Current, Voltage, and Resistance 0.
010 Amps
0.015 Amps
Voltage 0.070 Amps
Voltage: the charge (electron) “pusher.” Voltage
causes current to flow/move. Effect on A Person
Voltage sources: Can be felt
o Battery Painful
o Generator Involuntary muscle spasms
Loss of muscle control
o Outlets
If through heart, serious injury, likely fatal if it lasts
Symbol for voltage = V
more than 1 second
Unit for voltage = Volts (V)
Resistance
Alessandro Volta (1745-1827)
Resistance: opposes the push from the voltage
➢ Italian physicist known especially for the invention
source. Resistance affects the speed of the current.
of the electrochemical cell, aka the battery in 1800
Symbol for Resistance = R
Unit for Resistance = Ohms (Ω)
Voltage at Home
Power utilities use large generators to provide the
Georg Ohm (1789-1854)
220V that is delivered to your home outlets
➢ German physicist
When you plug in something to the outlet (lamp,
➢ Ohm determined that there is a direct
blow dryer, TV, etc) the voltage is applied across
proportionality between the voltage applied
the circuit, allowing the charge to flow (electric
across a conductor and the electric current.
current).
➢ This relationship is known as Ohm’s law
Current
Voltage and Current
Current: flow of charge (electrons) within a
If the voltage in a circuit increases, the current will
conductor or how fast charge is moving.
increase.
Charge will only flow if there is a voltage source
If the voltage in a circuit decreases, the current will
(potential difference).
decrease.
Symbol for Current = |
This is a direct/proportional relationship.
Unit for Current = Amps (A)
Resistance and Current
André Ampère (1775-1836)
➢ French physicist and mathematician.
If the resistance in a circuit increases, the current
will decrease.
➢ One of the main discoverers of electromagnetism.
If the resistance in a circuit decreases, the current
➢ Sl unit of measurement of electric current, the
will increase.
ampere, is named after him.
This is an inversely proportional relationship.
What level of current is dangerous to people?
Ohm’s Law
TABLE
Current in Amps State the relationship between current, voltage,
0.001 Amps and resistance.
0.005 Amps German physicist George Ohm had the law named
after him, because of his extensive research.
o If R doubles, I is reduced by half.
o If R is reduced to ½, I increases by 4.
o This is known as an inverse.
Electric Power
❖ Work and energy are basically the same, with
identical units.
❖ Power is different. It is the time rate of doing work.
o Power = work / time.
o Work = power x time. Relationship
Ohm’s Law
➢ Ohm’s law states that, in an electrical circuit, the Electric Power
current passing through most materials is directly Practical Units of Power and Work:
proportional to the potential difference applied The rate at which work is done (power) equals
across them. the product of voltage and current. This is
derived as follows:
Ohm’s Law Formulas First, recall that:
1 푣표 = and 1 푎 푝≐ᯀ≐ =
1 푗표� ≐
�
1 푐표� 표 1
There are three forms of Ohm’s Law:
�= 1 푐표� 표 1
�
Where:
I = Current 1 푠≐푐표ᯀ
� = � × �
�
V = Voltage
�=
Power = Volts × Amps or P = V × I
� R = Resistance
Electric Power
The Current I = V/R ❖ Kilowatt Hours
The kilowatt hour (kWh) is a unit commonly
I=V/R
used for large amounts of electrical work or
In practical units, this law may be stated as:
energy.
Amperes volts / ohms
For example, electric bills are calculated in
Increasing the applied voltage V produces more
kilowatt hours. The kilowatt hour is the billing
current/to light the bulb with more intensity.
unit.
The amount of work (energy) can be found by
Practical Units
multiplying power (in kilowatts) × time in
The three forms of Ohm’s law can be used to define
hours.
the practical units of current, voltage, and resistance:
o 1 ampere = 1 volt/ 1 ohm
Power Dissipation in Resistance
o 1 volt = 1 ampere x 1 ohm
When current flows in a resistance, heat is
o 1 ohm 1 volt / 1 ampere
produced from the friction between the moving
free electrons and the atoms obstructing their path.
The Linear Proportion between V and I
Heat is evidence that power is used in producing
When V is constant:
current.
o I decreases as R increases.
o I increases as R decreases. Power Dissipation in Resistance
Examples:
The amount of power dissipated in a resistance ❖ If the power must be on, use only one hand when
may be calculated using any one of three formulas, making voltage measurements.
depending on which factors are known: ❖ Keep yourself insulated from earth ground.
o P = I² × R ❖ Hand-to-hand shocks can be very dangerous
o P = V² / R because current is likely to flow through the heart!
o P=V×R
Electric Shock
❖ When possible, work only on circuits that have the
power shut off.
