Chapter 10 Current Electricity

Chapter 10

Current Electricity

Current Electricity (Electrodynamics):

“It is the branch of physics which deals with the study of charges in motion.”

Electric Current:
An electric current is a flow of electric charge. In electric circuits this charge is often carried
by moving electrons in a wire. It can also be carried by ions in an electrolyte, or by both ions
and electrons such as in plasma.
Mathematically:
An electric current I is a measure of the rate of flow of electric charge Q through a given
cross-sectional area of a conductor. In symbols
Q
I= Where I = current, Q = charge and t = time
t
SI unit of current:
The SI unit for measuring an electric current is the ampere, which is the flow of electric
charge across a surface at the rate of one coulomb per second.
1 coulomb
1 Ampere=
1 second

Conventional Current (Reference direction)

 A flow of current in a wire is a flow of

negatively charged electrons. That is, from
the negative terminal to the positive in an
electric circuit.
 In EE we always use conventional current
which is the direction of flow of positively charged particles.
 For this reason, the direction of conventional current flow is the direction opposite to
the electron flow. That is, it is from the positive terminal to the negative.
 The convention was established well before the discovery of electrons.

Ammeter:

Electric current is measured using a device called an ammeter.

Measuring an electric current:

To use the ammeter in the measurement of an electric
current, the ammeter must be connected in series to the
circuit. It this way, the current flows into the ammeter
by the positive (or red) terminal and leaves by the
negative (or black) terminal. Note that in a series
circuit, there is only one single conducting path or loop.

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Chapter 10 Current Electricity

Numerical Example 1:
If 30 C of electric charge flows past a point in a wire in 2 minutes, what is the current in the
wire?
Given Data:
Charge ‘Q’ = 30C
Time ‘t’ = 2 minutes
= 2 x 60sec
= 120sec
Find:
Current = ?
Sol:
Q
I=
t
30C
I=
120 sec
I = 0.25A

Numerical Example 2:
The current in a lamp is 0.2A. If the lamp is switched on for 2 hours, what is the total charge
passing through the lamp?
Given Data:
Current ‘I’ = 0.2A
Time ‘t’ = 2 hours = 2 x 60 x 60sec = 7200sec
Find:
Charge ‘Q’ = ?
Sol:
Q=¿
Q = 0.2A x 7200Sec
Q = 1440 C

Electromotive Force:
The electromotive force (E.m.f.) of a cell is defined as “the energy converted from non-
electrical form electrical form, when one coulomb of positive charge passes through the
cell.”
In symbols,
Mathematically:
W
E= Where E = E.m.f,
Q
W = energy converted from non-electrical form to electrical form and
Q = positive charge.

SI unit of E.m.f:

joule
The SI unit of is which is the volt.
coulomb

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Chapter 10 Current Electricity

A source of electromotive force is a device in which non-electrical energy (chemical,

mechanical or some other forms of energy) are converted into electrical energy.

In other words E.m.f is the energy supplied by the source in driving a charge round a
complete circuit.

Numerical Example 3:
The e.m.f. of a dry cell is 1.5V. What is the energy dissipated by the cell in driving 0.4 C of
charge round a circuit?
Given Data:
e.m.f ‘E’ = 1.5V
Charge Q = 0.4 C
Find:
Energy dissipated ‘W’ = ?
Sol:
W
E=
Q
W=ExQ
W = (1.5)(0.4)
W = 0.6J

Potential Difference:
The potential difference (p.d.) between two points is defined as the energy converted from
electrical to other forms when one coulomb of positive charge passes through the two points.
In symbols,
Mathematically:
W
V= Where V = potential difference,
Q
W = energy converted from electrical to other forms and
Q = charge.
The SI unit of potential difference is the same as that of E.m.f. i.e. the volt. We define the
volt as follows:
“The potential difference (p.d.) between two points in a conductor is 1volt if 1joule of energy
is converted from electrical to other forms when 1coulomb of positive charge flows through
it.”

The measurement of e.m.f. and the potential difference:

The e.m.f. can be measured approximately by a voltmeter
connected directly across the terminal of the source.

To measure the potential difference in volts between two points

separated by a load, the voltmeter is always connected in parallel to the
load.
Numerical Example 4:
If a charge of 3.75 x 104C flows through an electric heater and the
amount of electrical energy converted into heat is 900MJ, Calculate
the potential difference across the ends of the heater.
Given Data:
Charge ‘Q’ = 3.75 x 104C

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Chapter 10 Current Electricity

Energy ‘W’ = 900MJ = 900 x 106J

Find:
Potential Difference ‘V’ = ?
Sol:
W
V=
Q
6
900 × 10
V= 4 V =240V
3.75 ×10
Ohm’s Law:
“The current through a metallic conductor is directly proportional to the voltage across its
ends if the temperature and other condition are constant.”
Mathematically:
I∝V
OR V ∝ I
V = IR
Where R is the resistance in a conductor
I is current
And V is the voltage or potential difference
Ohmic conductors:
Any other conductors, other than metallic conductors, which obey ohm’s law are called
Ohmic conductors.
Non Ohmic conductors:
Other materials which do not obey Ohm’s law include ionic solutions, gases, superconductors
and thermionic devices (even if the temperature is kept constant). Such materials are called
non-ohmic conductors.
Resistance:
“The property of a conductor due to which it opposes the flow of current through it is called
resistance of conductor.”

