Kiss Topic 2

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keep it simple science
Preliminary Physics Topic 2
ELECTRICAL ENERGY in the HOME
What is this topic about?

To keep it as simple as possible, (K.I.S.S.) this topic involves the study of:
1. SOCIETY NEEDS ELECTRICITY
2. ELECTRIC FIELDS & CURRENTS
3. ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS... SERIES & PARALLEL
4. ELECTRICAL POWER & ENERGY
5. MAGNETIC EFFECTS OF ELECTRICITY
6. ELECTRICAL SAFETY in the home
but first, lets revise...

WHAT IS ELECTRICITY?
STATIC ELECTRICITY
(Static = not moving)
If different materials are rubbed together, friction
can often remove electrons from one and deposit
them on the other. The result is that each
substance is left with an electric charge.
To answer that, you need to be reminded about

atoms:
Structure
of an
ATOM
electron (-))
Charged
objects can
attract or
repel each
each other
and cause
all sorts of
weird things
to happen.
Nucleus contains
PROTONS (+) and
NEUTRONS (0)
Atoms consist of a central nucleus in which are:
Protons (+ve) & Neutrons (neutral).

In orbit are tiny Electrons(-ve).
CURRENT ELECTRICITY
Both protons and electrons have a property we

call Electric Charge, which is responsible for
all the things we know as Electricity and
Magnetism.
(Currentmeans moving or flowing)
Normally, every atom has exactly the same

number of protons and electrons, and therefore
the same amount of (+ve) and (-ve) electric
charge.
Electrons rubbed off perspex rod.
Rod becomes positively charged.

However, it
is relatively easy
to separate
electrons
++++++
from
atoms,
e-
and then things get

interesting...
Preliminary Physics Topic 2 Electricity in the Home

Copyright 2005-2
2009 keep it simple science
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
Electrons can
also flow
through
Conductors,
such as metal
wires.
and thats when

electricity gets
very useful...
CONCEPT DIAGRAM (Mind Map) OF TOPIC

Some students find that memorising the OUTLINE of a topic helps them learn and remember
the concepts and important facts. As you proceed through the topic,
come back to this page regularly to see how each bit fits the whole.
At the end of the notes you will find a blank version of this Mind Map to practise on.
History of
Energy
Sources
Definition &
Measurement
of
Electric Field
Electric
Current
Voltage
(Potential
Difference)
Ohms Law
Society
Needs
Electricity
Electric Fields
&
Currents
Electrical
Resistance
Series
&
Parallel
Electrical
Circuits
ELECTRICAL
ENERGY
in the HOME
Ammeters
&
Voltmeters
Electrical
Power &
Energy
Electrical
Safety
Magnetic Effects
of
Electric Current
Magnetic
Fields
Earthing
&
Double
Insulation
Fuses,
Circuit
Breakers
&
ELDs

Copyright 2005-2
Solenoids
&
Electromagnets
Magnetic Field
around a wire
Carrying Current
1. SOCIETY NEEDS ELECTRICITY

The Impacts of Change
We are so used to having electrical appliances

and getting things done with the flick of a switch
that its easy to forget that it wasnt always like
that.
As the sources and available amounts of energy have

changed, so has human society.
When only human muscles, animal power and wood
burning was available, most people lived in rural
areas and grew their own food. Cottage Industry
was widespread, with people manufacturing clothing,
shoes, furniture, etc on a small scale in their own
homes.
Energy Sources in History

Our distant ancestors had only their own
muscles and the warmth of the Sun to provide
energy to do anything.
Slowly that changed. Each new energy source
gave more power, more wealth, better living
conditions and more opportunity for humans to
survive and control their environment.
Life was simple and people worked hard. If there was

any leisure time, people entertained themselves with
their own music, singing and dancing.
The Industrial Revolution changed that by the
invention of mass-production in huge factories.
Cottage industry collapsed, and many country people
were forced to move to cities and find jobs in the
factories.
500,000 BC: control of fire. Heating & cooking.

10,000 BC: domestication of animals... animal
power improves the transport of people and
goods, plowing, etc.
INDUSTRIALISATION
& URBANISATION
3,000 BC: wind and water

power.... sailing boats,
windmills, etc.
(approx) 1750 AD: burning

of coal begins to replace
wood. Steam engines
invented... machinery,
trains, steam ships, etc.
This was the Industrial
Revolution.
1780-1800: scientific investigations of the
strange properties of electricity... the conflicting
theories of Galvani and Volta (see later...), but
electricity remains a scientific curiosity made in
small amounts by batteries.
Modern factories are now powered by electricity

instead of coal & steam engines, but the trend
continues... the jobs and opportunities (and the
bright lights) still attract country people to the
cities.
1830s: discovery of how to generate electricity

using a dynamo (generator). Practical
amounts of electrical power become possible,
but it was still only used for scientific research.
People now enjoy a lot more leisure time, but

how they spend it has changed totally.
Electricity makes it possible to go to a movie,
watch TV, listen to CD music or surf the internet.
1880-1910: a flood of
inventions such as the
light bulb, telephone,
gramophone and radio
created a demand for
electricity to be made
available on a large
scale.
Electricity powers the computers and other

equipment that have revolutionised our
banking, businesses and communication
systems.
Electricity in peoples homes has resulted in
many labour-saving and convenience
appliances... washing machines, diswashers,
vacuum cleaners, microwaves... even the
electric toothbrush!
By 1950, all industrialised nations had become

totally converted to, and dependent on
electricity for domestic power.
Copyright 2005-2
Increasing access to energy, especially electricity,

has had a huge impact on human society.
3
Power Supply in Remote Places

A remote
community
equipped with
solar cells and
wind turbines for
electricity.
Despite our societys massive usage of

electricity, there are still many remote locations
(e.g. in central Australia) where it is impractical
to link small communities to the main power
grid.
These places must use things like:
Diesel Generators. A diesel powered engine
drives an electric generator.
Solar Cells. A solar cell converts sunlight
directly to electricity which can be stored in
batteries for night use.
Wind turbines generate electricity from the
power of the wind.
Arguably, this is
how all homes
should be
powered,
remote or not!
Volta v Galvani
THE DEBATE ABOUT ELECTRICITY

Back in the 18th century there was great
disagreement about what electricity actually
was, and where it came from.
Although he turned out to be wrong, Galvanis

idea sparked tremendous interest in the study of
electricity, so he did contribute to scientific
progress.
From 1780 Luigi Galvani carried out a series of

experiments in
which freshly
dissected frogs legs
twitched when touched
by different metal
hooks and wires.
Galvani believed that
electricity came from the
frog as animal electricity,
a sort of fluid that was
connected with the life
force.
Frankie
The basic electric

meter for
detecting and
measuring
electricity is called
a galvanometer
in his honour.
Voltas Pile was
the forerunner of
modern batteries,
and for many years
the best way for
the scientists to produce electricity in the
laboratory for further study.
(This scared some

people who thought Science
was mucking around with the
soul. Mary Shelley was
prompted to write a warning
novel about a mis-guided
scientist who used electricity
to bring life to a
spare-parts monster...
you know the rest)
Voltas Pile
Plates of
Zinc & Silver,
with paper
soaked
in brine
make
electricity...
a chemical
battery
Many did not agree with Galvani. Alessandro

Volta suggested that the electricity making the
frog muscles jump was produced by chemical
reactions in the metals and fluids present. His
experiments of 1794 supported his idea.
(brine is concentrated
salt water)
The debate raged between the supporters of

each theory, until 1800 when Volta made huge
amounts (for that time) of electricity from a
series of metal plates with paper soaked in salt
water in between.. and not a frog in sight.
In recognition of his great contribution, we

name the electrical unit, the volt in honour of
Alessandro Volta.
This settled the debate!

