ohm is defined as the amount of resistance that
allows 1 A of current to flow when the voltage is
1V. It is named after George Simon Ohm, a
German Physicist
Resistance can be
measured using an
ohmmeter
The amount of resistance of an
object is directly proportional
to its length, meaning the
longer the conducting wire the
greater its resistance. On the
other hand, resistance is
inversely proportional to cross
sectional area (the smaller the
diameter of the wire the
greater resistance) and
temperature ( the greater the
temperature the greater the
resistance)
Ohm’s Law.
• It states that the current flowing through a circuit is directly
proportional to the voltage and inversely proportional to
resistance of the circuit.
• Algebraically, Ohm’s Law is: I = V/R.
• From these we can derive the formula for voltage and
resistance, using the triangle method is a helpful method. and
these are: V = IR and R = V / I.
Electrical Quantities Formula Unit

Current I = V/R Ampere (A)

Voltage V = IR Volt (V)

Resistance R=V/I Ohm (Ω)