Mathematically:
p .d . across conductor
Resistance=
current through conductor
V
R=
I
S.I. unit for resistance:
In S.I. system resistance in a conductor is measured in Ohms (Ω).
“The ohm (Ω) is the resistance of a conductor in which the current is 1 ampere when a
voltage of 1 volt is applied across it.”
1 volt
i.e. 1 Ω=
1 Ampere
Resistivity:
Besides temperature, the resistance R of a given conductor also depends on
1. Its length l.
2. Its cross-sectional area A and
3. The type of material.
It is experimentally proved that
 Resistance of a conductor is directly proportional to the length. i.e.
R ∝l (1)
Larger the length of the wire greater the resistance it has.
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Chapter 10 Current Electricity

 Resistance of a wire is inversely proportional to the cross-sectional area of the wire.

1
i.e. R ∝ (2)
A
Combining 1 and 2
l
R∝
A
l RA
R=ρ ρ=
A l
Where ρ (a constant) is a property of the material of the conductor called its
resistivity.
The S.I. unit for resistivity is Ωm.

Measurement of Electrical Energy:

Power is defined as
W
P= (1) Where P = power (in watts W)
t
W = work done (in J)
E
0r P= (2) E = energy conversion (in J)
t
t = time (in s).
Equation for potential difference between two points in an electric circuit or across a
conductor is given by:
W
V = (3) Where V = potential difference or voltage (in V)
Q
W = work done (in J) and
Q = charge (in C)
From (3), W =QV (4)
Substituting (4) into (1), therefore
W QV
P= =
t t
Q
But =I Where I is the current (in A).
t
Therefore P= =
W
t ( )
Q
t
V becomes
P = IV
In case of resistor of resistance R, the rate at which electrical energy is converted to heat
energy can be calculated from any of the following three equations:
P=IV =I (IR)
P = I2R (since V = IR)

[ ]
2 2
V V V
P=( ) R= since I =
R R R
Electrical energy E:
E
From (2), where P= , the electrical energy can be multiplying the equation of power and
t
time.
Therefore E = Pt
Or E = IVt--------(i) (since P = IV)

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Chapter 10 Current Electricity

In case of resistor of resistance R, the electrical energy converted to heat can be easily
calculated from the three equations:
E = IVt
E = I ( IR ) t=¿I2Rt-------(ii) (since V= IR)
E=¿

Series circuit:

 A series circuit is a circuit in

which
resistors are arranged in a chain,
so the current has only one path to
take.
 Characteristics of Series
Circuits:
As the current has only one path to take.
The current is the same through each resistor.
i.e. I 1=I 2=I 3 =I
The voltage is different through each resistor.
i.e. V 1=I R 1 , V 2=I R 2 and V 3=I R3
but Sum of all the voltages is equal to the
applied voltage
i.e. V =V 1+V 2+V 3 … … ( 1 )
So for combine resistance using Ohm’s law
in equation (1), we get
I R c =I R1 + I R2 + I R 3 … … .

I R c =I ¿) taking I as common

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Chapter 10 Current Electricity

Rc =¿ ) where Rc is the combined resistance and is always

greater than individual resistance.

Parallel Circuit:
 A parallel circuit is a circuit in which the resistors are arranged with
their heads connected together, and their tails connected together.
 Characteristics of Parallel Circuits:
As one end of each resistor is connected with positive and other end of
each resistor is connected to negative, so the voltage is the same through
each resistor.
i.e. V 1=V 2 =V 3=v
The Current is different through each resistor.
V V V
i.e. I 1= R , I 2= R and I 3= R
1 2 3

but Sum of all the currents is

equal to the
total current through the circuit.
i.e. I =I 1+ I 2 + I 3 … … ( 1 )
So for combine resistance using
Ohm’s law
in equation (1), we get
I I I I
= + + …….
Rc R 1 R2 R3
I 1 1 1
=( ¿ ¿1+ + )I … … .¿ taking I as common
Rc R R2 R3

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Chapter 10 Current Electricity

1 1 1 1
= + + …….
Rc R 1 R2 R3

Rc is the combined resistance, and is always smaller than

individual resistance.

Common devices in electrical circuits

Device Symbol Device Symbol

Switch Lamp

Cell Fixed resister

Battery Variable resister (or

rheostat)
Power supply fuse

Wires joined Wire crossed

Coil of wire transformer

galvanometer Ammeter

voltmeter Two-way switch

Earth connector capacitor

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