EJ Kathman

2 May 2014
PHY 184 Section I
Its a Matter of Time and Potential Current Flow in Circuits
Todays society is extremely dependent upon technology. Circuits
charge our batteries and power our devices. What is often overlooked is how
these circuits function and what needs to be present for current to flow. But
first, we should build a strong basis onto which the deeper understanding
can be built upon. A circuit is the path which an electric current flows. The
circuit must contain a power source and a wire which allows the charge to
move from the power source and ultimately back to the power source. The
material of the wire connecting the ends of the power source must be made
of a conductor since conductors allow the flow of charge along their length.
The conductor which the wire is made of must be seen at the atomic level,
where each atom of the conductor lies. The atoms of the conductor each
have multiple levels of negatively charged electrons surrounding a center, or
nucleus, comprised of positively charged protons and electrically neutral
neutrons. The outermost level of electrons surrounding the nucleus is called
the valence electrons of the atom. We know that oppositely charged particles
attract each other and similarly charged particles repel each other. Since the
pull on the electrons in the outermost level is loose, the valence electrons
therefore create a sea of electrons. On this sea, currents may exist much like
there are currents in the ocean! This sea of electrons allows electrical energy
to flow. The electrical current of the circuit is the flow of electric charge. The
current depends on the power source and the components of the circuit, but
it is safe to say that the charge is moved by electrons either in a wire or by
ions in an electrolyte. The magnitude of the current is the amount of charge
that flows through a surface, which is usually the cross-section of a wire. The
current is different for circuits with different components, as some circuits
contain resistors. Resistors function by inhibiting charge to flow through a
circuit. Ever notice how a wire can sometimes be hot? This means the wire
has enough resistance to make the wire hot to the tough due to the energy
needed to push the current through by the power source. That principal can
be applied here. The resistors value is defined by the voltage applied by the
power source to the circuit divided by the current allowed to flow through the
resistor. Therefore, the job of the resistor is simply to make it harder for the
charge to flow. Resistors are added to control the amount of charge that
flows, and a prime example is a surge protector since it resists the tendency
of charge to flow too quickly which would cause a connected device to fry.
Resistors are a vital part to todays society and their effect on a circuit will be
further analyzed. Circuits may also contain capacitors. Capacitors store
charge on two plates which are separated by a nonconductive material. The
plates initially have no charge, but when they do have charge they behave

as a battery would when the two terminals are connected. The wire
connecting the two plates has the sea of electrons discussed earlier. The
charge from capacitor is pushed into the wire, forcing charge to come out on
the other side. The wire can be seen as a hose full of water. When the hose is
connected to the faucet and the faucet is turned on, water comes out the
other side at the same rate it comes in. The charge flows as such until the
charge is neutral on the two plates of the capacitor. The capacitor can
become charged again by connecting a power source, which will charge the
capacitor until it is full.
Consider a circuit containing a power source providing voltage, a
resistor, and wire connecting the components to form a loop. In this circuit,
the charge flows from the power source, through the resistor, and back to
the power source. The corresponding current for this setup is easily found.
The credentials of the circuit will usually include the voltage of the power
source and the value of the resistor(s) in the circuit. The voltage of the power
source is equal to the product of the current of the circuit and the sum of the
resistors in the circuit. When many resistors lie in a circuit, the current will
differ upon how the resistors are setup. If the resistors are setup in series,
which means along the same loop, the current must travel through each
resistor. Therefore, the resistance is the sum of the values of each resistor in
series. For example, the resistance of a circuit containing 2 and 3 ohm
resistors will be 5 ohms. When the resistors are aligned in parallel, the circuit
is not as easily expressed but the charge moves through more willingly. The
value of the resistance is the reciprocal of the sum of the reciprocals of the
resistance values. For example, if resistors of 2 and 3 ohms are in parallel,
the resistance of the circuit will be .5 plus .333, resulting in a resistance of
1.2 ohms. With less resistance, the circuit will have a larger current. When
we think about it, this makes sense because just as all things in nature,
current wants to travel the easiest path possible. Think about the grocery
store, with all of the checkout lines. Life is a lot easier when a lot of lines are
open and the crowd is small. Now imagine how long it takes when the crowd
is huge and only one checkout line is open. This helps us understand the
resistance. When the resistors are aligned in series, it is like a lot of people
trying to go through the same line, so the resistance is large. When the
resistors are aligned in parallel, more lines are open, so the crowd will flow
through more easily.
Now consider a similar circuit but instead of containing a power source
providing voltage, it contains a capacitor. The voltage across a capacitor is
time dependent. As time passes, the charged capacitor connected solely to a
resistor will lose charge as the resistor consumes the charge. The voltage at
time t is represented as an exponential decay, as the voltage will decrease
until ultimately no charge will remain on the capacitor. When a power source
is added to a circuit containing a capacitor, an uncharged capacitor will
become charged. The power source will charge the capacitor by providing

electrons which collect on one plate. Since they cannot jump to the other
plate, the electrons are removed from the other plate since each metal has
an abundance of electrons. Therefore, the capacitor has a net positive
charge. The circuit is completed by removing this net positive charge
meaning that the current is the same on both sides of the capacitor, since
one cannot be added without the other being removed. Therefore, if a power
source is connected in series with the capacitor and the resistor, then the
current through the capacitor must equal the current through the resistor, as
current is consistent throughout the loop. The voltage from the power source
charges the capacitor as charge flows to the capacitor. The resistor has no
effect on the capacitors final charge and only effects the rate at which the
capacitor charges.
In summary, the two circuits are not as different as they initially
seemed. The addition of a capacitor requires the power source to charge the
capacitor before the circuit can be competed. Once the capacitor is charged,
the circuit will act similarly to the circuit only containing a power source and
a resistor. The power source is necessary for both circuits since the current
needs a voltage to push charge through the wire, just as the water in the
hose needs the faucet to push water out. Without the power source, the
circuit containing only the resistor would be useless and no current would
exist while the circuit containing the capacitor would function until the
resistor exhausted the charge on the capacitor, causing the current to
deplete until it too is zero. Though common, resistors exist to protect the
electronics we use every day. They control the current that flows into the
devices and allow us to leave our objects plugged into the power source
without fear. When a capacitor is used, it allows us to let a current flow
through a circuit in a short amount of time. An example of this is a camera
flash, which completes the circuit when the photo is taken, explaining the
quick flash of light.