WEEKLY LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS

GENERAL PHYSICS 2 GRADE 12, QUARTER 3, WEEK 5

CURRENT, RESISTANCE AND ELECTROMOTIVE FORCE

Name: Section:

Learning Objectives:

- Distinguish between conventional current and electron flow. (STEM_GP12EMIIId-

32)
- Apply the relationship charge = current x time to new situations or to solve related
problems. (STEM_GP12EMIIIe-33)
- Describe the effect of temperature increase on the resistance of a metallic
conductor. (STEM_GP12EMIIIe-35)
- Describe the ability of a material to conduct current in terms of resistivity and
conductivity. (STEM_GPEMIIIe36)
- Apply the relationship of the proportionality between resistance and the length
and cross-sectional area of a wire to solve problems. (STEM_GP12EMIIIe-37)
- Differentiate ohmic and non-ohmic materials in terms of their I-V curves
(STEM_GP12EMIIIe-38)
- Differentiate emf of a source and potential difference (PD) across a circuit.
(STEM_GP12EMIIIe-40)
- Given an emf source connected to a resistor, determine the power supplied or
dissipated by each element in a circuit. (STEM_GP12EMIII3-42)
- Solve problems involving current, resistivity, resistance, and Ohm’s law in
contexts such as, but not limited to, batteries and bulbs, household wiring, and
selection of fuses. (STEM_GP12EMIII-44)
- Draw circuit diagrams with power sources (cell or battery), switches, lamps,
resistors (fixed and variable) fuses, ammeters and voltmeters (STEM_GP12EMIIIf-
47)

Time Allotment: 4 days

Key Concepts

 Current is any motion of charge from one region to another. Electric current is the
flow of charges. If the charges follow a conducting path that forms a closed loop, the
path is called an electric circuit.
 In different current-carrying materials, the charges of the moving particles may be
positive or negative. In metals the moving charges are always (negative) electrons,
while in an ionized gas (plasma) or an ionic solution the moving charges may include
both electrons and positively charged ions. In a semiconductor material such as
germanium or silicon, conduction is partly by electrons and partly by motion of

Author: Juzalin P. Costuya

School/Station: Panikian National High School
Division: Surigao del Sur
Email address: [email protected]
 vacancies, also known as holes; these are sites of missing electrons and act like
positive charges.
 Conventional Current assumes that current flows out of the positive terminal,
through the circuit and into the negative terminal of the source. Even in cases in
which we know that the actual current is due to electrons.

Figure 1. Conventional Current

Source: Floyd, 1989, Principles of Electric Circuits, 5th edition, Conventional Current Version
(Conventional Current vs Electron Flow (mun.ca))

 Electron Flow is what actually happens and electrons flow out of the negative
terminal, through the circuit and into the positive terminal of the source.

Figure 2. Electron Flow

Source: Floyd, 1990, Principles of Electric Circuits, 4th edition, Electron Flow Version (Conventional
Current vs Electron Flow (mun.ca))

 The number of charges that passes through a point per second is called current and
uses the symbol I. Then,
𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒈𝒆
𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 =
𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒂𝒍
𝑸
𝑰=
𝒕
 The SI unit of current is the ampere, A; one ampere is defined to be one coulomb per
second (1 A = 1 C/s). This unit is named in honor of French scientist André Marie
Ampère. When an ordinary flashlight (D-cell size) is turned on, the current in the
flashlight is about 0.5 A, the current in the wires of a car engine’s starter motor is
around 200 A. Currents in radio and television circuits are usually expressed in
milliamperes (1 mA = 10-3 A) or microamperes (1 µA = 1 x 10-6 A) and currents in
computer circuits are expressed in nanometers (1 nA = 1 x 10-9 A) or picometers (1 pA
= 1 x 10-12 A).

Author: Juzalin P. Costuya

School/Station: Panikian National High School
Division: Surigao del Sur
Email address: [email protected]
 Commercially, current is referred to as amperage. The instrument used to measure
current is ammeter.
 Current is related to the potential difference of the terminals and the permittivity of
the path to current. This is summarized as
𝑽
𝑰=
𝑹
Where 𝑉 is the potential difference in volt (V), 𝑅 is the resistance in ohm (Ω)
and I is the current in Ampere (A)
 Resistance (R) depends on the nature and dimensions of the material used as a
conductor of current. The unit ohm (Ω) is named after Georg Ohm, a German
physicist. The unit is volt per ampere (V/A).
 The equation V = IR is called Ohm’s Law. It is highlighted that the real content of
Ohm’s Law is the direct proportionality (for some materials) of V to I.
 According to Ohm’s Law, the resistance of a metallic conductor depends on the
following:
o Length of the conducting wire – The longer the wire, the higher its resistance.
o Cross-sectional area of the conductor- The thicker the conductor, the lower the
resistance.
o Nature of the conductor – The more free electrons there are, the lower the
resistance.
 Resistance R of a conductor is defined as;
𝝆𝑳
𝑹=
𝑨
o Where 𝐿 is length in meters (m), 𝐴 is cross-sectional area in meters squared
(m2), 𝜌 (rho) is resistivity of material from which the conductor is made of, in
ohm∙meter (Ωm).

