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• Macroscopic and
microscopic description of
current
• Electrical power
Electric current
• A flow of charge is called an electric current
Electric current
• A flow of charge is called an electric current
1 𝐴 = 1 𝐶/𝑠
Electric current
• Current is in the direction that positive charge flows
Sometimes described as
“conventional current”
(positive) or “electron
current” (negative)
I
In which wire(s) are X
there electrons moving electron current
from right to left? Y
Z conventional current
1. Z only
2. X only
3. Y only
4. X and Y
5. Y and Z 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
1 2 3 4 5 6
6. X, Y and Z
Electric current
• How do we create an electric
current?
1. No current flows
2. A very small current flows
3. A current flows for only a
short time
4. Current flows at half the rate
it flowed with two wires 0%
1
0%
2
0%
3
0%
4
Electric current
• Electrical power may be supplied as either a direct
current or an alternating current
+q +q
+q +q
+q +q
+q +q
+q +q +q
Microscopic nature of current
• What really happens when a battery is connected?
+q +q
+q +q
+q +q
+q +q
+q +q +q
Microscopic nature of current
• What really happens when a battery is connected?
+q +q
+q +q
+q +q
+q +q
+q +q +q
Microscopic nature of current
• What really happens when a battery is connected?
+q
Microscopic nature of current
• What really happens when a battery is connected?
𝐼 =𝑞𝑛𝐴𝑣
𝐼 =5𝐴
𝑞 = 1.6 × 10−19 𝐶
𝑛 = 1.1 × 1029 𝑚−3
𝐴 = 1 𝑚𝑚2 = 10−6 𝑚2
𝐼 5
𝑣= = −19 29 −6
= 0.28 𝑚𝑚/𝑠
𝑞 𝑛 𝐴 (1.6 × 10 ) × (1.1 × 10 ) × (10 )
Isn’t this incredibly slow? Yes – but the electric field itself is
established at the speed of light.
Microscopic nature of current
• The current density (symbol J) is the current
flowing per unit area (“concentration of current”)
𝐼
𝐽 = = 𝑛𝑞𝑣
𝐴
• The units of J are A/m2
𝑉
𝐼=
𝑅
𝑉 = 𝐼𝑅
• The greater the resistance, the less current can flow for a
given potential difference
𝐸 High resistivity 𝜌
𝐽= =𝜎𝐸 means low current!
𝜌
Ohm’s Law : “lie detection”
• Sweat increases the conductance of the skin, which
will change the current flowing for fixed voltage
“machines do detect
deception better than
chance, but with
significant error rates”
Ohm’s Law : microscopic version
Exercise: A 1.8-mm diameter copper wire carries 15 A to a
household appliance. What is the electric field in the wire?
The resistivity of copper is 1.68 × 10−8 Ω 𝑚.
𝐼 = 𝑉/𝑅 𝐽 = 𝐼/𝐴
current 𝐼 𝐿 𝐴 𝐽 = 𝐸/𝜌 𝐸 = 𝑉/𝐿
1. I1 < I2
2. I1 > I2
3. I1 = I2
0% 0% 0%
1 2 3
𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑄𝑉
• Power = = = I V (in terms of current I = Q/t)
𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡
Power P = 60 W 𝑃 60
𝑃=𝐼𝑉 → 𝐼= = = 0.25 𝐴
Voltage V = 240 V 𝑉 240
𝑉 240
𝑉=𝐼𝑅 → 𝑅= = = 960 Ω
𝐼 0.25
𝑉 2 1102
𝑃=𝐼𝑉= = = 12 𝑊
𝑅 960
Thermal runaway and fuses
For most conductors,
resistance is not completely
constant, but increases with
increasing temperature.