9646 H2 PHYSICS Tutorial

Nanyang Junior College 1

Chapter 11
CURRENT OF ELECTRICITY
Conceptual Questions
1 What do you understand by the internal resistance an e.m.f source? What physical
evidence of internal resistance can you observe when using a dry cell?
Internal resistance is electrical resistance within an e.m.f source. It stays with the e.m.f
source. An e.m.f source with internal resistance can be replaced by an ideal source in
series with a resistor r.
When dry cell is being used for a while, it becomes hot. The heat dissipation from the cell is
a physical evidence that there is resistance inside the cell. It gives rise to power loss within
the cell.
2. Explain why it is difficult to precisely state a value for the resistance of a filament lamp.
Filament lamp does not have a fixed value for resistance. It depends on its temperature.
The higher the temperature, the higher its resistance.
3. Explain why the potential difference across the terminals of a battery is normally lower than
the batterys e.m.f. Under what conditions is the potential difference across a batterys
terminals equal to its e.m.f.?
The potential difference across the terminals of a battery is normally lower than the
batterys e.m.f because there is potential drop across the internal resistance.
Only when there is no current flow (open circuit), and when the e.m.f source is ideal (no
internal resistance), the terminal p.d will be the same as e.m.f value.
4. A customer of an electricity company argues that the company should not charge him for
electricity usage after all, any electron that enters the wires in his home leaves again
some time later and returns to the power station. Do you agree with him? Explain.
What the electricity company provides to our home are electrons with electrical potential
energy. After passing these electrons through our appliances, this energy is being used up
and it returns to the power station. What we are paying for is the electrical energy and not
the electrons. The electrons are just the energy carriers.
Application questions
5. In a gas, conduction occurs as a result of negative particles flowing one way and positive
particles flowing in the opposite direction.
As shown above, the copper conductors of the gas carry a current of 0.28 mA. The number
of negative particles passing any point in the gas per unit time is 1.56 x 10
15
s
-l
and the
charge on each negative particle is -1.6 x 10
-19
C. Calculate
(i) the negative charge flowing past any point in the gas per second, [2.5 x 10
-4
C]
9646 H2 PHYSICS Tutorial
Nanyang Junior College 2
15 19
4
(1.56 10 )(1.6 10 )
1
2.50 10
0.25
Q
I
t
Ne
t
A
mA

=
| |
=
|
\ .

=
=
=
(ii) the positive charge flowing past any point in the gas per second, [3.0 x 10
-5
C]
Both the positive charge and negative charge carriers are responsible for the total
current in the conductor
I = I
+
+ I
-
I
+
= I I
-
= (0.280)-(0.250)
= 0.030 mA
(iii) the number of positively charged particles passing any point in the gas per second,
given that the charge on each positive particle is +3.2 x 10
-19
C. [9.4 x 10
13
]
3
13 1
19
(0.030 10 )(1.0)
9.4 10
3.20 10
Q
I
t
Q I t
N q I t
I t
N s
q
+
+
+ +
+ +
+
+

=
=
=

= = =

6. A torch bulb is rated as 2.5 V, 30 mA.

a) How much charge flows through the bulb in 1 minute when it is operating at its rated
current? [1.8 C]
3
30 10 60 1.8 Q It C

= = =
b) At what rate is electrical energy dissipated in the lamp when it is operating at its rated
voltage and current? [0.075 W]
Rate of electrical energy dissipation = P = VI = 2.5 x 30 x 10
-3
= 0.075 W
7. A car headlamp is marked 12 V, 72 W. It is switched on for a 20 minute journey. Calculate
a) the current in the lamp [6.0 A]
72
6.0
12
P
I A
V
= = =
9646 H2 PHYSICS Tutorial
Nanyang Junior College 3
b) the charge which passes through the lamp during the journey [7.2 x 10
3
C]
Q = I t = 6.0 x 20 x 60 = 7.2 x 10
3
C
c) the energy supplied to the lamp during the journey [8.6 x 10
4
J]
Energy = P x t = 72 x 20 x 60 = 8.6 x 10
4
J
d) the working resistance of the lamp [2.0 ]
12
2.0
6.0
V
R
I
= = = O
8. Jump leads may be used for starting the engine of one car using the battery of another car.
One such set of leads is 4.0 m long, and consists of copper cables with a cross-sectional
area of 13.6 mm
2
a) What is the voltage drop along the length of one of these cables when it is carrying a
current of 100 A? (Take the resistivity of copper as 1.7 x 10
-8
m) [0.50 V]
8
3
3 2
1.7 x 10 4.0
5.0 10
13.6 (10 )
l
R
A