Copyright 2005-2
2. ELECTRIC FIELDS & CURRENTS

Electrostatic Charges and Fields
FIELD SHAPE
BETWEEN
TWO OPPOSITE
CHARGES.
Electric charges push or pull each other... there

are forces between them:
SAME CHARGES REPEL

DIFFERENT
CHARGES
(attracting each other)
ATTRACT
ELECTRIC FIELD BETWEEN

TWO IDENTICAL CHARGES.
The forces are best explained by imagining that

each electric charge is surrounded by a
FORCE FIELD. Any electric charge that is
placed within the field will experience a force.
(repelling each other)

These fields are
irregular and the
strength of the
field varies from
place to place.
By definition, the direction of the force field

lines is the direction a positive (+ve) charge
would move if placed in the field.
The only electric field that is quite regular and

has the same strength at each point is the
SHAPES OF FIELDS
AROUND POINT CHARGES
POSITIVE
FIELD BETWEEN
TWO CHARGED PLATES
NEGATIVE
Positively (+ve)
charged plate
+
Uniform Field
Between Plates
Negatively (-v
ve)
charged plate
MEASUREMENT OF ELECTRIC CHARGE & FIELD

The unit of electric charge is the
Coulomb (C).
1 coulomb of charge is a very large
C)
amount, so microcoulombs(
are commonly used.
1 C = 1 x 10-6 C
The Electric Field strength is defined and

measured as the Force per unit of Charge:
ELECTRIC FIELD = FORCE
CHARGE
E= F
Q
(The coulomb is named in honour of

a French scientist.)
The direction is the

way a +ve charge
would move
Since force is measured in newtons (N), and

charge is in coulombs (C), it follows that the
unit of electric field strength is the newton
per coulomb (NC-1)
This means if a charge Q experiences an
electric force F, then there must be an
electric field present, and its strength is F/Q.
TRY THE WORKSHEET QUESTIONS

at the end of this section
Copyright 2005-2
Electric Field is a
VECTOR.
It has a direction as
well as a value.
Real & Conventional Current
Electric Current
In the mid 19th century, when scientists figured

out that electric current was a flow of electric
charges, the obvious question was is it
positives going this way, or negatives going the
other way? Back then they couldnt tell, but
realised that in terms of energy flow it was all
the same anyhow, as long as everyone was
consistent about it.
If electric charges are located on insulators

(e.g. plastic) then the charge cannot move and
you have static electricity. This can attract
things, or repel other same-type charges, such
as when your hair stands on end from static.
If, however, electric charges are located in a
conductor (e.g. a metal wire) AND there is an
electric field present, then the charges will
FLOW THROUGH THE CONDUCTOR because of
the force applied to them by the field... this is
ELECTRIC CURRENT.
So, they decided that current is a stream of (+ve)

charges flowing with the electric field direction
lines.
Electric current (symbol I) is defined as the rate

of flow of charge, and can be measured in
Coulombs per second. (C.s-1)
CONVENTIONAL CURRENT
a flow of (+ve) charges along the field lines
However, we call this unit the Ampere (Amp

for short, symbol A) in honour of yet another
great scientist.
CURRENT =
Electric Field lines
They had a 50-50 chance and got it wrong! Later

it was discovered that electric current in a wire
is always the flow of (-ve) electrons in the
opposite direction.
CHARGE
TIME
I= Q
t
1 Amp = 1 coulomb per second
Electric Field lines
REAL CURRENT
a flow of (-v
ve) electrons
up the field lines
TRY THE WORKSHEET

at the end of this section
Direct Current &

Alternating Current
We still use both descriptions. You must accept

that:
If the electric field is constant, then the charge

will flow steadily in one direction. This is called
DIRECT CURRENT (DC). Batteries produce DC.
Conventional current is a flow of

(+ve) charge from (+ve) terminal to (-ve)
AND
Real current is a flow of (-ve) electrons the
other way.
Voltage
So what makes the charges flow?
An electric field provides a force that acts on
each charge. (remember
E=F/Q ?)
This
electromotive force (emf) acts on each charge,
giving it ENERGY (measured in Joules (J)).
Voltage is a measure of how much energy is
given to each unit of charge, so...
1 Volt (V) = 1 Joule (J) of energy per Coulomb (C)
So, a 9 volt battery gives 9 Joules of energy to
each Coulomb of charge. A 12 V battery gives
12 J to each coulomb of electrons, and so on.
If the field keeps reversing its direction, so does

the current. The charges will move back-andforth. This is called ALTERNATING CURRENT
(AC). Generators produce AC. Our mains
electricity supply is 50 Hz AC... it moves backand-forth 50 times per second.
Copyright 2005-2
The bigger the voltage, the more energy is

available to an electric circuit, and
...the MORE CURRENT FLOWS.
Ohms Law
Prac Work
Non-Ohmic Resistance
You may have carried out a 1st hand

investigation in which you set up a simple
electric circuit and meaured the current flow (in
Amps) at various Voltage settings.
If you tried the same activity using a light bulb

as your resistor, the graph will come out rather
differently:
TransformerRectifier unit.
(Power pack)
AC
Voltage
off
on
DC
Solid-s
state resistor,
or resistance coil.
Ammeter
measures
current
Current
Voltmeter
measures
voltage
The curve indicates that the resistance of the

bulb keeps changing and does not have a single
value. The bulb does not follow Ohms Law
(straight line, single gradient value) and is said
to be NON-OHMIC
A conductor can now be understood as a

substance with a very low resistance value, so
that current flows through it easily. An insulator
as a substance with a very high resistance value
which impedes current flow.
li
ne
V
gr
ad
ien
t=
of
be
st
fit
The straight line

graph shows a direct
relationship
between voltage
& current.
/I
Conductors and Insulators
Voltage (V)
When your data was graphed, it may have

looked like this:
Generally, metals are good conductors. Silver &

gold are excellent conductors, but we mostly
use copper and aluminium for electrical wiring
because they are nearly as good as conductors,
and a lot cheaper.
Experimental
data points
Current (A)
Good insulators include glass, plastic and

paper. Although their resistance is very high,
its all a matter of Ohms Law. If a large enough
voltage is applied, even a good insulator can
break down and allow current to flow.
About 1830, Georg Ohm discovered this

relationship and established that the gradient of
the graph is a constant value for any given
resistor.
This value is now called the
RESISTANCE, and may be thought of as a
value for how the current is being retarded as it
flows in the circuit.
Contrary to general belief, water itself is NOT a

good conductor... the resistance of pure water is
very high. However, sea water, bath water or
even tap water may have enough dissolved
chemicals in it to increase the conductivity
(decrease the resistance) to dangerous levels
when mains electricity (240 V) is involved.
The relationship is now called Ohms Law

gradient = VOLTAGE = RESISTANCE
of graph
CURRENT
V = R
I
or
V=IR
Worksheet on Ohms Law
at end of section
The unit of resistance is called the Ohm. The

).
symbol used is the greek letter omiga (
Copyright 2005-2
Factors Affecting the

Resistance of a Wire
Length
Everything else being equal, the LONGER
conductor has MORE RESISTANCE.
2 wires,
same thickness
Longer wire = More Resistance
Shorter wire = Less Resistance
Cross-sectional Area
Conducting wires and glass

insulators on a power pole
The LARGER the cross-sectional area, the

LESS RESISTANCE.
2 wires,
same length
Thicker wire = Less Resistance
Thinner wire = More Resistance

Plastic
Insulation
Conducting
Wire
Temperature
Generally in metals, the HOTTER they get, the
MORE RESISTANCE they develop.
Type of Material
As already mentioned, metals are mostly good
conductors while glass & plastic are poor.
More About Voltage...Potential Difference

The voltage or emf produced by a power
source is a measure of how much energy per
unit of charge ( J.C-1) is given to the charges by
the electric field.
However, when you measure the voltage across
a resistor you are measuring the ENERGY
DIFFERENCE (per charge) from one side of the
resistor to the other. So, instead of measuring
the energy gained by the electrons, you are
measuring the energy LOST by the electrons as
they push through the resistor. (Energy per unit
charge)
R=3
6V
R=2
V
V
R=1
4V
2V
12 V Total
You will have found that:
You may have measured this POTENTIAL

DIFFERENCE (P.D.) (or Voltage Drop) across
different resistors in a circuit similar to that
shown in the diagram.
the higher the Resistance, the greater the P.D,

because more energy is lost by the charges.
the sum of the P.D.s around the circuit is equal
tothe total voltage for the entire circuit.

