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Form 5 Chapter 2 Electricity

2.1 CHARGE AND ELECTRIC CURRENT
Van de Graaf
+is a Van de Graaff generator? A device that produces and store electric charges at high voltage on its dome.
1. What+
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2. How are electrical charges produced by a Van de Graaff generator? And what type of charges is usually produced
on the dome of the generator?
When the motor of the Van de Graaff generator is switched on, it drives the rubber belt.
This causes the rubber belt to against the roller and hence becomes charged.
The charge is then carried by the moving belt up to the metal dome where it is collected.
A large amount of charge is built up on the dome
Positive charges are usually produced on the dome of the generator.
3. What will happen if the charged dome of the Van de Graaff is
connected to the earth via a micrometer? Explain.

There is a deflection of the pointer of the meter.

This indicates an electric current flow.

4. Predict what will happen if a discharging metal sphere to the

charged dome.

When the discharging metal sphere is brought near the charged

dome, sparkling occurs.
An electric current flow.

5. Predict what will happen if hair of a student is brought near to the

charged dome. Give reasons for your answer.

The metal dome attracts the hair and the hair stand upright.
This is because of each strand of hair receives positive charges
and repels each other.

6. The flow of electrical charges produces electric current.

Electric Current
1.
2.
3.
4.

Electric current consists of a flow of electrons

The more charges that flow through a cross section within a given time, the larger is the current.
Electric current is defined as the rate of flow of electric charge
In symbols, it is given as:

I=

Q
t

where I = electric current

Q = charge
t = time
I.
II.
III.
IV.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

The SI unit of charge is Coulomb

The SI unit of time is second
The SI unit of current is Ampere is equivalent to Cs -1
By rearranging the above formula, Q = It

If one coulomb of charge flows past in one second, then the current is one ampere.
15 amperes means in each second, 15 coulomb of charge through a cross section of a conductor.
In a metal wire, the charges are carried by electrons.
Each electron carries a charge of 1.6 x 10-19 C.
1 C of charge is 6.25 x 1018 electrons.

10. Total Charge :

Q=ne , where n = number of electrons or protons; e = charge of an electron or proton

Electric Field
1. An electric field is a region in which an electric charge experiences a force.
2. An electric field can be represented by a number of lines indicate both the magnitude and direction of the field

3. The principles involved in drawing electric field lines are :

I.
electric field lines always extend from a positively-charged object to a negatively-charged object to
infinity, or from infinity to a negatively-charged object,
II.
electric field lines never cross each other,
III.
electric field lines are closer in a stronger electric field.
Demo 1 : To study the electric field and the effects of an electric field.
Apparatus & materials
Extra high tension (E.H.T) power supply (0 5 kV), petri dish, electrodes with different shapes
(pointed electrode and plane electrode), two metal plates, talcum powder, cooking oil,
polystyrene ball coated with conducting paint, thread and candle.
Method
DEMO

1. Set up the apparatus as shown in the above figure

2. Switch on the E.H.T. power supply and adjust the voltage to 4 kV
3. Observed the pattern formed by the talcum powder for different types of electrodes.
4. Draw the pattern of the electric field lines.
ELECTRIC FIELD AROUND A POSITIVE CHARGE

ELECTRIC FIELD AROUND A NEGATIVE CHARGE

ELECTRIC FIELD AROUND A POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE CHARGE

ELECTRIC FIELD AROUND TWO NEGATIVE CHARGES

ELECTRIC FIELD AROUND TWO POSITIVE CHARGES

ELECTRIC FIELD AROUND A NEGATIVE CHARGE AND A POSITIVELY CHARGED PLATE

ELECTRIC FIELD AROUND A POSITIVE CHARGE AND A NEGATIVELY CHARGED PLATE

ELECTRIC FIELD BETWEEN TWO CHARGED PARALLEL PLATES

EFFECT OF AN ELECTRIC FIELD ON A

POLYSTYRENE BALL
Observation:
The polystyrene ball oscillated between the two
plates, touching one plate after another.

