Chapter 11- Electricity

Course Content
• Definition of Electricity
• Circuit Diagrams
– Series and Parallel Circuits
• Calculating total resistances
• Measurement of Electricity
– Ammeters and Voltmeters
– Ohm’s Law
• Safety Devices and Hazards
• Wiring the Plug
 What is Electricity
• An atom is a fundamental unit of matter
• made up of

• protons (with a positive charge)

• neutrons (neutral – no charge)
• electrons (with a negative charge)
 What is electricity?
• Everything is made of atoms which contain POSITIVE
particles called PROTONS and NEGATIVE particles called
ELECTRONS.

Click to add text

Electron (-) Proton (+)

Neutron
 What is Electricity?
• Electricity – the flow of electrons through a
circuit i.e. the flow of electrical charges
• The path along which the electric current
moves is called the ELECTRIC CIRCUIT
• The device which causes the flow of electrons
through a circuit is called a CELL or POWER
SOURCE (Battery)
 What is Electricity?
• Electrons move round a circuit from negative
terminal to the positive terminal of the cell,
producing an electric current. (note: like charges
repel, opposites attract)
• The rate of flow of electric charges is called
ELECTRIC CURRENT

electric cell
connecting wire

filament

flow of electrons
 Electric Current
• Conventional Current flow – electric current
flows from positive terminal to negative
terminal
• Alternating Current (AC) – electric current
flows in a clockwise direction and then
changes direction to flow anti-clockwise
• Direct Current – electric current flows only in
one direction
 Electric Current
• Electric current is given the symbol, I
• Can also be defined as - the amount of charge
flowing per second
• Electric Current is measured in Amps (A)
• Thus, Current in Amps (A) =

Q Charge transferred

I
in coulombs (C)

Current in Amps (A)

t time in seconds (s)
 Electric Current
•This can be rearranged as

Q  It
• or
Q
t
I
 Electric Current
• The SI Unit for Electric Current is Ampere (A)
• Electric Current is measured using an
Ammeter
 Ammeter
• It must be connected in series in the circuit.

• Positive side of ammeter must be connected

nearest to the positive terminal of the battery
(electric cell), and vice versa.
 Electric Circuit
Electric circuit :- is a continuous and closed path
of an electric current.
A schematic diagram of an electric circuit comprising
of a cell, electric bulb, ammeter and plug key.

bulb
cell
- +

A ammeter

-
plug key
 Electric Circuits
• Electric circuits are
connecting wires
made up of electrical
components electric cell

• These components
must be joined together
without any gap in
between to form a
closed circuit. light bulb circuit board

Note:
Components refer to the
light bulb, wires, battery
 Electric Circuits
• Incomplete circuits are called open circuits.

connecting wire is no source of

missing electrical energy

Both the circuits in the diagram are incomplete, hence they are known as
“open circuits”.
 An electric current flows only
when there is:
• a source of electrical energy and

• a closed circuit
connecting wires

electric cell

light bulb circuit board

 How to draw Circuit Diagrams
Component Symbol Component Symbol

+ +

An electric cell Battery

Switch (open)

Light bulb (lamp) Switch Switch (closed)

Connecting wires Connecting wires

(not joined) (joined)

Symbols are used to represent the various electrical components

in circuits.
 Summary: Electrical Charge
• Electric charge is given the symbol

Q
• Electrons are the charge carriers that
flow in an electrical circuit from the
negative to positive terminals.
 Summary: Electrical Charge
• Charge is measured in

Coulombs
• which is given the symbol

C
 Summary: Electrical Charge
• The charge on a proton is

1.6 x 10 C -19

which is the same size as the charge on an

electron.
 Summary: What is electricity?
So electricity is…

 movement of electric charge round a

circuit.
 We call this electric current.
Summary: Charge, Current & Time
• Electric current is given the symbol

I
• Electric current is the movement of
negative charges (electrons) in a circuit
Summary: Charge, Current & Time
• Electric Current is the amount of charge
flowing per second and is given the unit

Amps (A)
 Summary: Charge, Current & Time
•so
If current is of
a current charge
1 A isflowing per second
1 C of charge then in 1 s.
transferred

Q
I Charge transferred
in coulombs (C)

t
Current in Amps (A)
time in seconds (s)
 Summary: Circuit Diagrams
Component Symbol Component Symbol

+ +

An electric cell Battery

Switch (open)

Light bulb (lamp) Switch Switch (closed)

Connecting wires Connecting wires

(not joined) (joined)

Symbols are used to represent the various electrical components

in circuits.
Summary: Circuit Diagrams
 measuring current

Electric current is measured in amps (A) using

an ammeter connected in series in the circuit.

A
 Different types of circuit
• There are different ways in which you can
connect cells and electrical components (such as
lamps) to create a circuit:

 series
 parallel
 a mixture of both
 Series Circuit
• A series circuit connects the components one after
the other
• A single loop is formed
• A break in any part of a series circuit stops the flow
of current in the whole circuit.
 Parallel Circuit
• A parallel circuit divides into two or more branches.
• The current divides and flows through each parallel
branch.
• If a component breaks or is removed, the other
components remain on.
 Voltage
• An electric cell gives energy to the electrons and pushes
them round a circuit. Voltage is a measure of how much
energy the electrons receive.

• Different voltages are supplied by different cells and

batteries.

1.5 V Dry Cell

12 V Car Battery 9 V Dry Cell

 How to Measure Voltage?

• The SI unit for voltage is volt (V).

• A voltmeter is an instrument used
for measuring voltages.
 Voltmeter
• Voltmeters must be connected in
parallel to the circuit.
• The positive side of voltmeter is
connected to the positive
terminal of the cell, and vice
versa.
 Recall: Ammeter!!!
• It must be connected in series in the circuit.