= = = O

V = R I =
3
(5.0 10 ) 100 0.50V

=
b) In practice, such cables are made of many strands of thin copper wires twisted
together rather than a single strand of thicker wire. What is the advantage of this?
The advantage of twisting together many wires rather than a single strand of thicker
wire is that it allows the cable to be bent and it is better for storage purpose.
9. A thin film resistor in solid state circuit has a thickness of 1.0 m and is made of nichrome of
resistivity 1.0 x 10
-6
O m.
Calculate the resistance available between opposite edges of a 1.0 mm
2
area of film
(a) if it is square shaped [1.0 O]
The resistance between edges P and Q is
6 3)
6 3
10 (1.0 10
(1.0 10 1.0 10 )
1.0
R
A

=

=

= O
l
9646 H2 PHYSICS Tutorial
Nanyang Junior College 4
(b) if it is rectangular 100 times as long as it is wide. [100 O]
10. A generator supplies a fixed power to an electrical installation by power lines of resistance R.
a) Show that the power lost as heat in the cables is proportional to
2
1
V
, where V is the
potential difference at the generator output.
P
generated
= V I => (1)
generated
P
I
V
=
P
loss in cable =
2 2 2
1
( ) [( ) ]
generated
generated
P
I R R P R
V V
= =
Where Power generated and R is a constant. power lost as heat in the cables is
proportional to
2
1
V
b) This result suggests that power losses can be reduced indefinitely by stepping up the
transmission voltage to a very high value (eg.100 GV). Discuss briefly whether this is
practicable.
It is not practical because if the potential difference between the transmission cable
and the ground is too large (>3 x 10
6
V m
-1
). Air which is an excellent electrical insulator
normally will experience electrical breakdown and conduct electricity.
An example of air that conducts electricity is during lightning, it happens when the
potential difference between the cloud and the ground is too large.
11. An electric kettle is rated at 2.0 kW when operating on a 240 V supply. What power will the
kettle absorb if the supply is reduced to 220 V? [1.7 x 10
2
W]
2
2
2
3
(240)
28.8
2.0 10
V
P
R
V
R
P
=
=
= = O

The resistance of the kettle remains constant though the supply is reduced.
2
2
'
'
(220)
1680 1.68 1.7
28.8
V
P
R
W kW kW
=
= = = ~
100 x
The resistance between the edges
P and Q is
6
6
10 (100 )
(1.0 10 )
100
R
A
x
x

= O
l
9646 H2 PHYSICS Tutorial
Nanyang Junior College 5
12. Give three examples of electrical components in which the current is not directly
proportional to applied potential difference. For each component, sketch graph showing the
I-V relationship and explain the physical meaning relating to the shape of the graph.
Refer to page 8 and 9 of lecture notes. State the three components: the semiconductor
diode, the filament lamp and the thermistor.
13. A light bulb of unknown resistance is connected across a 12 V cell with internal resistance
5.0 O. The current in the circuit is 0.62 A. Find
(i) the resistance of the light bulb, [14 ]
V
R
= E - Ir
= 12 (5.0)(0.62) = 8.9 V
R =
8.9
14.4 14
0.62
R
V
I
= = O ~ O
(ii) the power output from the bulb, and [5.5 W]
P
bulb
= I
2
R = (0.62)
2
(14.4) = 5.5 W
(iii) the power delivered by the cell. [7.4 W]
P
cell
= VI = (12)(0.62) = 7.4 W
14. A battery is known to have an e.m.f. of 5.00 V but when a certain voltmeter is connected to
it, the reading is 4.90 V. Given that the battery delivers a current of 0.400 A when
connected to a resistor of 12.0 O. What is the resistance of the voltmeter? [24.5 ]
circuit 1 circuit 2
From circuit 1, E Ir = V
voltmeter
= 4.9 ---------------(1)
From circuit 2, E Ir = V
R
= IR
Ir = E IR
r =
E IR
I

=
E
R
I

=
5.0
12
0.40

V= 4.9V
I
9646 H2 PHYSICS Tutorial
Nanyang Junior College 6
= 0.50 O
Substitute r = 0.50 O into equation (1)
E I(0.50) = 4.9
I =
4.9 5.0 4.9
0.20
0.50 0.50
E
A

