Basic Electrical Engineering (ESci 127 & MEng 122n)

WORKSHEET 1
Name: Piolo Julius G. Cabagnot Course & Year: BSME – II
Instructor: Engr. Philip Caesar Ebit Score:
Instructions: Answer the following items with a complete statement that described as the best
answer.
1. Name the principal factors which make electricity so useful and so important, with
particular reference to flexibility, generation, transmission, and uses.
Electricity is useful since it is currently used to all households, establishments,
etc. This generation, the digital era, technology is a must, and for it to run, electricity is
used. Machines are also powered by electricity, thus making life easier than before. It is
also good energy since, during the transmission of electricity, combustion is not present
which is one of the major contributors to global warming. Electricity is the most versatile
and easily controlled form of energy. At the point of use, it is practically loss-free and
essentially non-polluting. At the point of generation, it can be produced clean with
entirely renewable methods, such as wind, water, and sunlight. Electricity is weightless,
easier to transport and distribute, and it represents the most efficient way of consuming
energy.

2. Describe the mechanism of current flow according to modern theory. In what important
respect does the atomic structure of insulators differ from that of the conductors?
Matter is composed of atoms. Break something down to small enough pieces and
you wind up with a nucleus orbited by one or more electrons, each with a negative
charge. In many insulators, the electrons are tightly bound to the atoms. Because these
atoms are so reluctant to share electrons, these can't conduct electricity very well. Most
conductors have electrons that can detach from their atoms and zip around. These are
called free electrons. The loose electrons make it easy for electricity to flow through
these materials, so they're known as electrical conductors. They conduct electricity. The
moving electrons transmit electrical energy from one point to another.

3. Discuss the principal ways by which resistance manifest itself in an electric current in
which current flows. According to modern theory, how may the power loss in resistance
be accounted for by the action of electrons? What is the mechanical analogue of
resistance?
Resistance is present in an electric circuit because it serves a filter of electrons so
that electrons will not overflow and may cause damage to the loads. the electrons that
haven't passed in the conductors may go to the atoms of the insulators resulting in a
build-up of heat and creates thermal or heat energy. The mechanical analogy of electrical
resistance is the loss of energy of a moving system through such processes as friction.
4. What substances are the best conductors? What substances are insulators? Discuss any
boundary in which may exist between conductors and insulators. Compare the relative
resistivities of a good conductor and a good insulator.
Substances that are the best conductors are metals like silver, copper, gold, and
other metals. Also, the best conductors are the ones with less resistivity of a material.
Substances that are best insulators are the non-metallic elements like plastic, rubber, etc.
Semiconductors have characteristics of both conductors and insulators. They allow
electrons to move while being able to control flow of electrons and examples are carbon,
silicon and germanium, etc.

5. Name and define the unit of resistance.

The unit of measurement for resistance is ohms and its symbol is the Greek letter
omega (Ω). The resistance of one ohm means a conductor allows a current of one amp to
flow with a voltage of one volt.

6. With constant cross-section, how does the resistance of a homogenous substance vary
with its length? With constant length, how does the resistance of a homogenous substance
vary with its cross -section? What factors other than the geometrical shape of a body of
given determine its resistance?
With constant cross-section, resistance is directly proportional to its length,
meaning, the longer the length of material the higher the resistance is. In constant length,
resistance is inversely proportional to its cross-sectional area, meaning, the higher the
area of material the lesser the resistance of a certain material. The other factors that
determine the resistance of a material are its type of the material and the temperature of
the material.

7. Define volume resistivity. Upon what factors does it depend? If the volume of a given
substance is fixed, how does the resistance vary with the length? With the cross-section?
Volume resistivity happens when throughout the circuit, the volume is fixed or
constant. The factors it depends on are the length and the cross-sectional area. Because
when the volume is constant, the resistance is directly proportional to length squared.
And in terms of cross-sectional area, it is inversely proportional to its area squared.