Lesson 18

Electric Current
Eleanor Roosevelt High School
Chin-Sung Lin
Flow of Charge
and
Electric Circuits
 Water Flow Model
High Potential Energy Water

Water
Pipe
Height

Water Doing Work

Pump Doing Work

Low Potential Energy Water

Water Flow vs. Electric Current
High Potential Energy Water

Water
Pipe
Height

Water Doing Work

Pump Doing Work

Low Potential Energy Water

 Electric Current Model
High Voltage

Electric
Circuits
Voltage

Electric Current
Battery
Doing Work
Doing Work

Low Voltage
Water / Electric Current Model
 Electric Current Model
High Voltage

Electric
Circuits
Voltage

Electric Current
Battery
Doing Work
Doing Work

Low Voltage
 Electric Current Model
High Voltage

Electric
Circuits

Electric Current
Voltage Battery
Doing Work
Doing Work

Low Voltage
Light Bulb Structure
 Electric Circuit Symbols

Wire

Resistor
Voltage Battery
 Electric Circuits

Wire

Battery

Resistor
Electric Circuits
Ohm’s Law
Electric Current

Current
(I)

Voltage Resistance
(V) (R)
 Electric Current

I (amperes , A)

V (volts, V) R (ohms, Ω)
Ohm’s Law

V
I
R
Ohm’s Law

V: Voltage (V)
I : Current (A)
R: Resistance (Ω)
Voltmeter – Measuring Voltage

V
Ammeter – Measuring Current

A
Multimeter – Measuring All

V: Voltage (V)
I : Current (A)
R: Resistance (Ω)
Digital Multimeter – Measuring All

V: Voltage (V)
I : Current (A)
R: Resistance (Ω)
Digital Multimeter – Measuring All
Digital Multimeter – Measuring All
Voltage /
Current Ground Resistance
Digital Multimeter – Measuring All
Digital Multimeter – Measuring All

Resistance DC Voltage

DC Current AC Voltage

AC Current
Transistor
 Ohm’s Law

A V (V)
I (A)
V R (Ω)
Ohm’s Law
 Ohm’s Law

voltage = constant x current

V = R x I

V: Voltage (V)
I : Current (A)
R: Constant or Resistance (Ω)
 Ohm’s Law

V V
R= or V=IR or I=
I R

V: Voltage (V)
I : Current (A)
R: Resistance (Ω)
 Ohm’s Law Example
What is the current through a 4-ohm resistor
connected to a 12-V power supply?
 Ohm’s Law Example
What is the current through a 4-ohm resistor
connected to a 12-V power supply?

I=V/R
I = 12 V / 4 Ω = 3 A
 Ohm’s Law Example
A 5-ohm resistor has a 8-A current in it. What is
the voltage across the resistor?
 Ohm’s Law Example
A 5-ohm resistor has a 8-A current in it. What is
the voltage across the resistor?

V=IR
V = 8 A x 5 Ω = 40 V
 Ohm’s Law Example
What is the resistance of a device that uses 2.5 A
of current when connected to a 15-volt power
source?
 Ohm’s Law Example
What is the resistance of a device that uses 2.5 A
of current when connected to a 15-volt power
source?

R=V/I
R = 15 V / 2.5 A = 6 Ω
 Ohm’s Law Exercises
What is the current through a 6-KΩ resistor
connected to a 9-V power supply?
What is the resistance of a device that uses 0.5
mA of current when connected to a 5-volt power
source?
A 2.5-MΩ resistor has a 0.02-mA current in it.
What is the voltage across the resistor?
Resistors
 Resistors
A resistor is a two-terminal electronic
component which implements electrical
resistance
Resistors are used to control the amount
of current flowing in a circuit
Resistor are usually measured by the units
of Ω, kΩ, and MΩ
Resistors
Resistors on PCB
Resistor Color

Coding
Surface Mount Resistors
SMT Resistors on PCB
Resistance
and
Resistivity
 Resistance
Electric current in a circuit is decided by
voltage (V) and resistance (R): I = V / R
What are the factors to determine the
resistance?
 Resistance & Length
Which one has larger resistance?
 Resistance & Length
Which one has larger resistance?
 Resistance & Length
Which one has larger resistance?

R~L
 Resistance & Area
Which one has larger resistance?
 Resistance & Area
Which one has larger resistance?
 Resistance & Area
Which one has larger resistance?