• Positive side of ammeter must be

connected nearest to the positive terminal
of the battery (electric cell), and vice versa.
 measuring current
This is how we draw an ammeter in a circuit.

A A

SERIES CIRCUIT PARALLEL CIRCUIT

 measuring voltage
The ‘electrical push’ which the cell gives to the current
is called the voltage. It is measured in volts (V) on a
voltmeter

V
 measuring voltage
This is how we draw a voltmeter in a circuit.

V
V
SERIES CIRCUIT PARALLEL CIRCUIT
 measuring current
SERIES CIRCUIT

• current is the same 2A 2A

at all points in the
circuit. 2A

PARALLEL CIRCUIT

2A 2A
• current is shared
between the 1A
components
1A
fill in the missing ammeter readings.

4A
? 3A
? 3A

1A
?
4A
?

4A 1A

1A
?
 measuring voltage

V V
V
 series circuit
• voltage is shared between the components

3V

1.5V 1.5V
 parallel circuit
• voltage is the same in all parts of the circuit.

3V

3V

3V
 measuring current & voltage
complete the missing current and voltage readings.

a)
6V
4A A

V V

A
measuring current & voltage

b)
6V
4A A
V

A
 answers

a) b)
6V
6V 4A 4A
6V
4A 4A

3V 3V 2A

4A
6V

2A
 The circuit is no longer complete, therefore current can not flow

The voltage decreases because the resistance increases.

The current flow in each bulb is the same.

 Resistance
• When an electric current flows through a circuit,
there will be some resistance that opposes it.
(similar to friction)

• It can be measured by dividing voltage by the

current.
V R = Resistance
R=
I V = Voltage
I = Current
 Ohm’s Law
Ohm’s law states that :
‘The current flowing through a conductor is directly proportional
to the potential difference between its ends provided its
temperature remains constant.’

I=V/R
I = Current (Amperes) (amps)

V = Voltage (Volts)

R = Resistance (ohms)
 Resistance
• Good conductors of electricity have LOW
RESISTANCE. (Eg. Metal objects)
– Electricity is able to flow through them very
easily
• Poor conductors of electricity have HIGH
RESISTANCE. (Eg. Wood, cloth)
– Electricity is not able to flow through them
easily
• The SI unit for resistance is ohm ()
 Example 1
• An electric rice cooker operates at 240 V and
uses a current of 8 A. What is the resistance of
the rice cooker?

Voltage (V) = 240

240 V R=
8
Current (I) = 8
= 30 
A
V
R=
I
 Resistors in Series

• When resistors
are connected in
series, the
resistance will add
2 3
up and increase.
• R = R1 + R2 + R3…
The total resistance for this circuit is:

2+3=5
 Resistors in Parallel
• When resistors are connected
in parallel, the resistance will
decrease
• This is because they will
provide alternate routes for
the current to flow.
 Resistors in Parallel

1 1 1 1
= + +
R R1 R2 R3

What is the
resistance of the 6

circuit?
1 6
1 1
= +
R 6 6

1 2 1 The final
= = R = 3
R 6 3
resistance is
 Summary:
Series and Parallel Circuits
Voltage, Current and Resistance
Vs
- +

I1 I3
V1 V2 V3

R1 R2 R3

I2

What type of circuit is this?

 Vs
- +

I1 I3
V1 V2 V3

R1 R2 R3

I2

One electrical path from negative to

positive therefore series.
 Vs
- +

I1 I3
V1 V2 V3
R1 R2 R3

I2

What is the relationship between the three currents?

The current is the same at each point.

I1  I 2  I 3
 Vs
- +

I1 I3
V1 V2 V3
R1 R2 R3

I2

What is the relationship between the four voltages?

They add to equal the supply voltage.

Vs  V1  V2  V3
 Vs
- +

I1 I3
V1 V2 V3
R1 R2 R3

I2

How do you find total resistance in series?

Add each resistance together.

Rtotal  R1  R2  R3
 Disadvantages of Series Circuits?
• When one component fails the whole circuit
fails.

• The current is the same at all points and the

voltage is divided between the bulbs. The
more bulbs added the dimmer each one is.
 Vs
- +

IT V1 IT

R1 I1

V2

R2
I2

V3

R3
I3

What type of circuit is this?

 Vs
- +

IT V1 IT

R1 I1

V2

R2
I2

V3

R3
I3

More than one electrical path – components connected on

different branches therefore parallel.
 Vs
- +
What is the
relationship
between the
IT V1 IT four
R1 currents?
I1

V2 The four currents

R2 I2 add to give the
total current.
V3
R3 I3

I T  I1  I 2  I 3
 Vs
- +
What is the
relationship
between the
IT V1 IT four
R1 voltages?
I1

V2 Each voltage is
R2 I2 equal to the
supply voltage.
V3
R3 I3

VS  V1  V2  V3
 Vs
- +

IT V1 IT
R1
I1 The
V2 resistance
R2 I2
in parallel?
V3
R3 I3

1 1 1 1
  
RT R R R 1 2 3
• If more resistors are connected
in parallel the total resistance
will always decrease

• This is because there are more

branches through which the
electricity can flow.
Advantages of the Parallel Circuit?
• When one bulb fails the rest of the circuit
continues to work.
• The more components, the lower the
resistance. The total current drawn increases.
• Voltage in each branch is the same as the
supply voltage therefore bulbs in parallel will
each be as bright as a single bulb.
 NOTE!!
Hazards of electricity +
Safety Devices + Wiring of an
Electric Plug
=
Self Study