Ch -3 Current Electricity

All definitions, Give reasons and short answers :

Electric current:
1. Current will flow in a conductor or circuit if potential
difference (p.d) exist.
2. 2. If no p.d exists between two points in a circuit, no
current will flow between these points.
3. A device that maintains p.d between two points is a
cell or battery
Current carriers:
The charged particles which constitute an electric
current in solids, liquids or gases are known as
current carriers
a) In solids current carriers are free electrons
b)In Liquids positive and negative ions are the current
carriers.
c) Gases: Gases behave as insulators of electricity but
they get ionized and become conductors at low
pressure, when high p.d is applied across them.
Ionised gas contains +ve &-ve ions and electrons.
Types of Current:
1) Steady current (or) constant current (d.c): An
electric current whose magnitude and direction does
not change with time.
2) Variable direct current: An electric current whose
magnitude changes with time but direction remains
the same.
3) Alternating current (a.c.): Both magnitude and
direction of current changes periodically.
4) Transient current: The current which remain for a
short duration.
Definitions:

1)Electric Current: is defined as the amount of

charge flowing through any cross-section of a
conductor in a unit time.
1)Current density: is defined as the amount of charge
flowing per unit area of a conductor held perpendicular
j=

to the flow of charges.

I
A

S.I. unit is A/m2.

2)One ohm: The resistance of a conductor is said to
be one ohm, if current of I ampere flows through it
for when p.d of 1V is applied across it.
3)Conductance: The reciprocal of resistance.
Symbol G.
G=1/R.
SI unit of conductance is mho or siemen.
4)Resistivity: Resistance of the unit cube of a
substance.
5)Conductivity (): Reciprocal of resistivity.SI unit
of conductivity is mho per meter; Or siemen per
meter.
6)Drift velocity : is defined as the average velocity
with which free electrons in a conductor get drifted
in a direction opposite to the direction of applied
electric field .
7)Mobility : is defined as the magnitude of the drift
velocity per unit electric field .
=

Its S.I. unit is mC/Ns, m2/Vs

Vd
| E|

Higher mobility means the material offers

less resistance and is hence a good conductor.

8)Potential difference: work done to move a unit

charge between two points.
9)EMF: Work done per unit charge i.e. potential
difference between the electrodes of the the
battery when no current is drawn from the battery.
10) Internal resistance: It is the opposition offered
by the electrolyte to the flow of ions through it.
Resistivity of different materials:
i) Between electrolytes and metals, electrolytes have
high resistivity due to large masses of ions.
ii) Metals of low resistivity than semiconductors and
insulators due to larger number. Density of eiii)
For metals as temperature increases the average
relaxation time decreases, thereby increasing its
resistivity. However for semiconductors and
insulators with the increase in temperature. e- break
free from the covalent bond and are available for
conductivity implies number density increases and
therefore resistivity decreases.
Temperature dependence of Resistivity :
Temperature coefficient of resistance: is defined as
the change in resistance per unit change in temperature
=

i)

2 1
1 ( T )

A material with low temperature coefficient of

resistance/resistivity is used to make standard

ii)

resistors resistance remains constant (obey ohms

law for large change in temperature) Example:
always of metal like nichrome. A material with high
R and is used to make thermometer.
The negative values of R / are shown by
semiconductors and insulators while positive
values of R and are shown by conductors.
Type of Resistors :
Domestic use or in laboratories the following two
major type resistors are used . They are :
1) Wire bound resistor :
(i) made by winding the wires of an alloy ,
viz. Manganin, constantan , Nichrome or
similar ones .
(ii) The materials for wire bound resistors are
decided mostly the fact that their
resistivities are relatively insensitive to
temperature.
(iii) These resistances are in the range of a
fraction of an ohm to a few hundred ohms
.
2) Carbon Resistors :
(i) Made of Carbon .
(ii) These resistances are in the higher range.
(iii) These resistors are compact , inexpensive
and small in size .
(iv) These find extensive use in electronic
circuits.
(v) Their resistances are calculated by colour
code system.
3) Colour Code System :
Coloured rings on the resistors are given some
significance : (i) The first two bands from the

end indicate the first two significant figures of

the resistance in ohm .
(ii) The third band indicate the decimal
multiplier ,i.e number of zeros to be added
after the second significant figure.
(iii)The last band stands for tolerance or
possible variation in percentage about the
indicated values.
Use of Alloys in making of standard
resistors :
Alloys are used for making standard resistance
coils because ,
(i)

These alloys have high values of resistivity.