Copyright 2005-2
Worksheet 1
Society & Electricity
Fill in the blank spaces.
Student Name...........................................
People now enjoy much more j)..........................
time. Much of this time is spent being
entertained by technology powered by
k)............................., such as l)..........................
and .............................. In the home are many
labour-saving
devices
such
as
m)................................ and .....................................
For most of human history, energy was provided

by burning of a)......................... or came from the
muscle power of people or b).......................
About
3,000BC
c).......................
and
......................... power began to be used, but it
was not until the d)............................. Revolution
(about 1750AD) that large amounts of energy
started to be used. The burning of e)....................
to power f)...................... engines and machinery,
resulted in large scale manufacturing industry.
Electricity began to be investigated scientifically
about g)...................... (year) but it was 100 years
before large scale use of electricity began. The
demand for electricity was created by inventions
of new devices such as h)..................................,
.............................. and ..........................................
Despite our widespread use of electricity, there

are still remote communities who must use
n).............................. or ................................... to
get electricity.
Luigi Galvani believed that electricity was
created by o)..............................................., but
Alessandro p)............................. showed that it
came from chemical reactions. He invented the
q)............................... pile which was a primitive
r)......................................
The increased usage of energy has totally

changed the way humans live. Society has
become i)....................................... (=most people
live in cities)
Worksheet 2
Electric Fields & Currents
Student Name...........................................
Two electric charges of the same type will

a)..................... each other, while b)...................
charges will attract. Electric charge is measured
in units called c)........................... The forces
between charges are explained by the concept
of the d)................ ................................ which is
thought to surround each charge. Any charge
which is in this field will experience a
e).........................
Real Current actually is a stream of

w).............................. flowing from x)..........................
towards y)..............................
The direction of the field is defined as the

direction that a f)................... charge would move
due to the field. The strength of the field is
defined as the g)....................... per unit of
h).................... The measurement unit for electric
field is i).............................................
If the current through a resistor is measured at

various
voltages,
the
data
forms
a
ae).................................... (shape) graph. The
af)...................... of the graph is equal to the
ag)................................ of the resistor. The relationship
is known as ah)........................ Law. Resistance is
measured in the unit called the ai)...............................
If an electric field acts on charges in a

j).............................., they will flow. This is an
electric k)................................, which is defined
as the l)................. of flow of m)....................... The
unit of current is the n).........................., which is
equivalent to the number of o)................... of
charge flowing per p)....................
When you measure the voltage across a resistor, you

are really measuring the energy aj)............................
by the charges as they push their way through the
resistor. The higher the resistance, the greater the
ak)........................ ......................... (P.D.)
Voltage (or z)....................................... Force (emf))

is a measure of how much aa).......................... is given
to each coulomb of charge by the electric field. The
unit is the ab)................................, which is equivalent
to the number of ac)............................ of energy per
ad).................................. of charge.
The resistance of a conducting material is affected

by:
Length:
the
longer
the
wire,
the
al)................................... the resistance.
Cross-sectional Area: the thicker the wire, the
am).................................. the resistance.
Temperature: at higher temperatures most metals
have an)................................. resistance.
Type of Material: generally, ao)............................. are
good conductors. Plastic, glass, paper etc are good
ap)..............................
Direct Current (DC) is when the current flows

q)............................................................................
r)............................................... (AC) is when the
charges flow s).......................................................
Conventional Current is imagined to be a flow
of t)................. charges from u)........................ to
v)....................................
Copyright 2005-2
Worksheet 3 Practice Problems

Electric Charges & Fields
Student Name...........................................
Example Problem 1
When an electric charge Q = 6.50x10-4 C is
placed in an electric field, it experiences a force
of 8.15x10-2 N. What is the field strength at that
point?
Answer:
E=F/Q
= 8.15x10-2 / 6.50x10-4
E = 125 NC-1
Example Problem 2
What force would be experienced by a charge of
4.68x10-6 C, when placed in an electric field with
strength 3.65x103 NC-1?
Answer: E = F/Q, so F = E.Q
= 3.65x103 x 4.68x10-6
= 0.017082
= 1.71 x 10-2 N
TRY THESE...
1. A charge of 45.0 C is placed in an electric field
and experiences a force of 100 N.
What is the field strength?
3. A charge of 1.06x10-6 C is placed in an electric

field. It experiences a force of 25.0N.
Calculate the strength of the electric field.
4. What force would be applied to a charge of
1.25C if placed in a field with strength 250 NC-1?
5. A charge is placed in an electric field with
strength of 5.00x10-2 NC-1. A force of 8.20x10-3 N
is experienced. What is the value of the charge?
6. Calculate the force that would be felt by a
0.0465C charge if placed in a 3.48x102 NC-1 field.
7. a) What is the value of the electric field if a
3.00x10-4 C charge experiences a force of
0.0255N?
b) What force would be experienced by a 8.22 C
charge when placed in the field from (a)?
2. What is the strength of a field if a force of 458

N is experienced by a charge of 0.245 C?
Careful!
You must use charge in coulombs, NOT C.
Worksheet 4 Practice Problems

Ohms Law
Student Name...........................................
TRY THESE...
Example Problem 1
What current would flow through a 4.0 resistor
if the voltage across the resistor is 10 V ?
Answer:
1. If 25.0 C of charge passed through a 0.500 W

resistor in 10.0 s:
a) what current is flowing?
b) What is the voltage across the resistor?
V = IR
10 = I x 4.0
I = 10 / 4.0 = 2.5 A.
2. Across a 20.0 resistor the P.D. is 12.0 V.

a) Find the current which would flow.
b) How much electric charge would pass
through the resistor in 30.0 seconds?
Example Problem 2
In an electric circuit, a 5.00 resistor is found to
have 2.50A of current flowing through it.
a) What is the potential difference (PD) across
the resistor?
b) How much electric charge is passing through
the resistor per second?
c) How much charge would pass through in 1.00
hour?
3. Across a resistor there is a P.D. = 15.0 V, and

a current of 3.00 A flows.
a) What is the value of the resistance?
b) The voltage is reduced to 6.00 V across the
same resistor. What current will flow?
c) What voltage would be required to cause a
current of 4.50 A to flow in this resistor?
Answer
a)
V = IR
= 2.50 x 5.00
= 12.5 V
4. Find the resistance of a circuit if 9.00 V causes

a total of 120 C of charge to pass through in 3.00
minutes.
b) Since 1 Amp = 1 coulomb per second, there

must be 2.50 C of charge per sec. ( 2.50 C.s-1)
c)
5. What voltage is needed to make a total of

resistor
360C of charge to pass through a 22.5
in 3.00 minutes.
I=Q/t
2.50 = Q / (60x60)
Q = 2.50 x 60 x 60 = 9,000 C
= 9.00x103 C

Copyright 2005-2
Remember that for full marks

in calculations, you need to show
FORMULA, NUMERICAL SUBSTITUTION,
APPROPRIATE PRECISION and UNITS
10
Worksheet 5 Test Questions

Multiple Choice
sections 1 & 2
8. Several conducting wires made of the same

material were tested for their electrical
resistance. The one with the highest resistance
would most likely be:
A. thin, long and high temperature.
B. thick, long and high temperature.
C. thick, short and cool.
D. thin, short and cool.
1. In the 17th century debate about the origin of

electricity, and the meaning of the famous
frogs legs experiments:
A. Volta thought it came from within the frog.
B. Galvani believed it came from the metals &
fluids reacting chemically.
C. Volta believed it came from the metals &
fluids reacting chemically.
D. Galvani & Volta supported the same ideas.
Longer Response Questions

Mark values shown are suggestions only, and are to
give you an idea of how detailed an answer is
appropriate. Answer on reverse if insufficient space.
2. The diagram shows 2 electric charges. The

direction of the electric field at point P would be:
A. to the right.
B. to the left.
P
+
C. upwards.
D. downwards.
9. (3 marks)
Give a brief outline of how the main sources of
domestic energy have changed over time.
3. An electric charge of Q coulombs

experienced a force of F newtons due to an
electric field with magnitude of E units. The
value of Q could be calculated as follows:
A. Q = F / E
B. Q = F x E
C. Q = E / F
D. Q = F + E
10. (3 marks)
Calculate the force on a charge of 3.95x10-3C
placed in an electric field of magnitude
7.55x104NC-1.
4. An electric current composed of positive

charges flowing steadily in one direction is:
A. real, AC
B. conventional, AC
C. real, DC
D. conventional, DC
11. (6 marks)
Using the circuit shown, the voltage and current
readings were recorded for a variety of power
settings.
5. If 5.00 x 102 C of charge flowed past in 2.50

minutes, then the electric current would be:
A. 200 A
B. 333 A
C. 3.33 A
D. 0.3 A
Results:
Voltage(V)
6.5
8.2
10.4
12.6
6. The circuit shown was used to

test Ohms Law on the
resistor R.
The results gathered were:
Voltage(V)
2.0
4.0
6.0
10
Current (A)
0.5
0.8
1.0
1.25
Current (A)
1.5
2.0
2.4
2.8
a) Graph
these results
appropriately.
R
b) Use the
graph to find
a resistance
value for R.
From these results, it would be true to

say that:
A. Ohms Law was obeyed.
B. R is a non-ohmic resistor.
C. R has a resistance value of 5.75 ohm
D. the meter readings must have been
inaccurate.
c) Would you describe

R as ohmic or nonohmic? Explain your
answer.
7. Voltage or potential difference measures:

A. difference in amount of energy per unit of charge.
B. the force pushing a charge through a circuit.
C. the force per unit of charge in an electric field.
D. the potential energy at a point in an electric field.