Substance 𝜌 (Ω. m) Substance 𝜌 (Ω. m)

Conductors Semiconductors
Metals Silver 1.47 x 10-8 Pure carbon (graphite) 1.47 x 10-5
Copper 1.72 x 10-8 Pure germanium 0.60
Gold 2.44 x 10-8 Pure silicon 2300
Aluminum 2.75 x 10-8 Insulators
Tungsten 5.25 x 10-8 Amber 5 x 1014
Steel 20 x 10-8 Glass 1010 - 1014
Lead 22 x 10-8 Lucite >1013
Mercury 95 x 10-8 Mira 1011 - 1015
Alloys Manganin (Cu 84%, 44 x 10-8 Quartz (fused) 75 x 1016
Mn 12%, Ni 4%)
Constantan (Cu60%, 49 x 10-8 Sulfur 1015
Ni40%)
nichrome 100 x 10-8 Teflon >1013
Wood 108 - 1011
Table 1. Resistivities at Room Temperature (20 ℃)
Source: “Sears and Zemansky’s University Physics with Modern Physics”, 13th edition.

Author: Juzalin P. Costuya

School/Station: Panikian National High School
Division: Surigao del Sur
Email address: [email protected]
 The resistivity of a metallic conductor nearly always increases with increasing
temperature. The resistivity of graphite (a nonmetal) decreases with increasing
temperature, since at higher temperatures, more electrons are “shaken loose” from
the atoms and become mobile; hence the temperature coefficient of resistivity of
graphite is negative. Some materials, including several metallic alloys and oxides,
show a phenomenon called superconductivity. As the temperature decreases, the
resistivity at first decreases smoothly, like that of any metal. But then at a certain
critical temperature a phase transition occurs and the resistivity suddenly drops to
zero, as shown in figure 3. Once a current has been established in a superconducting
ring, it continues indefinitely without the presence of any driving field.
Metal: Resistivity increases with Superconductor: At
increasing temperature temperature below Tc, the
Semiconductor: Resistivity
decreases with increasing resistivity is zero
temperature

(a) (b) (c)

Figure 3. Variation of resistivity 𝜌 with absolute temperature T for (a) a normal metal, (b) a
semiconductor, and (c) a superconductor. In (a) the linear approximation to 𝜌 as a
function of T is shown as a straight line; the approximation agrees exactly at where 𝑇 = 𝑇0,
where 𝜌 = 𝜌0.
Source: “Sears and Zemansky’s University Physics with Modern Physics”, 13th edition.

 Because the resistivity of a material varies with temperature, the resistance of a

specific conductor also varies with temperature. For temperature ranges that are not
too great, this variation is approximately a linear relationship;
𝑅 (𝑇) = 𝑅0[1 + 𝛼(𝑇 − 𝑇0)]
o From the equation, R(T) is the resistance at temperature T and 𝑹𝟎 is the
resistance at temperature 𝑻𝟎, often taken to be 0 ℃ to 20 ℃. The 𝑎 is the
temperature coefficient of resistance, see table below.

Material 𝑎 [(℃)−𝟏] Material 𝑎 [(℃)−𝟏]

Aluminum 0.0039 Lead 0.0043
Brass 0.0020 Manganin 0.00000
Carbon (graphite) -0.0005 Mercury 0.00088
Constantan 0.00001 Nichrome 0.0004
Copper 0.00393 Silver 0.0038
Iron 0.0050 Tungsten 0.0045
Table 2. Temperature Coefficient of Resistivity (Approximate Values Near Room Temperature)
Source: “Sears and Zemansky’s University Physics with Modern Physics”, 13th edition.
Author: Juzalin P. Costuya
School/Station: Panikian National High School
Division: Surigao del Sur
Email address: [email protected]
 Electromotive force (emf) is the influence that makes current flow from lower to
higher potential. Emf is not a force but an energy-per-unit-charge quantity, like
potential. The SI unit of emf is the same as that for potential, the volt (1 V = 1 J/C). A
typical flashlight battery has an emf of 1.5 V; this means that the battery does 1.5 J
of work on every coulomb of charge that passes through it.
 Every complete circuit with a steady current must include some device that provides
emf. Such a device is called a source of emf. Batteries, electric generators, solar
cells, thermocouples, and fuel cells are all examples of sources of emf.
 A complete circuit has a continuous current-carrying path. A complete circuit
carrying a steady current must contain a source of electromotive force (emf) ε. The SI
unit of electromotive force is the volt (1 V). Every real source of emf has some internal
resistance r, so its terminal potential difference Vab depends on current.

