Ch.

21 - Electricity
I. Electric Charge
 Static Electricity
 Conductors
 Insulators
 Electroscope
 A. Static Electricity
 Static Electricity
 the net accumulation of electric
charges on an object
 Electric Field
 force exerted by an e- on anything
that has an electric charge
 opposite charges attract
 like charges repel
 A. Static Electricity
 Static Discharge
 the movement of
electrons to relieve a
separation in charge
 B. Conductors
 Conductor
 material that allows electrons to
move through it easily
 e- are loosely held
 ex: metals like copper and silver
 C. Insulators
 Insulator
 material that doesn’t allow electrons
to move through it easily
 e- are tightly held
 ex: plastic, wood, rubber, glass
 D. Electroscope

 Electroscope
 instrument that
detects the presence
of electrical charges
 leaves separate
when they gain either
a + or - charge
Ch. 21 - Electricity
II. Electric Current
 Circuit
 Potential Difference
 Current
 Resistance
 Ohm’s Law
 A. Circuit
 Circuit
 closed path through
which electrons can flow
 A. Potential Difference
 Potential Difference (voltage)
 difference in electrical potential
between two places
 large separation of charge creates
high voltage
 the “push” that causes e- to move
from - to +
 measured in volts (V)
 B. Current
 Current
 flow of electrons through a conductor
 depends on # of e- passing a point in
a given time
 measured in amperes (A)
 C. Resistance
 Resistance
 opposition the flow of electrons
 electrical energy is converted to
thermal energy & light
 measured in ohms ()

Copper - low resistance Tungsten - high resistance

 C. Resistance
 Resistance depends on…
 the conductor
 wire thickness
• less resistance
in thicker wires
 wire length
• less resistance in shorter wires
 temp - less resistance at low temps
 E. Ohm’s Law
 Ohm’s Law

V: potential
difference (V)
V=I×R I: current (A)
R: resistance ()
• Voltage increases when current increases.
• Voltage decreases when resistance increases.
 E. Ohm’s Law
 A lightbulb with a resistance of 160  is
plugged into a 120-V outlet. What is the
current flowing through the bulb?
GIVEN: WORK:
R = 160  I=V÷R
V = 120 V I = (120 V) ÷ (160 )
I=? I = 0.75 A
V
I R
Ch. 21 - Electricity
III. Electrical Circuits
 Circuit components
 Series circuits
 Parallel circuits
 Household circuits
A. Circuit Components

A - battery C - light bulb

B - switch D - resistor
 B. Series Circuits
 Series Circuit
 current travels in a single path
• one break stops the flow of current
 current is the same throughout circuit
• lights are equal brightness
 each device receives a fraction of the
total voltage
• get dimmer as lights are added
 C. Parallel Circuits
 Parallel Circuits
 current travels in multiple paths
• one break doesn’t stop flow
 current varies in different branches
• takes path of least resistance
• “bigger” light would be dimmer
 each device receives the total voltage
• no change when lights are added
 D. Household Circuits
 Combination of parallel circuits
 too many devices can cause wires to
overheat
 Safety Features:
 fuse - metal melts, breaking circuit
 circuit breaker - bimetallic strip bends
when hot, breaking circuit
 Ch. 21 - Electricity
IV. Measuring Electricity

 Electrical Power
 Electrical Energy
 A. Electrical Power
 Electrical Power
 rate at which electrical energy is
converted to another form of energy
P: power (W)
I: current (A)
P=I×V V: potential
difference (V)
 A. Electrical Power
 A calculator has a 0.01-A current flowing through it.
It operates with a potential difference of 9 V. How
much power does it use?

GIVEN: WORK:
I = 0.01 A P=I·V
V=9V P = (0.01 A) (9 V)
P=? P = 0.09 W
P
I V
 B. Electrical Energy
 Electrical Energy
 energy use of an appliance depends
on power required and time used
E: energy (kWh)
P: power (kW)
E=P×t t: time (h)
 B. Electrical Energy
 A refrigerator is a major user of electrical power. If
it uses 700 W and runs 10 hours each day, how
much energy (in kWh) is used in one day?
GIVEN: WORK:
P = 700 W = 0.7 kW E = P · t
t = 10 h E = (0.7 kW) (10 h)
E=? E = 7 kWh
E
P t