NNPC FSTP Technicians

Fundamentals of
Electricity
Course Code: FY7W 04
Lesson 4

Contents

Resistance & Ohms Law

Performance Objectives
Upon completion of this Course, students will be able to:
Explain the term electrical resistance
Explain & describe the difference in resistance
between conductors, insulators and semiconductors
Recognise the unit of electrical resistance and its
symbol
Draw the circuit symbols for a fixed value resistor
Describe & use Ohm's law
Explain the terms conventional current flow and
electron current flow in a circuit

Resistance
An e.m.f. will drive a current around a circuit and through a
load. This is just like a pump pushing water through pipes.

Pump

Resistance to
Flow

If the pipes are long and narrow, the water will not flow easily.
There is an opposition to the flow of water, due to the friction of
the water passing through the pipes. In the same way, electrical
circuits have resistance to the flow of current. Resistance is the
opposition to current flow. All materials have Resistance to the
flow of current.

Electrical Resistance
Electrical resistance is a property of all materials.
The symbol to represent resistance is R, and is
measured in ohms (). So, 10 signifies a value of
resistance of ten ohms. Likewise, 200 signifies two
hundred ohms.
Conductors have little resistance (low resistance).
Insulators have a lot of resistance (high resistance).
Semiconductors have more resistance than
conductors, but less resistance than insulators.

Resistors
A resistor is an electrical component (device) which is specially
made to have a fixed value of resistance. The circuit symbols for a
fixed value resistor are shown:

Modern symbol

Old symbol

Either symbol can

be used to represent
resistance
in
a
circuit diagram.

This diagram shows a simple circuit

where the load is shown as a resistor.
Load

Copper Wires

Switch

Source

Fuse

Most of the resistance of a circuit is in the load. The resistor

symbol is often used to show a load.

Ohms Law ~ Source

Encyclopaedia Britannica 1
This law of electricity was stated in 1827 by the German
scientist, George Simon Ohm (and was named after him). By
experimentation, he discovered that the amount of steady
current flowing through a large number of materials is directly
proportional to the potential difference, or voltage, across the
materials.
Thus, if the voltage V (in units of volts) between two ends of a
wire made from one of these materials is tripled, the current
(amperes) also triples; and the quotient V/ remains constant.
The quotient V/for a given piece of material is called its
resistance, R, measured in units named ohms. The
resistance of materials for which Ohm's law is valid does not
change over enormous ranges of voltage and current. Ohm's
law may be expressed mathematically as V/ = R.

Ohms Law ~ Source

Encyclopaedia Britannica 2
Alternate statements of Ohm's law are that the current in a
conductor equals the potential difference V across the
conductor divided by the resistance of the conductor, or
simply = V/R, and that the potential difference across a
conductor equals the product of the current in the conductor
and its resistance, V = R.
In a circuit in which the potential difference, or voltage, is
constant, the current may be decreased by adding more
resistance or increased by removing some resistance. Ohm's
law may also be expressed in terms of the electromotive force
or voltage, E, of the source of electric energy, such as a
battery. For example, = E/R.

Ohms Law ~ Source

Encyclopaedia Britannica 3
With modifications, Ohm's law also applies to alternatingcurrent circuits, in which the relation between the voltage
and the current is more complicated than for direct
currents.
Precisely because the current is varying, besides
resistance, other forms of opposition to the current arise,
called reactance. The combination of resistance and
reactance is called impedance, Z. When the impedance,
equivalent to the ratio of voltage to current, in an
alternating current circuit is constant, a common
occurrence, Ohm's law is applicable. For example, V/= Z.
With further modifications Ohm's law has been extended to
the constant ratio of the magnetomotive force to the
magnetic flux in a magnetic circuit (q.v.).

Your Instructors Version

What I want you to know!

Ohms Law ~ Mathematically

Let = the current expressed in amperes
Let R = the resistance expressed in Ohms
Let V = voltage or e.m.f. expressed in volts
Then = V
R

or

V=R

or

R=V

or

= V (Back were we started)

R

General Ohms Formula

= E= V
R R

Applying Ohms Law ~

What it Means
In practical terms current in an electrical
circuit depends on:
the voltage or e.m.f. applied to the circuit
the resistance of the circuit
These two factors can be changed in a
circuit. Therefore, the current in a circuit is
changed by changing either the voltage or
the resistance of the circuit.