Copyright 2005-2
Student Name...........................................
11
3. ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS... SERIES & PARALLEL

In your home, electricity is supplied to lights
and appliances by a number of electrical
circuits. Each circuit usually supplies power to
several lights or power points. For example a
light circuit might have 6 lights connected,
each able to be switched on/off separately.
How are these lights in one circuit connected?
There are 2 basic ways to connect multiple
components into a single circuit...
in SERIES, or in PARALLEL.
Series Circuits
In a series circuit the components are
connected one after the other, in a single
pathway for the current..
off
on
You will have done laboratory work to

measure the voltages and currents in
different parts of a series circuit:
Below is a circuit for measuring voltages and
current in different parts of a series circuit.
AC
Ammeters measure
current in different
parts of the circuit
DC
VT
AT
Voltmeter measures
total for the circuit
The electricity has no choice. All the current

must flow in the single path through all the
bulbs.
+ve
R1
-v
ve
V1
DC Power Source
R2
A2
V2
Voltmeters measure P.D.

across each resistor
What you may have found:

Current is the same throughout the circuit.
(i.e. in the circuit above
IT = I1 = I2 )
3 light bulbs in SERIES
Voltages are different across different

resistors., BUT they add up to the total for
the circuit.
(i.e. in the circuit above
VT = V1 + V2 )
All the current must flow through all the bulbs
The light bulbs are either all on, or all off.

They CANNOT be switched independently.
If one bulb burns out the circuit is broken
and they all go out.
Copyright 2005-2
A1
Ohms Law is obeyed for each resistor,

AND for the entire circuit.
12
Parallel Circuits
off
on
You will have done laboratory work to measure

voltages and currents in different parts of a
parallel circuit:
AC
Total Voltage
measurement
Total Current
AT
DC
Voltmeters measure P.D.

across each resistor
VT
3 light
bulbs in
PARALLEL
A1
V1
A2
V2
Ammeters measure current

through each resistor
In a parallel
circuit the
components
are arranged
in separate
branches
of the circuit.
A3
V3
What you would have found:

Voltages are all the same across each resistor.
(in the circuit above VT = V1 = V2 = V3)
At each branch the current divides

and flows through ONE bulb only.
Currents are different in each branch, but

add up to the total current.
( IT = I1 + I2 + I3 )
Each bulb can be switched on/off

separately, and if one burns out, the
others continue to work.
Ohms Law is obeyed in each branch, AND

for the entire circuit.
Electrical Circuits in the Home
Ammeters & Voltmeters
A typical modern home is wired to contain a

number of separate circuits. Each circuit may
contain many lights or power outlets and all of
them are wired in parallel.
Ammeters measure the current (flow of charge)

and so they must be placed in SERIES with the
component you wish to measure current flow
through. They have very low resistance, to
allow current through easily.
WHY ALWAYS PARALLEL CIRCUITS?

If you have several components on the same
parallel circuit:
Voltmeters measure the Potential Difference

across a component, and must be placed in
PARALLEL with it. Voltmeters have extremely
high resistance and must NEVER be placed in
series.
they can be switched on/off independently.

if one burns out, the others keep operating
normally. (In series circuits, its one off - all off)
The total resistance of the parallel circuit is
less, and more usable POWER can be delivered
to each light or appliance.
Voltmeter
in parallel
with bulb
WHY NOT JUST ONE CIRCUIT?

If all the lights and appliances in your home
were on just one parallel circuit, and everything
was switched on at the same time, the current
flow in the main circuit line would be enormous.
Main
Circuit
Parallel
branch
This would be very dangerous. High current

levels can cause wires to get hot, melt their
insulation and perhaps start a fire.
Ammeter
in Series with
bulb
Copyright 2005-2
13
Worksheet 6
Series & Parallel Circuits
Student Name...........................................
The current in each branch can be
j).............................., and will add up equal to the
current for k).............................. Ohms Law
l).............. (is/is not) obeyed for each resistor and
for m)......................................................
There are 2 different ways to arrange electrical

components in a circuit: a).....................................
or .....................................
In a series circuit the electricity must flow
through b)............... the components. The
current is c)......................... in every part of the
circuit. The voltages (P.D.) across each resistor
may be d)..............................., but the sum of
individual voltages is equal to e)...........................
for the whole circuit. Ohms Law f)................
(is/is not) obeyed for each resistor and for
g).....................................................
Circuits in a home are always wired in

n)...........................This allows each light or
appliance
to
be
switched
on/off
o)..............................., and if one bulb burns out
the others on the same circuit will
p)...................................... It also allows maximum
q).................... to be delivered to each light or
appliance without requiring dangerous levels of
r)................................
In
a
parallel
circuit
the
electricity
h)............................. at each branch of the
circuit. The voltage in each branch is
i)................................

Multiple Choice
Ammeters
must
be
connected
in
s)............................., while Voltmeters must be
connected in t).................................
section 3

1. In the series circuit

shown, the 3 resistors
all have different
resistance values.
4.(8 marks)
In the circuit shown, the
battery provides
12.0 V e.m.f.
a) What reading would you
expect on voltmeter V3?
It would be true to say:

A. The voltages V1, V2 & V3 would be all the same.
B. The currents through R1, R2 & R3 would add up to
the total current in the circuit.
C. The same current flows through each resistor.
D. For each resistor, the higher the resistance,
the less current would flow through it.
b) Calculate the resistance

of resistance R.
AT
8.00
c)Find the current flow in:

i) A1
ii) A2
iii) AT
A. Ammeters have low resistance and

must be connected in parallel.
B. Voltmeters have low resistance and
must be connected in series.
C. Ammeters have high resistance and
must be connected in series.
D. Voltmeters have high resistance and
must be connected in parallel.
VT
A1
V1
2.50
A2
V2
R
2. Which statement about electrical meters is correct?
V3
A3
0.25 A
5. (5 marks)
Sketch a circuit diagram containing 2 light bulbs
powered by a D.C. battery. The lights must be
able to be switched on & off independently. An
ammeter is positioned to record the total current
of the circuit, and a voltmeter must be
positioned to measure the P.D. for one of the
bulbs.
3. Which of the following is NOT a reason for a

household circuit containing 6 lights to be connected
in parallel? (as compared to the same lights in series)
A. Each light can be switched on/off independently.
B. Parallel will allow less current to flow, and be safer.
C. Total resistance is less, and more power delivered.
D. If one light burns out, the others will keep going.

Copyright 2005-2
Student Name...........................................
14
Worksheet 8
Practice Problems
Series & Parallel Circuits
Example Problem 1
a) Ammeter A1 reads
8.00A.
What current flows
through A2 and A3 ?
Student Name...........................................
TRY THESE:
1. In the series circuit shown, the current is
measured to be 1.25 A.
Series Circuit
VT
AT
8.00 A
b) Find the resistance

of each resistor
R1, R2 & R3.
R1
c) Predict the reading

on voltmeter VT.
12.0 V
R2
A2
V1
R3
A3
V3
V2
R1
16.0 V
4.00 V
Solution:
a) 8.00 A flows through both.
(current is the same in every part of a series circuit)
V1
Example Problem 2
Total voltage = 12.0 V.
The total current at
AT= 5.20 A.
Ammeter A1 reads
0.800A.
Resistor R3 has
.
resistance of 4.50
V1
12.0V
c) The ammeter reads 2.50 A. Calculate the resistance

of R1.
0.800 A
R2
d) What is the total current flowing out of the power

source?
A2
3. In this circuit are 3

identical light bulbs
(A,B & C) and 4 switches
labelled S1, S2, etc.
The battery is 6.0 V.
V2
R3=4.50
A3
Solution:
V3
a) 12.0 V.
(Voltages are the same in every branch of a
parallel circuit)
a) Which switch(es)
must be closed to
light up bulb B ONLY?
6.0V
S1
A
B
C
b) When all bulbs are lit,
the current through C
is 2.0 A. Find the resistance of the bulb.
b) V=IR
12.0= A3 x 4.50
A3=12.0/4.50 = 2.67 A
c) Since (in any pllel crt.)
2.40V
b) If the voltmeter reads 8.00 V, and R2=6.00W,

calculate the current through R2.
VT
A1
a) What would be the

readings on the
other 3 voltmeters?
b) Find the current at A3
c) Find the current at A2
d) Find the resistance of
R1 & R2 .
V3
2.
a) Sketch an electric circuit containing 2 resistors (R1
& R2) in parallel and a DC power source. Show the
position of an ammeter ready to measure the current
through R1, and a voltmeter to measure potential
difference across R2.
Parallel Circuit
R1
V2
a) Find the resistances of R1 & R3.

