Electricity!!!

One of Mr. Brown’s and Mr. Smith’s

Favorite unit…shocking, isn’t it?
Electric Current
1. The reason electric charge
flows from one place to another
is voltage.HIGH LOW

a. Voltage is the difference in

electrical potential between two
places where e¯ are flowing.
b. Voltage is the “push” that
makes electric charges move.
c. Measured in volts (V).
2. The flow of electric charge is
called current.
a. Current is measured in
amperes, or amps (A).
b. Voltage causes current.
3. The amount of electric
charge is measured in coulombs.
a. 1 coulomb is the charge
carried by 6.24 x 10^18 e¯.
b. 1 amp is 1 coulomb per
sec.
4. Batteries are e¯ pumps.
a. They provide a voltage
difference to a circuit.
b. Types: wet-cells & dry-
cells
5. Resistance
a. Opposition to the flow of
e¯.b. It changes
electrical energy
into thermal energy
and/or light.
c. Measured in
ohms.
d. Conductors
have less resistance
than insulators.
 e. Wire resistance greater
for:
1) Longer wires
2) Thinner wires
3) Higher temperatures
6. Ohm’s law

Difference Voltage
Current =
Resistance

I R
C. Electrical Circuits
1. A circuit is a conducting
path.
2. Series circuit
a. One path
b. Any break &
all devices go out
c. Current is the same
throughout the circuit
 Series Circuit Concepts
(assuming 3 resistors)

RTOTAL = R1 + R2 + R3
V drop for each R is VX = I • RX
so, VTOTAL = I • R1 + I • R2 + I • R3
or, VTOTAL = I • (R1 + R2 + R3)
since I=V÷R
then… ICIRCUIT = V ÷ (R1 + R2 + R3)
3. Parallel circuit
a. Multiple
paths
b. A break in
one branch & the
other branches
stayc.onVoltage is the same in
each branch, but current and
resistance may be different
 Parallel Circuit Concepts
(assuming 3 paths)

V is the same everywhere in the circuit

ITOTAL = I1 + I2 + I3
since ITOTAL = V ÷ R and I1 = V ÷ R1
then V ÷ R = V ÷ R1 + V ÷ R2 + V ÷ R3

1 1 1 1
RTOTAL R1 R2 R3
 Comparison of series and
parallel circuits

The same
voltage
battery

Notice the
brightness of
the bulbs
4. Household circuits

a. Mostly parallel.
b. 120 V in the U.S.
c. More devices plugged in a
circuit mean more current.
d. More current means more
heat in the wiring.
5. Electrical safety devices

a. Fuses - one time use.

b. Circuit breakers - can be
reset and reused.
 Electric Power and Energy
1. Electrical power is the rate at
which electricity is converted into
another form of energy.
a. Power = current x voltage
b. Unit is the watt or kilowatt.
2. Electrical energy
a. Energy = power x time
b. Unit is the kilowatt-hour.
(1000 watts for 1 hour)
c. This is what we buy from
the electric company.
E. Light Bulbs

1. Incandescent
a. Have a tiny
filament that resists
the flow of
electrons.
b. The filament
gets hot and glows
to produce light.
c. Very hot and
2. Fluorescent
a. Filled with
gas and coated
with phosphor.
b. Electricity
excites the gas
making it give off U-V rays.
c. Phosphor absorbs U-V rays
and glows to make light.
d. Very cool, efficient, and
last a long time.