= =
since IR
voltmeter
= 4.9 R
voltmeter
=
4.9
24.5
0.20
= O
15. The graph below shows the I-V characteristic of a resistive load R.
a) Find the resistance of R when it is connected to a supply of (i) 1.5 V (ii) 3.5 V.
According to graph, R
1.5V
=
1.5
0.3
= 5.0
According to graph, R
3.5V
=
3.5
0.6
= 5.8
b) Find the power dissipation in R when it is connected to a 5.0 V cell.
P
R
= V I = (5.0)(0.7) = 3.5 W
R is connected to a steady supply for 10 minutes, during which a total charge of 300 C
passes through R. Find the voltage of the supply and the energy dissipated during that
period. [2.5 V, 7.5 x 10
2
J]
I =
Q
t
=
300
(10 60)
= 0.50 A
According to graph V = 2.5 V when I = 0.50 A
E = VIt = (2.5)(0.50)(10 x 60) = 7.5 x 10
2
J
9646 H2 PHYSICS Tutorial
Nanyang Junior College 7
c) R dissipates 2.0 W of power when connected to steady supply. Suggest how you
would find the voltage of the supply and estimate its value.
Voltage can be found using the graph. P = VI = 2.0 W
According to the graph, VI = 2.0 W when V = 3.4 V and I = 0.59 A
9646 H2 PHYSICS Assignment
Nanyang Junior College 1
Chapter 11
CURRENT OF ELECTRICITY
Name: ___________________________ CT: __________
1. A car battery of e.m.f. 12 V and internal resistance 0.014 delivers a current of 110 A
when first connected to the starter motor. Calculate
a) the resistance of the starter motor [2]
E = I (R+r)
12 = 110 (R+0.014) R = 0.0951 ~0.095
b) power delivered to the motor [2]
P
R
= I
2
R = (110)
2
(0.0951) = 1150 W ~1200 W
c) power generated by the battery [2]
P
batt
= E I = 12 x 110 = 1320 W ~1300 W
d) the fraction of the total power which is dissipated in the battery [2]
1320 1150
0.13
1320
r
batt
P
P

= =
2. Two wires A and B, each of the same length and the same material, are connected in
parallel to a battery. The diameter of A is twice that of B. What fraction of the total current
passes through A? [3]
2 2
2
2 2
2
(1), (2)
( ) ( )
2 2
( )
1
2
( ) ( )
2
( )
2
4
A B
A B
B
A B
A
B A
A B
l l
R R
d d
d
R d l
d
R l d
R R

= =
= = =
=
Current flowing through B will be 4 times of A since the potential different between both A
and B is the same and the resistance of A is 4 times of B, therefore
1 1
4 1 5
A
I
I
= =
+
25
9646 H2 PHYSICS Assignment
Nanyang Junior College 2
3. A light bulb of unknown resistance is connected across a 12 V cell with internal resistance
5.0 O. The current in the circuit is 0.62 A. Find
(i) the resistance of the light bulb, [4]
V
R
= E Ir
= 12 (0.62)(5.0)
= 8.9 V
R
V
R
I
8.90
0.62
14.4 14
=
=
= O ~ O
(ii) the power output from the bulb, and [2]
P
output
= I V
R
= (0.62)(8.90)
= 5.5 W
4. Fig 4.1 and 4.2 shows two circuits X and Y that are used by a student to test a battery of
three identical cells. In circuit X there is no load resistor. In circuit Y a load resistor is
connected. You can assume that the meters in the circuits are ideal. Their readings are
shown on each figure.
(i) In both circuits, the voltmeter is connected across the cells to measure its terminal
potential differences. Explain the difference between the voltmeter readings recorded
in the two circuits. [2]
Voltmeter in circuit X measures the e.m.f. of the battery since there is no current flow in
the circuit while voltmeter in circuit Y measures the p.d. across the load resistor.
(ii) Calculate the internal resistance of one cell. [2]
For circuit Y, E = V
R
+ Ir
4.5 = 3.1 + 0.39 r
r = 3.6
Hence, internal resistance for each cell =
3.6
3
= 1.2
Fig. 4.1 Fig. 4.2
=12 V
= 5.0
= 0.62 A
R
9646 H2 PHYSICS Assignment
Nanyang Junior College 3
(iii) One of the cells in the battery is reversed for both circuits. Determine the new reading
1. on the voltmeter in circuit X, [1]
Reading on voltmeter in X = 1.5 + 1.5 1.5 = 1.5 V
2. on the ammeter in circuit Y. [2]
Resistance in circuit Y = 8.0 + 3.6 = 11.6
Hence new current =
1.5
11.6
= 0.13 A
(iv) The load resistor in circuit Y is replaced by an unknown device. The student finds that
the voltmeter reading decreases as the temperature of the device increases. Suggest
what is the unknown device. [1]
Thermistor