ELECTRICITY-Chapter

9
Circuit Symbols
Electric Current

Rate of flow of charge. I =

Conventional
Current.

Current that is regarded to flow from positive to

negative. i.e. flow of positive charge as it was
earlier known.

Charge Carriers
Current and Drift
Velocity

Solids: Electrons

Electromotive
Force(EMF)
Potential;
difference
Potential;
(Voltage)
difference
(Voltage)
Resistance
Resistance

Total work done per unit charge flowing round a complete circuit.

Power
Power

Q = It

Electrolytes: Positive and negative ions

I = nAVe; number of electrons per cubic metre, A-crosssection area, V- velocity and e = charge of an electron.
Measured in Volts

Energy per unit charge between two points on a circuit.

Measured In Volts.
=
Ratio of potential difference across a component to the current
that
through it.
Measured
in Ohms()
Ratioflow
of potential
difference
across
a component to the current
that flow through it. Measured
2
P = IV orinVOhms()
/R or I2R.
P = IV or V2/R or I2R.

Current:

Is the RATE of flow of charge

Current is Measured in
Amperes(A) by ammeter

Drift velocity of electrons

How fast do electrons flow through a wire?

Volume of cylinder = AL
[where A is the cross-sectional area of the wire and length L]
If there are n electrons per cubic metre then:
Number of electrons in cylinder = nAL
If each electron carries charge e then:
Charge carried by electrons in cylinder = nALe
But Current = charge/time = nALe/t
So

I = nAVe

or V =

but [ V=L/t]

I = nAVe
1. Calculatethedriftvelocityinapieceofwirewherethecurrentis
1A,thefreeelectrondensityis5.0x1028m-3andthediameterofthe
wireis1mm.[ans1.6x10-4 ms-1]
2. Calculatethedriftvelocityofthechargecarriersinasampleofsemi
conductorwhichis5mmwideand2mmthickifthecurrentis10mA
andthecarrierdensityis6x1023m-3.[10-2 ms-1]
3. Calculatethedriftvelocityofelectronsinasampleofcopperof
chargedensity=6x1028m-3whichhasthesamedimensionsasthe
semiconductorinquestion2andalsocarriesacurrentof10mA.
[1.04x10-7 ms-1]

Conventional current.
Current that flows from positive to
negative or flow of positive charge as it
was earlier known.
Electrons flows in opposite directionnegative to positive.
An electron has a charge of: -1.6x10-19 Coulombs.
e-

+_
e-

Electromotiveforce(e.m.f)
Total work done per unit charge flowing round a
complete circuit. Measured in Volts
TheelectricalenergytransferredfromotherformsperCoulombofchargethatpassesthroughthebattery/source.
Tomeasuree.m.fconnectavoltmeteracrosstheterminalsofthebattery

Emf,E=

W=Q

POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE.
Potential difference ( Voltage) is energy required
per Coulomb of charge to move from one point
to another.
V = energy = W
Charge = Q
Units: Volt(V) or JC-1

P.d across bulb =

VA - V B

The Volt

The p.d. between two points if one

Joule of work is done bringing one
Coulomb of charge from one point to
the other.

The Ohm

The resistance of a component when a

potential difference of 1volt drives a
current of 1A through the conductor.

RESISTORS IN SERIES
R1

R2

R3
10

15
R3

10

In Series the total resistance

is sum of all resistors.
RT = R1 + R2 + R3

Calculate
(a) the total resistance of the circuits
(b) The current in the circuit. I=V/R
1.5V

1.5V

1.5V

RESISTANCE IN PARALLEL
In Parallel the total resistance is

1=1+1
RT
R1 R2

R1

R2
R2

R
R33

Find
(a) the total resistance
(b) The current flowing in the circuit

Find the total resistance

What is Resistance?
Is

the ratio of voltage to current

flowing through a circuit.
Measured in ohms().

Electrical Energy
Electrical

energy is energy supplied

by flowing electric current.
E= voltage x Charge =QC

= Voltage x current x time.

E=

vIt

ELECTRICAL POWER

Electrical

power is rate of energy transfer.

Power

= = IV
Power = voltage x current
P = IV
P=
P

Power

is measured in Watts or J/s

Fuses
Fuse: piece of wire that will melt when a current of a certain
size passes though it. Connected on the live wire.

The fuse value needs to be just above the

normal operating current