Place the polystyrene ball between the two

metal plates.
Switch on the E.H.T and displace the
polystyrene ball slightly so that it touches
one of the metal plates

Explanation:
When the polystyrene ball touches the
negatively charged plate, the ball receives
negative charges from the plate and
experiences a repulsive force.
The ball will then move to the positively
charged plate.
When the ball touches the plate, the ball loses
some of its negative charges to the plate and
becomes positively charged.
It then experiences a repulsive force. This
process continues.

EFFECT OF AN ELECTRIC FIELD ON A

CANDLE FLAME
Observation:
The candle flame splits into two portions in
opposite direction. The portion that is attracted
to the negative plate is very much larger than
the portion of the flame that is attracted to the
positive plate.

Switch of the E.H.T and replace the

polystyrene ball with a lighted candle.
Sketch the flame observed when the E.H.T.
is switched on.

Explanation:
The heat of the flame ionizes the air molecules
to become positive and negative charges.
The positive charges are attracted to the
negative plate while the negative charges are
attracted to the positive plate.
The flame is dispersed in two opposite
directions but more to the negative plate.
The positive charges are heavier than the
negative charges. This causes the uneven
dispersion of the flame.

Conclusion
1. Electric field is a region where an electric charge experiences a force.
2. Like charges repel each other but opposite charges attract each other.
3. Electric field lines are lines of force in an electric field. The direction of the field lines is
from positive to negative.
Exercise 7.1
1. 5 C of charge flows through a wire in 10 s. What is the current in the wire?
2. A charge of 300 C flow through a bulb in every 2 minutes. What is the electric current in the bulb?
3. The current in a lamp is 0.2 A. Calculate the amount of electric charge that passes through the lamp in 1 hour.
4. If a current of 0.8 A flows in a wire, how many electrons pass through the wire in one minute? (Given: The
charge on an electron is 1.6 x 10-19 C)
5. An electric current of 200 mA flows through a resistor for 3 seconds, what is the

a) electric charge
b) the number of electrons which flow through the resistor?
Ideas of Potential Difference
X

Pressure at point P is greater than the

pressure at point Q
Water will flow from P to Q when the valve

is opened.
This due to the difference in the pressure of

water

Gravitational potential energy at X is

greater than the gravitational potential
energy at Y.
The apple will fall from X to Y when the
apple is released.
This due to the difference in the
gravitational potential energy.

Similarly,
Point A is connected to positive terminal
Point B is connected to negative terminal
Electric potential at A is greater than the electric potential at B.
Electric current flows from A to B, passing the bulb in the circuit and lights up the bulb.
This is due to the electric potential difference between the two terminals.
As the charges flow from A to B, work is done when electrical energy is transformed to
light and heat energy.
The potential difference, V between two points in a circuit is defined as the amount of
work done, W when one coulomb of charge passes from one point to the other point in
an electric field.
The potential difference,V between the two points will be given by

V=

Work
W
=
Quantity of charge Q , where W is work or energy in Joule (J), Q is charge in

Coulomb (C).
Device and symbol
ammeter
voltmeter
connecting wire

A
V

Cells
Switch
Constantan wire //
eureka wire

resistance

bulb
rheostat

Measuring Current and Potential Difference/Voltage

Measurement of electricity

(a) Electrical circuit

Measurement of potential difference/voltage

(a) Electrical circuit

(b) Circuit diagram

1. Name the device used to measure electrical 1. Name the device used to measure potential
current.
difference.
An ammeter
A voltmeter
2. What is the SI unit for current?
2. What is the SI unit for potential difference?
Amperes
Volts
3. What is the symbol for the unit of current? 3. What is the symbol for the unit of potential
difference?
4. How is an ammeter connected in an
electrical circuit?
4. How is a voltmeter connected in an electrical
In series
circuit?
5. The positive terminal of an ammeter is
In parallel
connected to which terminal of the dry cell? 5. The positive terminal of a voltmeter is
Positive
connected to which terminal of the dry cell?
6. What will happen if the positive terminal of
Positive
the ammeter is connected to the negative
terminal of the dry cell?
The ammeter needle will deflect and show
reading below zero.