Principles of Electricity

Background to electricity, circuits,

and how to calculate
 Parts of the Atom
• Electrons – negatively charged particles that revolve
around the nucleus of the atom.
• Protons – Positively charged particles that revolve
around the nucleus of the atom.
• Neutrons – No charge in the atom.
-These parts are important to know because
they determine the charge of the atom.
-The charge of the atom creates the energy
used as electricity.
 Parts of a Circuit
• Consists of 4 Parts
- Source
- Conductors
- The Load
-Control Device
 1 - Source
• Source – Produces the force that causes
electrons to move.
• Think of a water source that pushes water
through a pipe. Same principle.
• Electrons (-) are attracted by positive charges,
and repelled by negative charges. (Opposite
charges attract each other.)
 2 - Conductor or Path
• Conductors – Provide an easy path for
electrons to move throughout the circuit.
• Copper is the most commonly used conductor
in electronics and residential wiring.
• Other conductors include other metals, and
water.
 3 - Load
• Load – Part of the circuit that changes the
energy of the moving electrons into another
form of useful energy.
• Think of a light bulb as a load.
• As electrons move though the filament of the
lamp, the energy of electrons in motion is
changed into heat and light energy.
 4 - Control Device
• Control Device – Opens or closes the circuit for
electrons to flow.
• A light switch is a great example. The lights are off,
electrons can’t flow through to complete the circuit
because the switch is open. When the switch is
closed, the electrons can flow, and the circuit is
closed.
• Switches can be classified as NO (normally open) or
NC (Normally closed)
 Four Values to Measure Electricity
• Voltage
• Amperage
• Resistance
• Watts
 Voltage
• The force that moves electrons is call
VOLTAGE.
• The unit to measure voltage is known as volts.
• The common voltage a residential circuit is
120 volts.
• When calculating formulas, voltage is labeled
as “E”.
 Current
• Current – Movement of electrons.
• Current is measured in Amperes or amps.
• A typical residential circuit measures 15 Amps.
• The specifications for a common residential
circuit are 120V/15A
• When calculating formulas, current is labeled
as “I”.
 Resistance
• The opposing force in electrical current.
• When electrons flow through a conductor, the
are opposed by an insulator. The insulator
provides resistance.
• Coating on a wire is the insulator.
• Unit of resistance is the OHM.
• OHM’s law states - Voltage / Current =
Resistance
 Ohm’s Law Cont.
• Voltage (E), Current (I), Resistance (R)
• Problem – We need to find the resistance of a
120V/15Amp Circuit.
• What’s the formula?
• E/I=R
• Answer? 8 Ohms
 Power and Watts Law
• Power is the time rate of doing work
• Defined in two ways: The rate at which
electric energy is delivered to a circuit
• The rate at which an electrical circuit uses
electrical energy, or how much work it can do.
 Watts Cont.
• Most electrical equipment is rated based upon
watts used
• For example a light bulb may be rated at 60w,
100w, and so on
• Amount of electricity your dwelling uses is
measured in kilowatt/hours used.
• Power formula – P = E x I.
• Volts times current equals watts.
 Kilowatt Hours
• Measures how much electricity your dwelling
uses
• Formula – KWH = Power x Hours /1000 Times
rate in $
• Example – 1200w X 2hrs / 1000 (kilo means
1000) x .10$
• Cost = .24$
 3 Kinds of Circuits
• Series
• Parallel
• Series – Parallel
 Series Circuits
• Electrical circuit that only has one path for
electrons to flow.
• Open Loop – the circuit is not complete.
• In simple terms, the switch is open, not
allowing electrons to flow to the load to
complete the circuit.
 Voltage Drop
• Voltage Drop – if there are two or more loads
in the circuit, the volts are distributed among
the loads evenly.
• The total voltage in each load would equal the
source.
• Example – Two lights are wired in the same
120V circuit. The voltage in each load will be
60V. Add the two together, =120V.
 Parallel Circuits
• The loads are connected between the two
conductors that lead to the energy source.
• There is no voltage drop if two or more loads
are connected in parallel.
• Example – A vanity light that has three lights.
If wired in parallel, the voltage at all three
loads is 120V, same as the source.
• If wired in series each light bulb would
produce only 40 volts each
 Series Parallel
• Loads operate independently.
• Meaning one switch to a light can be turned
off, but another can still operate.
• Example of a parallel circuit – In your kitchen,
you might have 3 different lights. Each has
their own switch. However, they are
connected on the same line, at the breaker
box. Hence, there are different lines going to
each load from the source
 Safety
• Never work in the circuit while it’s plugged in.
Always disconnect the lead from the source.
• Before powering up the circuit, make sure all
wires are properly connected.
• Never run the circuit with an exposed wire.
 Safety Cont.
• Never touch an exposed wire while
connected.
• Never allow exposed wires touch. It creates a
short.
• If you are unsure if you are allowed to plug in
the circuit, ask me.
• If an emergency occurs, get my attention
immediately.