b) Find the potential difference across R2.
c) What is the voltage of the power source?
d) What would happen in this circuit if R3 burned
out?
(in a series circuit, P.D.s

add up to the total)
AT 5.20 A
R3
6.50V
b) Using Ohms Law:

V = IR
in R1: 12.0=8.00xR1, R1=12.0/8.00 = 1.50
in R2: 4.00=8.00xR2, R2=4.00/8.00 = 0.50
in R3: 16.0=8.00xR3, R3=16.0/8.00 = 2.00
c) VT = V1 + V2 + V3
= 12.0 + 4.00 + 16.0
= 32.0 V
R2=10.0
S2
S3
S4
c) What is the total current flow from the battery

when all the bulbs are lit? (hint: bulbs are identical)
AT = A1 + A2 + A3
5.20 = 0.800 + A2 + 2.67
A2 = 1.73 A
d) Later, with ALL switches closed, bulb A burns

out. What happens to the other bulbs? (On or off?)
d)
V=IR
R1: 12.0 = 0.800 x R1
R1=12.0/0.800
= 15.0
R2: 12.0 = 1.73 x R2
R2=12.0/1.73 = 6.94
e) When A burns out, it is found by ammeter that

the current through C becomes 1.50 A.
Calculate the resistance of bulb C.
f) Considering the answer to (b), is bulb C an
ohmic or non-ohmic resistor? Explain.

Copyright 2005-2
15
4. ELECTRICAL POWER & ENERGY

Electrical Power
Electrical Energy
Power is defined as the rate at which

energy is transformed.
If you combine the equations P = VI and P = E

t
Then, it follows that
VI = E
t
and therefore,
Mathematically:
E = V.I.t
Power = Energy
time
P= E
t
or
Electrical = Voltage x Current x time

Energy
(Joules)
(Volts)
(Amps) (sec)
E = P.t
Example Problem
In an electric circuit, a 240 V source causes a
flow of current of 8.50 A.
a) What is the resistance of the circuit?
b) What power does the circuit use?
c) How much energy is consumed if this circuit
is left on for 3.00 minutes?
The unit of power should (therefore) be

the Joule per sec ( J.s-1) but this unit
is called a Watt (W), in honour of
James Watt who engineered steam
engines and discovered much about the
concept of power.
Solution:
a)Ohms Law
It can be shown that, in the case of

electrical energy:
V= IR
240= 8.50 x R
R = 240 / 8.50
= 28.2
b)
P= VI
= 240 x 8.50
= 2,040
= 2.04x103 W (2.04 kW)
c) E= V.I.t
= 240 x 8.50 x (3 x 60) (time must be in sec.)
= 367,200 = 3.67x105 J
Power = Voltage x Current

(Watts)
(Volts)
(Amps)
P = VI
The Kilowatt-Hour (kW.h)
Typical Power Consumption Values
Measuring energy in joules can be quite

inconvenient because 1 joule is a very
tiny amount.
Appliance
Light bulb
TV set
Elect. Heater
Oven (large)
Power
100 W
400 W
2,000 W
8,000 W
Time to use 1 kW.h

10 hours
2.5 hours
30 min.
7.5 min.
For this reason, in everyday life,

electrical energy is measured in
kilowatt-hours (kW.h)
This toaster
is rated at
800 watts.
An appliance with a power rating of

1,000 W (=1 kW) if allowed to run for 1
hour will consume 1 kW.h of energy.
How much
energy is
consumed to
make some
toast?
On a domestic electricity bill, your

homes electricity consumption is
measured in kW.h and you pay per kW.h
used. Currently youll pay about 20
cents per kW.h.
Time to cook toast = 1.5 min = 90 s.

P = V I = 800 W and
E = P.t
= 800 x 90
= 72,000 J (72 kJ)
(This is about 0.02 kW.h... cost about 0.4 cents)

Copyright 2005-2
16
An Experiment You May Have Done:
Energy Conversion in an Electric Heating Coil

Typical results:
The equipment set-up for a typical

experiment is shown:
Wires to
Power
Pack
Thermometer
measures
temp. change
of water
Metres measure
voltage & current
Measured
quantity of
water.
Heat data
mass of water=100g
start Temp. water
= 15oC
Time circuit
end Temp. water
ON= 300 s.
= 32oC
change in Temp.
= 17oC
How to analyse these Results:
Electrical Energy Used
E = V.I.t
E = 12 x 2.0 x 300 = 7,200 J
Electrical data
Voltage = 12V
Current = 2.0A
Also need a
stop-w
watch to
measure exact
time of
heating.
Electrical
heating
coil
Insulated
container
Heat Energy Produced

Heat = mass of x Temp x 4.2
Energy
water
change
The heating coil is a resistance wire

which gets hot when electricity is forced
through it.
The energy change is:
ELECTRICITY
H = 100 x 17 x 4.2
= 7,140 J
HEAT
This is because it takes

4.2 Joules of energy to
raise the temp. of 1gram
of water by 1oC
Therefore, (within experimental error)

the electrical energy consumed by the
electric circuit is equal to the amount of
heat energy produced (and absorbed by
the water).
A measured quantity of water is heated

for a measured period of time. The
current and voltage in the circuit are
recorded, as is the temperature change
of the water.
Many
common
electrical
appliances
are used for
heating water.
From these measurements the amount

of electrical energy used by the electric
circuit can be compared to the amount
of heat energy gained by the water.
Energy Usage in a Typical Home

Save Energy, Save $$,
Save the Planet
Study Your Electricity Account

You should have a good look at the electricity
account for your home.
Every kW.h of energy you use, releases approx.

1 kg of CO2 gas from coal burned to generate
the electricity.
If your home has an electric hot water system

and uses electricity for cooking and heating/aircon then it probably uses at least 20 kW.h of
energy per day. If you have gas cooking and/or
solar or gas for hot water, your electrical energy
usage may be less than this. Your usage may be
higher if there are more than 4 people.
Copyright 2005-2
If your household (assumed average) reduced

electricity usage by (say) 10%, you would save
about $150 per year. More importantly, it would
also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over
1 tonne.
17
Worksheet 9
Electrical Power & Energy
Student Name...........................................
a)............................. is the rate at which

energy is used or converted. The S.I.
unit of power is the b)............................
The SI unit of energy is the

f)...................... but in everyday life this is
not
convenient
because
g)...............................................................
The unit used instead is the
h).........................................
Electrical power is equal to the

c).......................... multiplied by the
d).............................
The amount of energy used in an
electric circuit is equal to
e)............... x ................... x ....................
Worksheet 10
Power & Energy
Practice Problems
Student Name...........................................
5.
A 12.0 V car battery is rated at 100 Amp-hours
of energy. This means it is capable of delivering
1 Amp of current for 100 hours (or 2A for 50
hours, or 4A for 25 hrs, and so on). The battery
is connected to a light bulb with resistance of
16.0 ohm.
1. a) Find the power rating of a 12.0 V circuit,

drawing 1.50A of current.
b) How much energy will it consume in 1.00
hour? (Remember, time must be in seconds!)
2. A 240 V circuit used 1.65x103 J of energy
when left running for 30.0 minutes.
a) What is its power rating?
b) What current was flowing?
c) How much electric charge (in coulombs)
flowed in the 30 minutes?
d) What is the resistance of the circuit?
a) What current will flow?

b) For how long can the battery run this light
bulb? (hours)
c) What is the power of the bulb?
d) How much energy (in joules) will be
consumed in the time calculated in (b)? (hint:
time must be in seconds!)
e) Therefore, how many joules of energy are
equivalent to 1 Amp-hour?
3. In an electric circuit, 7.50 A of current is

flowing through a load (an appliance using
power) with resistance of 16.0 ohm.
a) What is the voltage across the load?
b) Find the power developed by the load.
c) How much energy (in Joules) will be used if
the appliance is run for 45.0 min?
d) If the same appliance (i.e. same resistance)
was plugged
into a 240 V supply, what current would flow?
Why might this be dangerous?
6.
An electric toaster is described as 240 V, 1.2 kW
a) What current flows through it, under normal
operation?
b) What is the resistance of the toaster?
c) How much energy (in joules) is consumed in
the time it takes (1.50 min) to make toast?
4. In an experiment, a 240 V electric kettle was

used to boil 1.00 litre (= 1,000g mass) of water.
The water temperature went from 20o to 100oC in
3.50 minutes.
7.
An electric heater is rated as 250V, 1000W
a) What current will the heater draw?
b) If this heater was switched on for 1.00 hour,
how much energy would it consume,
i) measured in kW.h?
ii) measured in Joules?
c) Therefore, how many Joules is equivalent to
1 kW.h?
a) How much heat energy was added to the

water?
(Heat energy = mass water x temp. change x 4.18)
b) Assuming perfect energy conversion, how

much electrical energy was consumed?
c) What power was developed by the kettle?
d) What current flowed?
e) What was the resistance of the heating
element?
Copyright 2005-2