𝑽𝒂𝒃 = 𝗌 − 𝑰𝒓 (Source with no internal resistance)

 Differences between electromotive force emf and potential difference V:

o The electromotive force is the measure of energy that it gives to each coulomb
of charge, whereas the potential difference is the amount of energy used by the
one coulomb of charge.
o The electromotive force is represented by the symbol ε whereas the symbol V
represents the potential difference.
o The electromotive force transfers the energy in the whole of the circuit. The
potential difference is the measure of energy between any two points on the
circuit.
o The magnitude of emf has always remained constant, whereas the magnitude
of the potential difference varies.

Symbols for circuit diagrams

 A circuit diagram (also known as an electrical diagram, elementary diagram,

or electronic schematic) is a simplified conventional graphical representation of
an electrical circuit. A pictorial circuit diagram uses simple images of components,
while a schematic diagram shows the components of the circuit as simplified
standard symbols; both types show the connections between the devices,
including power and signal connections. Arrangement of the components
interconnections on the diagram does not correspond to their physical locations in
the finished device. Table 3 shows the usual symbols used in circuit diagrams. We
usually assume that the wires that connect the various elements of a circuit have
negligible resistance; from equation V = IR, the potential difference between the ends
of such a wire is zero.
 Circuit diagrams are used for the design (circuit design), construction (such
as PCB layout), and maintenance of electrical and electronic equipment.

Author: Juzalin P. Costuya

School/Station: Panikian National High School
Division: Surigao del Sur
Email address: [email protected]
 Conductor with negligible resistance

Resistor

Source of emf (longer vertical line always represents the positive terminal,
usually the terminal with higher potential)

Source of emf with internal resistance r (r can be placed on either side)

Voltmeter (measures potential difference between its terminals)

Ammeter (measures current through it)

Switch (open)

Switch (closed)

Figure 4. Symbols for Circuit Diagrams

Source: “Sears and Zemansky’s University Physics with Modern Physics”, 13th edition.

 A single cell or other power source is represented by a long and a short parallel line.
A collection of cells or battery is represented by a collection of long and short parallel
lines. In both cases, the long line is represented of the positive terminal of the energy
source and the short line represents the negative terminal.
 A straight line is used to represent connecting wire between any two components of
the circuit.
 An electrical device that offers resistance of the flow of charge (e.g. bulb) is generically
referred to as a resistor and is represented by a zigzag line.
 An open switch is generally represented by providing a break in a straight line by
lifting a portion of the line upward at a diagonal.
 A voltmeter measures the potential difference between its terminals; an idealized
voltmeter has infinitely large resistance and measures potential difference without
having any current diverted through it. The voltmeters are connected in parallel with
whatever device’s voltage is to be measured. A parallel connection is used because
objects in parallel experience the same potential difference, see image below (a) where
the voltmeter is represented by the symbol V.
 An idealized ammeter has zero resistance and has no potential difference between its
terminals. Ammeters are connected in series with whatever device’s current is to be
measured. A series connection is used because objects in series have the same
current passing through them. See image below (b) where the ammeter is represented
by the symbol A.

Author: Juzalin P. Costuya

School/Station: Panikian National High School
Division: Surigao del Sur
Email address: [email protected]
 (a) (b)

Figure 5. (a) Voltmeter connected in parallel and (b) Ammeter connected in series.
Source: “DC Voltmeters and Ammeters”. https://opentextbc.ca/openstaxcollegephysics/chapter/dc-
voltmeters-and-ammeters/#import-auto-id2692802
 How to draw a circuit diagram? Consider the image shown below.

Figure 6. Simple Circuit

Source: “Circuit Symbols and Circuit diagrams”.
https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/circuits/Lesson-4/Circuit-Symbols-and-Circuit-Diagrams

Describing the circuit with words: “A circuit contains a light bulb and a 1.5- Volt D-
cell.”
Steps to draw a circuit diagram:
1. Draw the symbols of the components first.
2. Then using straight lines for wires join them together. Just like in the picture
shown below.

Figure 7. Schematic Diagram of the simple circuit in figure 6.