Illustration 1 of V = R
If the resistance is fixed and the voltage changes, the
current flowing will also change.

V increases
( V decreases )

R fixed

increases
( decreases )

Illustration 2 of V = R
If the voltage is fixed and the resistance changes, the
current flowing will also change.

V fixed

R increases
( R decreases )

decreases
( increases )

Indicating The Direction Of

Current Flow
There are two ways of showing current
flow in a circuit:
Conventional Current Flow
Electron Current Flow

Conventional Current Flow

This is the direction of current flow used by the early
scientists, and it is still used today. Conventional current
flows from the positive (+ve) terminal of the supply,
through the load and back to the negative (-ve) terminal
of the supply

Source of
Supply

Load

Electron Current Flow

When the electron was discovered in 1897, scientists found
that electric current was the flow of negative (-ve) electrons.
The electrons flow from the negative(-ve) terminal of the
supply through the load and back to the positive (+ve)
terminal of the supply. This is called electron current flow and
moves in the opposite direction to conventional current.

Source of
Supply

Load

Ohms Law Calculations

Ohm's law is used for calculating electrical quantities
(current, voltage, resistance) of an electrical circuit.
When any two quantities of the circuit are known, the
third (unknown) quantity can be calculated (found) using
Ohm's law
In the following examples of electrical circuits, the fuse
and the switch will not be shown and the load will be
shown as a resistor
Note: if you do not include units with your answers the
answer will not be accepted

Example 1
The diagram shows a simple circuit with a 3 load
being supplied from a battery with an e.m.f. of 12 V.
By using Ohm's law you are required to calculate
the amount of current flowing in the circuit.
+ve
12V

Supply
-ve

Example 1 ~ Solution
Step 1: Select the correct Ohm's law formula for the
circuit. In this example we need to calculate the
current (). Therefore the formula needed is : = V
R
Step 2: Insert the known values in the formula:
= 12 V
3
Now calculate the current by dividing 12 by 3
= 4A
The answer is 4, and because current is measured
in amperes, the correct answer is 4A or 4 amperes.

Example 2
Calculate the supply voltage of a circuit when 7A flows
through a 20 load.
7A

Step 1
Draw the circuit diagram.
V = xR

+ve
Supply

Step 2
Choose the correct ohm's
law formula. For this example
we need to calculate the supply
voltage (V).
Therefore, the formula needed is: V = x R
= 7 x 20
= 140 V
The answer is: 140 volts or 140V

20

-ve

7A

Example 3
Calculate the resistance of a load that takes 5A when
connected to a 240V supply.
5A
Step 1
Draw the circuit diagram.
+ve
Supply 240V
V = xR
-ve
Step 2
Choose the correct ohm's
law formula. For this example
we need to calculate the resistance
Therefore, the formula needed is: R = V

Resistance = 240V
5A
Resistance = 48

5A

R=?

Review 1
All materials have electrical resistance
Resistance is the opposition to current
Conductors have low resistance
Insulators have high resistance
A resistor is a component with a fixed value
of resistance.
Most of the resistance of a circuit is in the
load.

Review 2
Quantity
Name
E.m.f.

Symbol
E

Unit of Measurement
Name
Volt

Symbol
V

Description
Electro-motive force (voltage) is
the electrical pressure which
makes current flow in a circuit.
Potential difference (voltage) is the
electrical pressure developed as
a result of current flow.

P.d.

Volt

Current

Ampere

Current is the flow of electrons

through a circuit.

Resistance

Ohm

Resistance is the opposition to

current flow produced by electrical
devices in a circuit.

Review 3
Ohms Law states that the amount of steady current
flowing through a material is directly proportional to the
potential difference, or voltage, across the material.
Ohm's law may be expressed mathematically as:
=V
R
Where:
= the current expressed in amperes
V = voltage or e.m.f. expressed in volts
R = the resistance expressed in Ohms
If you know two of the values in ohm's law you can
calculate the third value