(ii) They have small value of temperature co
efficient of resistivity , so their resistance
does not change appreciably even for
several degree rise in temperature .
(iii) They are least affected by atmospheric
conditions like air , moisture etc.
(iv) They dont burn or oxidise easily.
Joules law statement It states that the heat given out is i)
Proportional to the square of current for a given
resistor.
ii) Proportional to the resistance for a given current.
iii) Proportional to the time for which the current flows
through the circuit.
iv) i.e. H = I2Rt
v) Equipment with high power has low resistance and
so has thick coils.

vi) Bulbs have thin long filaments (low power)

therefore they have more resistance.
P=

V2 2
=I R=VI
R

E=I 2 Rt =V 2 t /R=VIt

i)

ii)

Charging and Discharging Battery/Cell:

When a cell furnishes current to an external
resistor, the e.m.f. of the cell is greater than its
terminal potential difference. This mode of working
of the cell is called discharging mode.
In the charging mode, a stronger battery is
connected to the cell with like terminals connected
to each other. In this mode the e.m.f. of the cell is
less than its terminal potential difference.

1 ) Kirchhoff Current law (or) Junction rule:

Algebraic sum of current through a junction is zero.
Principle: conversion of charge .
2) Kirchhoff Voltage law (or) Loop rule:
Algebraic sum of potential difference provided by
source and potential drop across register along any
closed path is zero.
Principle: conversion of energy.
i)
ii)

Algorithm to apply Kirchhoff law:

Identify the junction. Allot current direction
randomly to all branches at the junction.
Applying KCL, setup the first equation with the sum
of current entering terms on one side and current
leaving at another.

iii)

Select a closed loop (with or without source or

resistor) and allot clockwise or anticlockwise
direction to traverse through all the loop elements.
iv) For e.m.f. sources as you traverse along the loop, if
you cross the source from the positive to the
negative terminal, make a negative voltage entry.
v) If the loop direction and the current direction across
the resistor are opposite, enter a positive IR term.
vi) Form the equation by adding the IR and e.m.f terms
obtained in the previous steps and equating to
zero.
vii) Form more equations by choosing independent
loops and solve.
Some important question answers:
Q1) Why should we not drag the jockey along the
bridge wire?
A1) If the jockey is dragged along the bridge wire, the
pressure on some places will be more, causing a kink in
the meter bridge wire and it changes the cross-section
area. But for correct results the cross-section area
should remain constant.
Q2) Why should high current not flow along the bridge
wire?
A2) If high current flows, heat would be given out,
which would affect the material of the wire used.
Q3) Give the applications of Wheatstone meter bridge.
A3) Wheatstone meter bridge can be used to find1) Unknown resistance
2) Ratio of unknown resistances
3) Resistivity of given materials.

Wheat stone meter bridge Applications :

Wheat stone meter bridge can be used to find
1)unknown resistances
2)ratio of unknown resistances
3)resistivity of the given wire .
Potentiometer:
Potentiometer is a wire across which constant current is
flowing with the help of an auxiliary battery. When
constant current flows through a wire the potential drop
across any length of wire in that part is proportional to
that length of wire. By knowing the constant current
flowing through the wire and the resistivity, crosssectional area, the e.m.f. of the cell can be calculated.
Q4) Why are thick copper wires used in Wheatstone
bridge or potentiometer apparatus?
A4) The thick wires offer less resistance.
Q5) What are the factors on which internal resistance of
cell depends?
A5) i) Mass of the mobile ions
ii) Size of the mobile ions
iii) Distance between the 2 electrodes
iv) Current drawn in the external circuit.
CHAPTER CHECKUP :
1. Resistivity and factors on which resistivity depends .
2. Ohms law and its Limitations .
3.Joules heating effect .
4.e.mf and internal resistnce of a cell.

5. Combination of cells - series and parallel

combination.
6. Kirchoff Laws a) Cuurent law / Junction rule & b)
Voltage law / loop rule.
7.Wheat stone bridge and its applications
8. Meter bridge and its applications to find the
unknown resistance.
9. Potentiometer and its applications :
a) to compare the e.m.f of given cells .
b) To find the internal resistance of a given cell.