1
R~
A
 Resistance & Resistivity
Which one has larger resistance?

r p e r
e p
Silv Co
 Resistance & Resistivity
Which one has larger resistance?

r p e r
e p
Silv Co
 Resistance & Resistivity
Resistivity
of Materials
 Resistance & Resistivity
Which one has larger resistance?

r p e r
e p
Silv Co

R~ρ
 Resistance
Resistance is determined by

ρL
R=
A
ρ resistivity [Ω m]
L length [m]
A cross-section area [m2]
 Resistance Example
A 0.5-m long Nichrome wire has 0.001 m2
cross-section. What is the resistance of
the wire?
 Resistance Example
A 0.5-m long Nichrome wire has 0.001 m2
cross-section. What is the resistance of
the wire?
R=ρL/A
= (150 x 10 -8 Ωm) (0.5 m) / 0.001 m2
= 7.5 x 10-4 Ω
 Resistance Exercise
A 1.2 x 10-5 Ω Copper wire has 0.004 m2 cross-
section. What is the length of the wire?
 Resistance Exercise
A 1.2 x 10-5 Ω Copper wire has 0.004 m2 cross-
section. What is the length of the wire?

R=ρL/A
1.2 x 10-5 Ω = (1.72 x 10 -8 Ωm) L / 0.004
m2
L = 2.79 m
Electric Current
 Electric Current
Electric current is the flow of charge
In solid conductors: the electrons
In fluids: positive and negative ions as
well as electrons
Electric current is usually measured in
units of A and mA
 Electric Current
When electrons flow in a wire, the
number entering one end is the same as
the number leaving the other
The net charge of the wire is normally
zero
 Electric Current
Electric (conventional) current is from
positive to negative, while electron flow is
from negative to positive
 Electric Current
Current is the charge flow rate past a
given cross-section
(current) = (charge) / (time) or I=Q/t
 Electric Current
1 A is 1 C of charge going past a given
cross-section per second
1 C is 6.24 x 1018 electrons
 Electric Current Example
How much current must there be in a
circuit if 100 coulombs flow past a point in
the circuit in 4 seconds?
 Electric Current Example
How much current must there be in a
circuit if 100 coulombs flow past a point in
the circuit in 4 seconds?

I =Q/t
= 100 C / 4 s
= 25 A
 Electric Current Exercise
If there is a current of 20 amperes in a
circuit for 10 minutes, what quantity of
electric charge flows in through the
circuit?
 Electric Current Exercise
If there is a current of 20 amperes in a
circuit for 10 minutes, what quantity of
electric charge flows in through the
circuit?

Q =It
= 20 A x 600 s
= 12000 C
 Electric Current Exercise
How much time is required for 10
coulombs of charge to flow past a point if
the rate of flow (current) is 2 amperes?
 Electric Current Exercise
How much time is required for 10
coulombs of charge to flow past a point if
the rate of flow (current) is 2 amperes?

t =Q/I
= 10 C / 2 A
=5s
Voltage Sources
 Voltage Source
A voltage source is a two-terminal circuit
element which supplies a constant DC or
AC potential difference for any current
flow through it
Voltage sources: dry cell batteries, wet
cell batteries, solar panel, or generators
Voltages are usually measured by the
units of V, kV, and MV
 Voltage Source
The potential energy per coulomb of
charge available to electrons moving
between terminals is the voltage
V =W / q
Voltage is sometimes called the
electromotive force, or emf
Voltage Sources: Dry Cell
Voltage Sources: Wet Cell
Voltage Sources: Solar Panel
Voltage Sources: Generator
Batteries in Parallel / Series
Batteries in Parallel / Series
Batteries in Parallel / Series
Exercise
Calculate the current in each case

1 KΩ

1 KΩ
1 KΩ
Electric Shock
 Electric Shock
The damaging effects are the result of
current passing through the body
The current depends on the voltage
applied and also on the resistance of the
human body (I = V / R)
The resistance of the body range from
~100 Ω to ~500 KΩ
 Electric Shock
Current
Effect
(A)
0.001 can be felt
0.005 painful
0.010 involuntary muscle contractions (spasms)
0.015 loss of muscle control

if through the heart, serious disruption; probably

0.070
fatal if current lasts for more than 1 second
 Electric Shock
Why do the birds perch on the high-
voltage wires not getting electric shock?
 Electric Shock
Why do the birds perch on the high-
voltage wires not getting electric shock?

