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What is Electricity?
Current, Voltage and Resistance
What is Electricity?
Nucleus is made up of protons and neutrons, and the number of protons and neutrons are balanced. Neutrons have no
electric charge, protons have positive charges (+) and electrons have negative charges (-). A positive charge of proton
equals a negative charge of electron.
Electrons are bound in their orbit by attraction of protons, but electrons in the outer band can become free of their orbit by
some external forces. These are referred to as free electrons, which move from one atom to the next, electron flows are
produced. These are the basis of electricity. Materials that allow many electrons to move freely are called conductors and
materials that allow few free electrons to move are called insulators.
All matters are made up of atoms that have electric charges. Therefore, they have electric charges. For the matter that
has a balanced the number of protons and electrons, positive charge force and negative charge force are balanced. It is
called neutral state of an atom. (The number of protons and electrons remains equal.)
"Static electricity" represents a situation that all things are made up of electric charges. For example, the rubbing of
material against another can cause the static electricity. Free electrons of one material move forcefully till they are freed of
their orbits around nucleus and move to another. Electrons of one material decrease, it presents positive charges. At the
same time, electrons of another increase, it has negative charges.
In general, charge producing of the matter means the matter has electric charges. It has positive and negative charges,
which is expressed in coulomb.
What is Current?
An electrical phenomenon is caused by flow of free
electrons from one atom to another. The
characteristics of current electricity are opposite to
those of static electricity.
Current is determined by the number of electrons passing through a cross-section of a conductor in one second. Current
is measured in amperes, which is abbreviated "amps". The symbol for amps is a letter "A".
A current of one amp means that current pass through a cross-section of two conductors, which are placed in parallel 1
meter apart with 2x10-7 Newton per meter force occur in each conductor. It can also mean charges of one coulomb (or
6.24x1018 electrons) passing through a cross-section of a conductor in one second.
What is voltage?
Electric current is flow of electrons in a conductor. The
force required to make current flow through a
conductor is calledvoltage and potential is the other
term of voltage. For example, the first element has
more positive charges, so it has higher potential. On
the other hand, the second element has charges that
are more negative so it has lower potential. The
difference between two points is called potential
difference.
The unit of measurement for resistance is ohms and its symbol is the Greek letter omega (). The resistance of one ohm
means a conductor allows a current of one amp to flow with a voltage of one volt.
All materials are difference in allowing electrons flow. Materials that allow many electrons to flow freely are
called conductors such as copper, silver, aluminium, hydrochloric solution, sulphuric acid and saltwater. In contrast,
materials which allow few electrons to flow are called insulators such as plastic, rubber, glass and dry paper. Another
type of materials, semiconductors have characteristics of both conductors and insulators. They allow electrons to move
while being able to control flow of electrons and examples are carbon, silicon and germanium, etc.
1. Types of material
2. Temperature of material
3. Do not directly connect ammeter terminals to dry cell terminals. Since it can
damage the meter.
Electric current is the ability to do work. Electric current can be converted to heat, power and magnetism, to name a few.
Electric current is classified by its functions and three primary types are:
For example, current-carrying nichrom wire that nichrom wire has a high resistance and creates heat. This is applied
to be component of electric ovens, toasters, electric irons and light bulbs, etc.
Experiment is made by measuring heat quantity of water by calorimeter. Increase voltage across wire by the variac
and connect ammeter and voltmeter to measure current and voltage.
Set the variac scale to adjust voltage and current value of nichrom wire and current is passed through periodically
and measure heat quantity from nichrom wire. There are any indications of voltage and current. If voltage, current and
time increase, heat quantity will also increase. They are expressed by the relation as below.
This is called Joule's law. Heat quantity depends on voltage time current and interval of time. From Ohm's law, V
(Voltage) = I (Current) x R (Resistance) therefore
Heat quantity depends on current squared times resistance and interval of time.
When current is passed through nichrom wire in water, current is converted to heat and temperature rises. Work is
done by heat generated in an electrical circuit, which is called Electric power.
Electric power is measured in Watts-hour (Wh) and heat quantity is measured in calories (Cal).
Work is done by heat generated in an electrical circuit is written in power, which it means that the rate work is done in
a circuit when 1 Amp flows with 1 Volt applied and its unit of measurement is Watt.
Conclusion
2. Electrochemistry
For example, when current is passed through sodium chloride (NaCl) solution, a chemical reaction called electrolysis
occurs. This is applied to produce electrolysis, galvanizing and battery, etc.
3. Magnetism
The example of this electric work is a current-carrying wire, magnetic lines of flux occur. This is applied to produce
electric motors, electric transformers and tape recorders, etc.
The compound formula of magnet is Fe3O4. All magnets have two characteristics.
First, they attract and hold iron. Secondary, if free to move like the compass needle,
they will assume a north-south position. Any materials have these characteristics, they
are called magnet.
When magnetic needle is placed in wire coil with one loop (see
figure) and current is passed through wire coil, magnetic needle
turns on the direction as shown in above figure. And the directions
of magnetic lines of flux are shown by the arrows.
When a current-carrying wire coil is placed near iron bar, the iron
bar move slightly (see figure 1). If core is placed in a wire coil, the
iron bar is attracted strongly (see figure 2). Because core is a soft
iron, which conducts magnetic lines of force, when current is
passed through wire coil around core, the core becomes
magnetized with high power that is called electromagnets. This
function is widely applied for using in industries.