18
HINT: In many of these problems you will need to convert the

time into seconds, before using it in calculation.
5. MAGNETIC EFFECTS OF ELECTRICITY

Electric Current
Creates Magnetic Fields
Magnetic Fields
Just as every electric charge acts as if it is
surrounded by an invisible force field, so too
for magnets.
It is now known that all magnetic fields are

produced by moving electric charges.
Magnets have 2 different poles, and can either

attract or repel each other.
In a bar magnet, the charged particles within the

atoms move in such a way to produce a
permanent magnetic field.
Opposite poles attract
In the Earths liquid-iron core there are electric

currents flowing and creating the huge magnetic
field that causes small magnets to point northsouth... the magnetic compass.
Same poles repel
You may have used small magnetic compasses

to map various magnetic fields, including the
field produced by an electric current flowing
along a straight wire:
The Earth has a magnetic field, and that is how

the poles of any magnet have come to be called
north & south.
Magnetic Field lines
Each magnet can be

imagined to be
surrounded by magnetic
lines of force...
a magnetic field.
The magnetic field direction
is defined as the
direction that a small
NORTH pole would move
if placed in the field.
Conventional
Current
Flow
(But you cant ever get

an isolated north pole!
They always come in
north-south pairs)
wire
To predict the shape of such a field, use the

Right-Hand Grip Rule. Pretend you are
gripping the wire with your thumb pointing the
direction of the flow of
Right Hand
Conventional current
I
(+ve towards -ve).
The curling fingers
show the
direction of the field.
To more easily draw and understand diagrams
you must also learn the arrow technique to
represent currents or field-lines that are
perpendicular to the page.
When 2 magnets are brought near each other

the attraction or repulsion is due to the way their
fields interact:
Fields
Attracting
Imagine an arrow coming straight out of the

page at you... all you see is its point ( ). If the
arrow is going down into the page, you only see
its feathers ( x ). Use the R.H. Grip Rule on these
diagrams to get the idea.
magnetic
fields
around
wires
Fields
Repelling
wire with current

INTO page
Notice that field lines never cross each other
magnetic field into page
IT TURNS OUT THAT MAGNETISM IS

CAUSED BY ELECTRIC CURRENTS...
Copyright 2005-2
wire with current

OUT OF page
wire
magnetic field out of page
19
An Application of Electromagnets...
Solenoids & Electromagnets
MOVING COIL SPEAKERS
The magnetic field around a straight wire

carrying current, is quite weak. However, if the
wire is wrapped into a helix or coil, the magnetic
field in each loop adds to its neighbours to
intensify the field.
All the electrical devices in your home that you

listen to (radio, TV, music system, etc) produce
sounds from a speaker. HOW?
Electromagnets!
Magnetic field of a Solenoid

magnetic
field lines
The electrical current from the radio/TV tuner or

music system is modulated according to the
signal involved. This means the current
fluctuates in a way corresponding to the music,
or persons voice, or whatever.
Cone
vibrates
Coiled wire carrying

electric current
The magnetic field of a solenoid is exactly the

same shape as a bar magnet. To determine the
polarity of the solenoid (i.e. which end is north
and south) once again use a Right-Hand Rule.
If you curl your fingers in the same
direction as the flow of
conventional current in the coil...
Right Hand
Circular,
permanent
magnet
Sound waves
Current fluctuates
according to signal
from radio, TV or
music system.
Solenoid
Coil
Electromagnet vibrates
as its fluctuating field
interacts with
other magnet.
Since the current fluctuates, so does the

magnetic field of the electromagnet.
Conventional
current flow
...then your thumb points

to the North pole
Since there is another magnetic field close by to

interact with, the electromagnet vibrates back
and forth as its field varies, and the attraction /
repulsion of the other magnet varies.
You may have carried out a laboratory exercise

in which you made an electromagnet. This is
simply a coil with a bar of iron in the middle. The
iron intensifies the solenoid field so that even
with quite low currents (e.g. 2 Amps) the
magnetic effect is as strong as a small bar
magnet.
The electromagnet is attached to a cone of stiff

plastic
which
also
vibrates,
sending
compression waves into the air.
As you will remember from the previous topic,
compression waves in air are SOUND WAVES.
The big difference, of course, is that the

magnetic field of an electromagnet can be
switched on and off with the electric current.
An electromagnet has converted

electrical current into the sounds of a
human voice, music, or whatever
you want to listen to.
A SIMPLE ELECTROMAGNET
Iron core
Solenoid coil
Electricity
source
switch
AS YOU WILL LEARN IN THE HSC

COURSE, ELECTROMAGNETS ARE
THE BASIS OF ELECTRIC MOTORS.
Copyright 2005-2
20
6. ELECTRICAL SAFETY in the home

Earth Leakage Devices (ELDs) are
electronic circuit breakers which monitor the
current going into, and out of, a circuit. If the
current in both directions is the same, no problem.
The Dangers of Electricity

Electrocution is very dangerous. Even a small
electrical current (say, 0.1 Amp) from a voltage
source as little as 50 V can disrupt nerve signals
and send your muscles into spasms. If the
muscle involved is your heart, it can go into
fibrillation where it quivers uncontrollably and
does not pump blood properly... a potentially
lethal situation.
If there is even slightly less current coming out

than going in, it means some is leaking out ,
maybe in the process of electrocuting a person.
In this case the ELD shuts the circuit off so
quickly that the person at risk is not hurt.
Although expensive, ELDs save lives, and they
are now compulsory in all new buildings in most
cities and towns.
Our mains electricity, at 240V, is well able to kill.

As well as that, badly designed or faulty wiring
systems can cause an electrical circuit to
overheat, or create sparks which can start a fire.
Many house fires are started by electrical faults.
Earthing
Ever wonder why a power point and most plugs
have 3 slots/pins? Only 2 are needed for the
electric circuit, the 3rd is for the earth wire.
Safety Devices
Fuses
So long as nothing goes

wrong, the earth wire
carries no current and
does nothing.
A fuse is merely a short piece of wire with a very

low melting point. If an excess of current flow
through it, it gets hot, melts and thereby breaks
the circuit.
Circuit slots
However, if a loose
wire or faulty
Earth
insulation allows an
slot
appliance to become
live with electricity,
the current is conducted
safely by the earth wire down
into the ground, rather than through a person
touching the appliance.
Fuses are designed to be 5 Amp or 8 Amp or

15 Amp, etc, according to the maximum
current they will allow through, before they
blow. It is vital to replace a burnt-out fuse with
the correct one, to avoid a circuit becoming
overloaded, and creating a fire risk.
Fuses in house circuits are now old-fashioned
and have been replaced by more efficient
devices:-
This flow of current to Earth will usually burnout the fuse, or trip the circuit-breaker or ELD,
as well.
Circuit Breakers
do the same job as a

fuse, but can be re-set after a circuit overload
causes them to trip. Therefore, they are much
more convenient, as well as more efficient and
reliable for interrupting a faulty circuit.
Double Insulation
So why do some appliances only have 2-pin
plugs, with NO earth connection?
If a fault occurred in a small hand-held appliance
(e.g. power drill, hair-drier), even with an earth
wire the person holding the appliance would get
a shock. So, these appliances are designed so
that the electrical circuits within are shielded
from human contact by TWO layers of
insulation, one being the moulded plastic body
of the appliance.
Circuit breakers can work in different ways, but

one design involves an electromagnet. If
excessive current flows, the magnetic field
becomes strong enough to attract an iron
switch, which turns the circuit off. Once the
fault is fixed, the system can be re-set by
pressing a button.
Fuse-B
Box in a
modern home.
(no fuses at all..)
Even if something goes wrong inside, the

double layer of insulation ensures that
electricity cannot make contact with the person.
ELDs &
Circuit Breakers
These are the
re-s
set switches
For larger appliances, or those in which normal

operation does not involve human contact,
double-insulation is not practical, so the earthwire system is used.

