Electronics

Chapter No: 05

Lecturer: Sharifullah Shiam

Contact Cell: +93784822580
Email: Sharifullahshiam@gmail.com
 Current Electricity Chapter No: 05

What is current?

Current is the rate at which electrons flow past a point in a complete electrical circuit. At its most
basic, current = flow.

An ampere (AM-pir), or amp, is the international unit used for measuring current. It expresses the quantity of
electrons (sometimes called "electrical charge") flowing past a point in a circuit over a given time.

A current of 1 ampere means that 1 coulomb of electrons—that's 6.24 billion billion (6.24 x 10 18)
electrons—is moving past a single point in a circuit in 1 second. The calculation is similar to
measuring water flow: how many gallons pass a single point in a pipe in 1 minute (gallons per
minute, or GPM).
Current Electricity Chapter No: 05
Current Electricity Chapter No: 05
Current Electricity Chapter No: 05
 Current Electricity Chapter No: 05

Electric current I is the rate of the flow + +Q

A
of charge Q through a cross-section A
in a unit of time t. t

Wire

I
Q
1A
1C -
t 1s

One
Oneampere
ampereAAisischarge
chargeflowing
flowingat
atthe
the
rate
rateof
ofone
onecoulomb
coulombperpersecond.
second.
 Current Electricity Chapter No: 05

Example 1. The electric current in a wire is

6 A. How many electrons flow past a given
point in a time of 3 s?

q
I  ; q  It
t I=6A
q = (6 A)(3 s) = 18 C
Recall that: 1 e- = 1.6 x 10-19 C, then convert:
Current Electricity Chapter No: 05
Sources of Voltage
• Chemical cell
• Solar cell
• Generator
 Current Electricity Chapter No: 05

Water Analogy to EMF

High Constriction Low High Resistor Low

pressure pressure potential potential
+ R
-
Water Valve
I Switch

Flow E

Water Pump Source of

EMF

The source of emf (pump) provides the voltage

(pressure) to force electrons (water) through
electric resistance (narrow constriction).
Current Electricity Chapter No: 05
Ohm’s law

• Ohm’s law shows the relationship between

current, voltage and resistance in an electric
circuit.
• Ohm’s law states that: current is directly
proportional to the voltage and inversely
proportional to the resistance.
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