Because every part of their bodies is at the

same high potential as the wire
DC & AC
 Direct Current (DC)
A flow of charge that flows in one
direction, even if the current moves in
unsteady pulses
A battery produces direct current
 Electrons always move through the
circuit in the same direction from the
negative terminal and toward the positive
terminal
Direct Current (DC)
Direct Current (DC) Waveform

Voltage

Time

Voltage

Time
 Alternating Current (AC)
A flow of charge is alternating its
directions
This is accomplished by alternating the
polarity of voltage at voltage source
Alternating Current (AC)
Alternating Current (AC) Waveform

Voltage
Time

Voltage
Time
 Alternating Current (AC)
Nearly all of the commercial AC circuits in
North America involves 120 V and 60 Hz
Europe adopted 220 V as their standard
 Alternating Current (AC)
The 120 V refers to the
“root-mean-square”
(RMS) average of the
voltage The actual voltage
in a 120 V AC circuit varies
between +170 V and – 170
V peaks. It delivers the
same power as a 120 V DC
circuit
 Alternating Current (AC)
Because most electric service in the
United States is three-wire: one wire at
+120 V, one wire at 0 V (neutral), and the
other wire at -120 V
Most of the appliance use +120V/-120 V
and the neutral wires, producing 120 V.
When use both +120V and -120 V wires, a
240 V is produced
AC-to-DC Conversion
Speed of Electrons
Thermal Speed vs. Drift Speed
Thermal Speed vs. Drift Speed
Thermal motion (random motion) speed
inside a metal wire is about 1/200 the
speed of light
Under electric field, the Drift Speed (net
speed) is only about 0.01 cm/s
 Speed of Electrons
The electrons will collide with the metallic
ions in their path and transfer some
kinetic energy to them
The extremely high speed of electricity is
not due to the electrons but due to the
signal. The signal is traveling at near high
speed
 Speed of Electrons
The electrons inside the conductor will shift
forward (DC) or forward and backward (AC)
Why does the electric power company
charge you money when they provide you
AC electricity which no net electrons enter
your home?
 Speed of Electrons
The AC outlets in your home do not supply
you electrons but supply you energy
The source of the electrons is the
conducting circuit material itself
Electric Power
 Electric Power
The rate at which electrical energy is
converted into another form (mechanical
energy, heat, or light) is called electric power
(Electric Power) = (Electric Energy) / (Time)
Unit: Watts (W)

W
P=
t
 Electric Power
Electric Power = Energy / Time
= (Charge/Time) x (Energy/Charge)
= Current x Voltage
W W q
P= = =V I = IV
t q t
P = IV
Unit: 1 watt = (1 ampere) x (1 volt)
 Electric Power

Derive the formulas of

1. P, I, R,
2. P, V, R
 Electric Power

P = I V = I (I R) = I 2 R
V V2
P = IV = ( )V =
R R

V 2
P = IV = I2R =
R
 Electric Power
Since Energy / Time = Power,
Energy = Power x Time
W=Pt
Derive the formulas of
1. W, I, V, and t
2. W, I, R, and t
3. W, V, R and t
 Electric Power
Since Energy/Time = Power, so
Energy = Power x Time

W = P t = IV t = I2R t
V2 V2
W = P t = IV t = ( )t= t
R R
V 2
W = Pt = IVt = I2Rt = t
R
 Electric Power
Energy can be represented in units of
kilowatt-hours (kW·h)
1 kW·h = 3.6 x 106 J
A kilowatt is 1000 watt, and a kilowatt-
hour is the energy consumed in 1 hour at
the rate of 1 kilowatt
 Electric Power Example
A light bulb is plugged into a 120-volt
outlet and has a 0.7 A current in it. What is
the power rating of the light bulb?
 Electric Power Example
A light bulb is plugged into a 120-volt
outlet and has a 0.7 A current in it. What is
the power rating of the light bulb?

P=IV
= (0.7 A)(120 V)
= 84 W
 Electric Power Example
A heater uses 21 A when connected to a 110-V
line. If electric power costs 10 cents per
kilowatt-hour in this location, what is the cost of
running the heater for 13 hours?
 Electric Power Example
A heater uses 21 A when connected to a 110-V
line. If electric power costs 10 cents per
kilowatt-hour in this location, what is the cost of
running the heater for 13 hours?
W=IVt
= (21 A)(110 V)(13 hr)
= 30030 W-hr
= 30.03 kW-hr
Cost = ($ 0.1 /kW-hr)(30.03 kW-hr) = $3.00
 Electric Power Exercise
A 120 V outlet in Tony’s house is wired with a
circuit breaker on an 8 A line. a) If Tony tries use
his newly-bought 1200-Watt hair dryer, will he
trip the circuit breaker? b) What is the resistance
of the hair dryer?
 Electric Power Exercise
Alice likes to keep her 40-Watt front porch light
on at night time from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., and
Alice pays 8.00¢ per kWh, how much does it
cost to run the light for this amount of time
each week?
The End