You are on page 1of 34

Resistance, Fuses and house wiring

Ohms Law Experiment


COPY

Set to 2V

record current

Change voltage record current

Table. Ohms Law experiment


Voltage (V) Current (A) 2 4 6 8 10 Resistance ()

12

Plot a graph of voltage versus current What is the gradient?

Resistors in Series

RT R1 R2 R3 ...
As the current passes through it has to go further therefore it takes longerso will be slower.

Draw
A
V V

measuring current
SERIES CIRCUIT
2A

2A

2A

current is the same at all points in the circuit.

Set up 1 light bulb and ammeter in series

record voltages record current

Set up 2 light bulbs and ammeter in series

record current record voltages

Set up 3 light bulbs and ammeter in series

record current
record voltages

Calculate resistance
Use the voltages and circuit current to calculate:
The resistance in each light bulb The resistance in the overall circuit
Calculate using voltage provided by power supply Calculate using the individual light bulb resistances

Resistors in Parallel

RT

R1

R2

R3

...

As you combine the resisters in parallel they essentially turn into one big pipe which means that the overall resistance is lower and so the overall current is higher. One of the dangers of too many components in parallel is that the current gets too high!

Draw
V

A
A
V V

A
V

A
V

Current in Parallel circuits


PARALLEL CIRCUIT
2A
0.5A 1.5A

2A

Different light bulbs

current is shared between the components

2A 1A

2A

1A

Same light bulbs

Set up 2 light bulb and ammeter in parallel record voltages record current

A
V

A
V

Resistors in circuits summary


SERIES
Total circuit resistance is the sum of all individual resistances. RT = R1 + R2 + Connecting more resistors in series increases total circuit resistance Reduces current

PARALLEL
Total circuit resistance is smaller than the lowest individual resistance 1 1 1 EXTENTION: = + + 1 2 Connecting more resistors in parallel decreases total circuit resistance Increases current

Fuses
Fuses thin wire that melts (fuse blows) when too large a current flows through it.
Breaks the circuit Non-combustible case

Used to limit current from getting too high. Large currents are a thermal hazard. Electric power causes undesired heating effects whenever electric energy is converted to thermal energy at a rate faster than it can be safely dissipated.

Short-circuit
A short circuit is an undesired low-resistance path across a voltage source.

Worn insulation on the wires of a toaster allows them to come into contact with a low resistance r. Since P = V2/r, thermal power is created so rapidly that the cord melts or burns.

Thermal hazards of high current


For example, if V is 240 V and r is 0.100 , then the power is 576,000 W (!!!!), much greater than that used by a typical household appliance (e.g. 2,000 W heater). Thermal energy delivered at this rate will very quickly raise the temperature of surrounding materials, melting or perhaps igniting them.

A thermal hazard can be created when circuits are overloaded with too much current. The power dissipated in the supply wires is P = I2Rw, where Rw is the resistance of the wires and I the current flowing through them. If I is too large, the wires overheat. If a high current is maintained for an extended period of time, surrounding materials can also melt or perhaps ignite

Circuit Breakers
Circuit breakers are used more commonly than fuses
Faster to trip and break circuit Easily reset

Power boards in houses have either circuit breakers or fuses to keep current from getting to high. Usually set for 10A or 15A. Multi-plugs often have circuit breakers too.

House wiring
Wired in parallel
Everything gets 240 V Can use sockets or lights independently of each other

Can have multiple sockets or lights wired in parallel on each main supply wire. Need fuse or circuit breaker on main wire Multi-plugs are also wired in parallel

Make your own fuse


Draw and setup a circuit with a power supply, 10W or 18W light bulb, ammeter and fuse in series. Make a fuse by using one or two strands of steel wool to make a connection between the two nails. Connect system and observe what happens as you increase the voltage. Record the highest current.

House wiring
High power appliances have low resistance and therefore draw a high current. Low power appliances have high resistance and therefore draw a relatively low current. What appliances are safe to add a multi-plug? Which ones should you plug in by themselves?

You might also like