Source: “Circuit diagrams- Simple Circuit”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDCMUCiTjCIT_9EXV1Wp1cY0zaUA&v=j0zf-
Author: Juzalin P. Costuya
School/Station: Panikian National High School
Division: Surigao del Sur
Email address: [email protected]
 otH3cY&feature=emb_rel_end
 The arrow represents the flow of current, the battery is represented by two parallel
lines (one long with the positive sign and the short with the negative sign), and the

Author: Juzalin P. Costuya

School/Station: Panikian National High School
Division: Surigao del Sur
Email address: [email protected]
 bulb is represented by a zigzag line just like a resistor. This is the circuit diagram for
the simple circuit above.

Here is another example:

Draw a schematic circuit diagram of the sample circuit below.

Figure 8. Three D-cells battery and three light bulbs circuit.

Source: “Circuit Symbols and Circuit diagrams”.
https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/circuits/Lesson-4/Circuit-Symbols-and-Circuit-Diagrams

Description with words of the circuit: Three D-cells are placed in a battery pack to
power a circuit containing three light bulbs.
Following the steps above, the circuit diagram looks like this,

Figure 9. Schematic diagram of the circuit in figure 8.

Source: “Circuit Symbols and Circuit diagrams”.
https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/circuits/Lesson-4/Circuit-Symbols-and-Circuit-Diagrams

 Illustrative Examples.
Example #1: A source in an open circuit. Figure 7 shows a source (a battery) with emf
𝜀 = 12 V and internal resistance r = 2 Ω. The wires to the left of a and to the right of the
ammeter A are not connected to anything. Determine the respective readings Vab and I of
the idealized voltmeter V and the idealized
ammeter A.

Solution:
I = 0, there is zero current because there is
no complete circuit. Because there is no
current through the battery, there is no
potential difference across its internal
Rr==2 2
Ω,Ω𝜀,=ε12
= 12
V V resistance. From equation V= IR, with I = 0,
Figure 10. A source of emf in an open circuit. the potential difference Vab across the battery
Source: “Sears and Zemansky’s University Physics with terminals is equal to the emf. So the
Modern Physics”, 13th edition.
voltmeter reads Vab = ε = 12 V. The terminal

Author: Juzalin P. Costuya

School/Station: Panikian National High School
Division: Surigao del Sur
Email address: [email protected]
 voltage of a real nonideal source equals the emf only. If there is no current flowing
through the source, as in this example.
Example #2: A source in a complete circuit. We add a 4 Ω resistor to the battery in
figure 7, forming a complete circuit. What are the voltmeter and ammeter readings Vab
and I now?

Solution:

Vab= ? I=?
Since ideal ammeter has zero resistance, so the total
resistance external to the source is R = 4 Ω. The
current through the circuit aa’bb’ is then,
𝑽
𝑰= , where the resistance is connected in
𝑹+𝒓
series so the equivalent resistance is R + r.
R = 2 Ω, 𝜀 = 12 V
𝑽 𝜀 𝟏𝟐 𝐕 𝟏𝟐 𝐕
Then, 𝑰 = = = = =𝟐𝑨
𝑹+𝒓 𝑹+𝒓 𝟒 Ω +𝟐 Ω 𝟔Ω
R=
R =4
4Ω
Our idealized conducting wires and the idealized
ammeter have zero resistance, so there is no potential
Figure 11. A source of emf difference between points a and a’ or between b and b’;
in a complete circuit.
that is, Vab = Va’b’. From Ohm’s Law, we have,
Source: “Sears and Zemansky’s
University Physics with Modern
Physics”, 13th edition. Va’b’ = IR = (2 A)(4 Ω) = 8 V
Alternatively, we can consider a and b as the terminals of the source. Then,

Vab = ε – Ir = 12 V – (2 A)(2 Ω) = 8 V
Either way, we see that the voltmeter reading is 8 V.

Evaluate: With current flowing through the source, the terminal voltage Vab is less than
the emf ε. The smaller the internal resistance r, the less the difference between Vab and ε.

Example #3. An incandescent bulb allows 300 mA of current to pass through when
connected to a 220 V source. What is the resistance of the bulb?

Given: I = 300 mA or I = 300 x 10-3 A

V = 220 V
R=?

Solution: To solve the problem, we will use Ohm’s Law,

𝑉 𝑉
𝐼= where, 𝑅=
𝑅 𝐼
Author: Juzalin P. Costuya
School/Station: Panikian National High School
Division: Surigao del Sur
Email address: [email protected]
Then, substitute the given variables;

220 𝑉
𝑅= = 733 Ω
300 x 10−3A
Example #4. What amount of current flows through a 130.0 Ω wire when it is connected
to a 220 V source? How many electrons pass through the wire every second? (Note: 1
Coulomb = 6.25 x 1018 electrons)

Given: R = 130.0 Ω V = 220 V I=?