Copyright 2005-2
21
Worksheet 11
Magnetic Effects
Student Name...........................................
If a wire is wound into a coil, it is called a
m).......................... If current is passed through
this, the magnetic field is intensified and has the
same shape as n)........................................ Its
polarity can also be determined by the R.H. Grip
rule: if the fingers wrap in the direction of the
o)................................ current, then the thumb
points to the p)........................ pole.
Magnets (like electric charges) are surrounded

by a force a)........................ which has 2 opposite
b).................. called c).................... and .................
Poles of the same type d)...................................
each
other,
while
opposite
poles
e)................................... The direction of the
magnetic field is defined as the direction that
f).................................................. if placed in the
field. Magnetic fields are produced by
g)............................ that are h).................................
If an q)...................... core is placed inside the

solenoid, it becomes an r)....................................
These are the basis of many useful devices such
as electric s)....................................
The Moving Coil Speakers in TVs, radios, etc
use an electromagnet too. The electric signal is
t).............................. and this causes the field of
the electromagnet to u)...........................................
This interacts with a circular, permanent magnet
to cause a cone to v).................................. and
produce w).................... waves from the speaker.
This means that any wire carrying an

i)........................ will produce a j)..........................
field. The field around a straight wire carrying
current is k)........................... (shape)
The
direction of this field can be determined by
using the l)...................................... Grip Rule.
Worksheet 12
Electrical Safety
Student Name...........................................
4. ELDs. This stands for l).......................

..................................................... An ELD
monitors the current going in, and
coming out, of an electric circuit. If the
currents are the same m)...................
............................... If they are different, it
means
that
electricity
is
n).............................. of the circuit and
something is wrong. The ELD will
instantly o)..............................................
Electricity is dangerous because it can

cause a)....................... in your muscles.
If this happens to your b)....................., it
can be c)......................., even at quite low
voltages (about d).................. volts) and
current (about e)............... Amps)
The main electrical safety devices in the
home are:
1. Common Sense!
5. Earthing. All power points, and most

plugs have p)................ (number) slots
or pins. Only q)...................... are needed
for the circuit, the other is the
r)........................................... If there is a
fault and an appliance becomes
s)................................., the current will
flow safely to the t)...................................
2. Fuses. A fuse is a piece of

f)...................... with a very low
g)....................................... If excessive
current flows in the circuit, the fuse wire
h).....................
and
thereby
i)......................... ........................................
3. Circuit Breakers. These are electromechanical devices that j)...............
...................... a switch if excessive
current flows. They are more convenient
than
a
fuse
because
k)..........................................................
6. Double Insulation is used on

u)....................................
appliances,
such as v).................................. The
appliance
has
2
layers
of
w)............................................... between
the user and the electric circuits inside.
Even if a fault occurs, the electricity
cannot x)...............................................
COMPLETED WORKSHEETS
BECOME SECTION SUMMARIES

Copyright 2005-2
22

Multiple Choice
sections 4, 5 & 6
5. (cont)
c) Calculate the power developed by the circuit.
1. Which machine delivers the most power?

A.
B.
C.
D.
Student Name..................................
Energy conversion (J) Time(s)

500
10
2,000
100
10
0.1
800
20
d) In 2 minutes, how much energy would the

circuit consume?
2. The unit of electrical energy, the kW.h is

commonly used because:
A. one Joule is too small an amount to
be practical.
B. the kW.h is more accurate for measuring
energy usage.
C. most electrical meters are scaled in kW.h.
D. the kW.h is the standard S.I. unit.
6. (4 marks)
How long (time) would it take for a 240 V toaster,
with resistance of 64.0 ohm to consume
2.00x104 joules of energy?
3. Which diagram shows correctly the direction

of conventional current in the wire, and the
magnetic field around it?
(in each case the wire is vertically in/out of page)
C
7. (3 marks)
The diagram shows a simple electromagnet in
an electric circuit.
4. Although only 2 wires are needed for an

electric circuit, most household wiring contains
3 wires. The 3rd wire is for:
A. extra power to be supplied if needed.
B. connection to earth in case of a fault.
C. a fuse wire, to protect against overload.
D. connection to a circuit breaker to
prevent fires.

a) Mark on the diagram with an arrow, the

direction of flow of conventional current if the
switch was closed.
b) Sketch the shape of the magnetic field
produced.
c) Indicate clearly the polarity of the magnetic
field.
5. (8 marks)
a) What is the resistance of a circuit if 4.20 A
flows across a potential difference of 240 V?
8. (3 marks)
Outline one application of electromagnets in a
household appliance.
9. (2 marks)
Explain the purpose & operation of a fuse.
b) If this circuit is left running for 30 s how much

electric charge flows through it?

Copyright 2005-2
23
CONCEPT DIAGRAM (Mind Map) OF TOPIC

Some students find that memorising the OUTLINE of a topic
helps them learn and remember the concepts and important facts.
Practise on this blank version.
ELECTRICAL
ENERGY
in the HOME

Copyright 2005-2
24
Answer Section
Worksheet 1
Worksheet 4
Current & Ohms Law
1. a) I= Q/t = 25.0/ 10.0 = 2.50 A.
b) V=IR = 2.50 x 0.500 = 1.25 V.
a) wood
b) animals
c) wind & water
d) Industrial
e) coal
f) steam
g) 1780-1800
h) light bulb, telephone & radio
i) urbanized
j) leisure
k) electricity
l) TV, movies, CD music, etc
m) washers, microwave oven, dishwasher, etc
n) diesel generators or solar cells
o) living things
p) Volta
q) Voltaic
r) battery
2. a) V=IR, so I= V/R = 12.0/ 20.0 = 0.600 A.

b) I = Q/t, so Q = I.t = 0.600 x 30.0 = 18.0 C.
3. a) V=IR, so R= V/I = 15.0/3.00 = 5.00
b) V=IR, so I = V/R = 6.00/5.00 = 1.20 A.
c) V=IR = 4.50 x 5.00 = 22.5 V.
4. I=Q/t = 120/(3x60) = 0.667 A
then, V=IR, so R= V/I = 9.00/0.667 = 13.5 .
5. First find current: I=Q/t = 360/(3x60) = 2.00 A.
then, V=IR = 2.00 x 22.5 = 45.0.
Worksheet 2
a) repel
b) like
c) Coulomb (C)
d) electric field
e) force
f) positive
g) force
h) charge
i) newton per coulomb (NC-1)
j) conductor
k) current
l) rate
m) charge
n) Ampere (Amp) (A)
o) coulombs
p) second
q) steadily, in one direction
r) Alternating Current
s) back-and-forth
t) positive
u) positive
v) negative
w) electrons (negative)
x) negative
y) positive
z) Electromotive
aa) energy
ab) Volt (V)
ac) Joules
ad) coulomb
ae) straight line
af) gradient
ag) resistance
ah) Ohms
ai) Ohm (W)
aj) lost
ak) Potential Difference
al) higher
am) lower
an) higher
ao) metals
ap) insulators
Worksheet 5
1. C 2. B
3. A
4. D
5. C
E = F/Q, so F = E.Q
= 7.55x104 x 3.95x10-3
= 298 N.
b) must show that you

used gradient of graph.
(example shown, dotted
lines)
NC-1.
10
gradient = V/I = R
= 9/2.1 = 4.3
(approx)
4. E = F/Q, so F = E.Q = 250 x 1.25 = 313 N.
2.1
5. E=F/Q, so Q=F/E = 8.20x10-3/5.00x10-2

= 0.164 (1.64x10-1) C.
3. E= F/Q = 25.0/ 1.06x10-6 = 2.36x107 NC-1.
VOLTAGE (V)
6
8
a) graph (3 marks) must

show labelled axes, even
scales, accurate plotting
of points, line of best fit.
(Note (0,0) IS a point on
this graph)
12
11.
1. E= F/Q = 100/45.0 = 2.22 NC-1
6. F=E.Q
8. A
10.
Electric Charges & Fields
2. E= F/Q = 458/0.245 =
7. A
9.
Up until about 1750, the sources of domestic power
were wood burning for heat, animals for carrying
things and human muscle. Later coal replaced wood
for heating. In the late 19th-early 20th centuries
electricity came into general use for lighting, heating,
cooking and began to be used for many laboursaving devices.
Worksheet 3
1.87x103
6. B
= 3.48x102 x 0.0465 = 16.2 N.
7. a) E = F/Q = 0.0255 / 3.00x10-4 = 85.0 NC-1.
1.0
2.0
CURRENT (A)
3.0
c) Ohmic, because it has a constant resistance

over the range of voltages tested.
i.e. Ohms Law is obeyed.
b) (8.22 C = 8.22x10-6C)
F= E.Q = 85.0 x 8.22x10-6 = 6.99x10-4 N.

Copyright 2005-2
25
Worksheet 9
Worksheet 6
a) series or parallel
c) the same
e) the total
g) the entire circuit
i) the same
k) the entire circuit
m) the entire circuit
o) independently
q) power
s) series
a) Power
b) Watt (W)
c) voltage
d) current
e) voltage x current x time
f) Joule
g) the joule is a very small quantity
h) kilowatt-hour (kW.h)
b) all of
d) different
f) is
h) divides
j) different
l) is
n) parallel
p) remain on
r) current
t) parallel
Worksheet 10
1.
a) P= VI = 12.0 x 1.50 = 18.0 W.
b) E= P.t
= 18.0 x (60 x60) = 6.48x104 J.
Worksheet 7
1. C
2. D
2.
a) P = E/t
3. B
= 1.65x103/(30x60) = 0.917
= 9.17x10-1 W.
b) P=VI, so I=P/V = 0.917/240 = 3.82x10-3 A.
c) I=Q/t, so Q= I.t = 3.82x10-3 / (30x60)
= 2.12x10-6 C (2.12mC).
d) R= V/I = 240/ 3.82x10-3 = 6.28x104
4.
a) 12.0 V.
(all voltages the same in parallel branches)
.
b) V=IR, so R=V/I = 12.0/0.25 = 48.0
c)
i) I= V/R = 12/8 = 1.50 A.
ii) I=V/R = 12/2.5 = 4.80 A.
iii) IT = I1 + I2 + I3 = 1.50+4.80+0.25
= 6.55 A.
5.
Sketch must show
- correct symbols used.
- bulbs in parallel.
- a switch in each branch.
- ammeter in series with battery.
- voltmeter in parallel with one bulb
3.
a) V=IR = 7.50 x 16.0
= 120 V.
b) P= VI = 120 x 7.50
= 900 W.
c) E = P.t = 900 x (45x60) = 2.43x106 J.
d) I= V/R. = 240 / 16
= 15.0 A
This is double the original current. Could cause wires
to become hot & start a fire, or melt insulation so that
person is electrocuted.
Worksheet 8
4.
a ) H = m x T x 4.18 = 1000 x 80 x 4.18
= 3.34x105 J.
b) Same: 3.34x105 J.
c) P= E/t = 3.34x105 / (3.50x60) = 1590 W.
= 1.59 kW.
d) P=VI, so I= P/V = 1590/240 = 6.63 A.
e) R=V/I = 240/6.63 = 36.2
1.
Series circuit, so current is the same at every point.
a) R = V/I
R1 = 6.50/1.25 = 5.20
R3 = 2.40/1.25 = 1.92
b) V=IR2 = 1.25 x 10.0 = 12.5 V.
c) series circuit, so
VT = V1 + V2 + V3 = 6.50 +12.5 + 2.40 = 21.4 V.
d) Circuit broken. Current flow throughout circuit
would cease.
2.
a) sketch must show resistors
R1
in parallel, ammeter in series with R1,
and voltmeter in parallel with R2.
R2
b) V=IR
so I = V/R = 8/6 = 1.33 A
c) Each branch of parallel circuit has
V
same voltage, so V= 8.00 V.
and V= IR, so R= V/I = 8/2.50 = 3.20
5.
a) I=V/R = 12.0/16.0 = 0.750 A.
b) 100 / 0.75 = 133 hr.
c) P=V.I = 12.0 x 0.750 = 9.00 W.
d) E = V.I.t = 12x0.75x(133x60x60) = 4.31x106 J.
e) 4.31x106 / 100 = 4.31x104 J.
6.
a) P=VI, so I=P/V = 1200/240 = 5.00 A.
b) R = V/I = 240/ 5.00 = 48.0
c) E = V.I.t = 240 x 5.00 x (1.5x60) = 108,000 J
= 1.08x105 J.
7.
a) P=VI, so I=P/V = 1,000/250 = 4.00 A
b)
i) 1 kW power, for 1 hour = 1.00 kW.h
ii) E=V.I.t = 250 x 4.00 x (1x60x60)
= 3,600,000 J
= 3.60x106 J
(3.60 kJ)
c) 1 kW.h = 3.60x106 J
d) IT = I1 + I2 = 2.50 + 1.33 = 3.83 A.

3.a) S1 and S3.
b) Rc=V/I = 6.0 / 2.0 = 3.0 ohm.
c) Since all bulbs identical, and voltage across each
is the same (parallel circuit) then same current flows
in each branch.
IT = I1 + I2 + I3 = 2 + 2 + 2 = 6.0 A.
d) They continue to glow.
e) Rc= V/I = 6.0/1.50 = 4.0
f) Non-ohmic, because its resistance has changed.
(Ohmic resistors show constant resistance over a
wide range of voltage & current values.)
Copyright 2005-2
26
6.
First find current flow: I=V/R = 240/64 = 3.75 A
then, E = V.I.t, so t = E/(V.I) = 2x104 /(240 x 3.75)
t = 22.2 s.
Worksheet 11
a) field
c) north & south
e) attract
g) electric charges
i) electric current
k) circular
m) solenoid
o) conventional
q) iron (steel)
s) motors
u) fluctuate
w) sound
b) poles
d) repel
f) a north pole would move
h) moving
j) magnetic
l) Right Hand
n) bar magnet
p) north
r) electromagnet
t) modulated
v) vibrate
7.
north to south
a) spasms
b) heart
c) fatal
d) 50 V
e) 0.1 A
f) wire
g) melting point
h) melts
i) breaks the circuit.
j) trip or open
k) they can be reset by pushing a button
l) Earth-Leakage Devices
m) nothing happens / all OK
n) leaking out
o) break the circuit
p) 3
q) 2
r) earth connection
s) live
t) earth / ground
u) small, hand-held
v) power-drill, hair dryer w) insulation
x) get out
+
8.
Speakers in radio/TV or music systems use an
electromagnet attached to the speaker cone. As the
electric current varies with the signal, the strength of
the magnetic field varies too. There is another
magnet nearby, so the electromagnet vibrates backand-forth. This causes the cone to vibrate, and this
creates the sound waves of the speaker.
9.
The purpose of a fuse is to break an electric circuit if
the current goes above the safe level, due to a fault.
It operates by getting hot & melting if the current
exceeds the design maximum.
Worksheet 13
2. A
3. D
Conventional
current
Worksheet 12
1. C
field lines
4. B
5.
a) V=IR, so R= V/I = 240/4.20 = 52.1
b) I=Q/t, so Q=I.t = 4.20 x 30 = 126 C.
c) P=VI = 240 x 4.20 = 1008 W = 1.01x103 W.
(or 1.01 kW)
d) E = P.t (or E = V.I.t)
= 1.01x103 x (2x60) = 1.21x105 J.
NOTICE ANY ERRORS?

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Preliminary Physics Topic 2

ELECTRICAL ENERGY in the HOME

What is this topic about?

but first, lets revise...

To answer that, you need to be reminded about

Atoms consist of a central nucleus in which are:

Protons (+ve) & Neutrons (neutral).

Both protons and electrons have a property we

(Currentmeans moving or flowing)

Normally, every atom has exactly the same

Rod becomes positively charged.

and then things get

Preliminary Physics Topic 2 Electricity in the Home

and thats when

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CONCEPT DIAGRAM (Mind Map) OF TOPIC

Preliminary Physics Topic 2 Electricity in the Home

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1. SOCIETY NEEDS ELECTRICITY

We are so used to having electrical appliances

As the sources and available amounts of energy have

Energy Sources in History

Life was simple and people worked hard. If there was

500,000 BC: control of fire. Heating & cooking.

3,000 BC: wind and water

(approx) 1750 AD: burning

Modern factories are now powered by electricity

1830s: discovery of how to generate electricity

People now enjoy a lot more leisure time, but

Electricity powers the computers and other

By 1950, all industrialised nations had become

Increasing access to energy, especially electricity,

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Power Supply in Remote Places

Despite our societys massive usage of

THE DEBATE ABOUT ELECTRICITY

Although he turned out to be wrong, Galvanis

From 1780 Luigi Galvani carried out a series of

The basic electric

(This scared some

Many did not agree with Galvani. Alessandro

The debate raged between the supporters of

In recognition of his great contribution, we

This settled the debate!

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2. ELECTRIC FIELDS & CURRENTS

Electric charges push or pull each other... there

SAME CHARGES REPEL

(attracting each other)

ELECTRIC FIELD BETWEEN

The forces are best explained by imagining that

(repelling each other)

By definition, the direction of the force field

The only electric field that is quite regular and

MEASUREMENT OF ELECTRIC CHARGE & FIELD

The Electric Field strength is defined and

(The coulomb is named in honour of

The direction is the