Solution:

For the first question:

Using Ohm’s Law;
𝑉
𝐼=
𝑅
220 𝑉
Substituting the given variables 𝐼 = = 1.69 𝐴
130.0 Ω

For the second question:

Since 1 Coulomb = 6.25 x 1018 electrons and Ampere is in Coulomb per second, using
conversion factor, we have
I = 1.69 A = 1.69 C/s
Solution:
𝐶 6.25 𝑥 1018𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑠
# 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑠/ 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑠 = (1.69 ) = 1.06 𝑥 1019 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑠/𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑠
𝑠 1 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑜𝑚𝑏

Example #5. A silver wire 1.00 mm in diameter conducts a current 0f 18.00 A. Find the
potential difference between two points on the wire 125 m apart? (ρ of silver = 1.47 x 10 -8
Ω.m)
−3𝑚
Given: d = 1.00 mm = 1 x 10-3 m r = d/2 = 1 𝑥 10 = 0.0005 𝑚
2
I = 18.00 A
L = 125 m
V=?
Solution:
To solve for V we use Ohm’s law V= IR, to solve for R we use
𝜌𝐿
𝑅= , where A is cross-sectional area = 𝜋𝑟2 = 𝜋(0.0005𝑚)2 = 7.85 𝑥 10−7𝑚2
𝐴
(1.47 X 10−8 Ω.m)(125 𝑚)
Substituting variables, 𝑅= = 0.02 𝑥 10−12Ω
7.85 𝑥 10−7𝑚2
Solving for V,

Author: Juzalin P. Costuya

School/Station: Panikian National High School
Division: Surigao del Sur
Email address: [email protected]
 𝑉 = 𝐼𝑅 = (18.00 𝐴)(0.02 𝑥 10−12 Ω) = 0.36 𝑥 10−12 𝑉 𝑜𝑟 0.36 𝑝𝑉

Example #6. What is the resistance of Aluminum wire at 100 ℃, if suppose its
resistance at 20 ℃ is 2.0 Ω?

Given: Aluminum wire has 𝛼 = 0.0039 (℃)−1

𝑇0 = 20 ℃
𝑇 = 100 ℃
𝑅0 = 2.0 Ω
Solution:
𝑅 (𝑇) = 𝑅0[1 + 𝛼(𝑇 − 𝑇0)]
𝑅 (𝑇) = 2.0 Ω[1 + 0.0039 (℃)−1(100 ℃ − 20 ℃)]
𝑅 (𝑇) = 2.0 Ω[1 + 0.0039 (℃)−1(80 ℃)]
𝑅 (𝑇) = 2.0 Ω[1 + 0.312]
𝑅 (𝑇) = 2.0 Ω[1.312]
𝑅 (𝑇) = 0.624 Ω

𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐴𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑚 𝑤𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑡 100 ℃ 𝑖𝑠 0.624 Ω.

References:

Coronade, Gary and Boncodin, Maria Carmela. Physics IV. Quezon City: Phoenix
Publishing House, 2006.

Author: Juzalin P. Costuya

School/Station: Panikian National High School
Division: Surigao del Sur
Email address: [email protected]
 Young, Hugh D., Roger A. Freedman, A. Lewis Ford, and Hugh D. Young. Sears
and Zemansky's University Physics. 13th ed. Boston, MA: Pearson
Learning Solutions, 2012.
Online Sources

“Circuit diagrams- Simple Circuit”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDCMUCiTjCIT_9EXV1Wp1cY0za
UA&v=j0zf-otH3cY&feature=emb_rel_end

“Circuit Symbols and Circuit diagrams”.

https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/circuits/Lesson-4/Circuit-
Symbols-and-Circuit-Diagrams

“Conventional Current vs Electron Flow”.

https://www.mi.mun.ca/users/cchaulk/eltk1100/ivse/ivse.htm#:~:text
=Conventional%20Current%20assumes%20that%20current,negative%20
terminal%20of%20the%20source.&text=Electron%20Flow%20is%20what
%20actually,positive%20terminal%20of%20the%20source.

https://intl.siyavula.com/read/science/grade-9/series-and-parallel-circuits/18-
series-and-parallel-circuits?id=toc-id-5

https://www.teachengineering.org/lessons/view/cub_electricity_lesson05

Pressbooks. “DC Voltmeters and Ammeters”.

https://opentextbc.ca/openstaxcollegephysics/chapter/dc-voltmeters-
and-ammeters/#import-auto-id2692802