Physics

Electricity notes personnel

Electricity

Electricity is a type of energy, which we use in our day to day lives. Electrical energy is used in many
fields like in domestic uses of households, in commercial uses of factories and in the transportation
sector. In domestic electricity is used to run our fans, TV’s and laptops whereas in the commercial/
industries it is used to run machines and in the transportation sector it is used to pull trains.

Electric charges

SI unit of electric charge is Coulomb. 1 coulomb= 9*10 9 electrons. Coulomb is a quantity of electricity
charge which exerts a force of 9*10 9 on an equal charge placed at a distance of 1 meter from it. A
Coulomb consists of 6.25*1018 electrons.
Charge on 1 electron- 1.6*10-19 C.
Charge on 1 proton is 1.6*10-19 C.

Types of electric charges

● Anions
● Cations

Properties of these charges

● Like charges repel
● Unlike charges attract

Conductors, Insulators and Resistors

● Conductors: allow electric current or electrons to easily pass through them. They are having
their particles placed very close to each other. They are having free electrons: Silver, Cu and Al.
● Insulators: don’t allow electric current to pass through them at all though a bit negligible is
allowed. Electrons are tightly bounded by the nuclei: Rubber, wood.
● Resistors: They don’t allow electrons to pass through them to some extent which can be altered
by the us: Nichrome, Manganin.

Electrical Potential and Potential Difference:

● Potential: Is defined as the work done on bringing one C of charge from infinity to that point
● Difference: The difference between the potential at two points is referred to as potential diff.
Defined as work done in moving 1 C of charge from one point to another point.
Formulae: V=W/Q [v=pd, w=work done, q=charge]
SI unit is Voltage
Measured with the help of voltmeter arranged in parallel combination.

Electric Current
Potential diff across the conductor allows the flow of electric current from the point having high pd
to the point having low pd. Is defined as the rate of flow of electrons from the negative to the
positive terminal through a wire but, by convention we assume it that they travel from positive
terminal to negative, because in early times electrons were not discovered.
SI unit is Ampere.
 It is measured using an Ammeter which is connected in series, which has very less resistance.
Formula: I=Q/t

How to get a continuous flow of electric current

By connecting the ends of the wire with a source that creates potential difference across the points
like a battery or a cell. Battery conducts many chemical reactions to maintain the pd. When
these chemicals get exhausted the pd also becomes 0.

Direction of Electric current

Initially when the wire is not connected with a source of pd the electrons move in random direction
inside an atom. But when the wire is connected to a source of electric current the electric
current moves from negative to positive terminal, but… by convention we take it that it moves
from positive to negative.

Electric Circuit
Is defined as the continuous path of wire which also connects many other resistances like bulbs,
resistors and ammeters all connected with a source of pd is called an electric circuit.

What is Variable resistance

It allows us to change the electric current flowing through the conductor by simply changing the
resistance, without changing the pd.

Ohm’s Law
It states that electric current is directly proportional to the pd across its ends and inversely
proportional to the resistance provided that the temperature is same.
Formula: V=IR
Derivation: V directly proportional to I.
V is = to IR here R is resistance which is the constant.

Resistance of a conductor
When an electron travels from one end of the conductor to the other, it collides with other
electrons, atoms and ions, these obstructions create a resistance. Hence the property of a
conductor to oppose the flow of electrons through it.
R=V/I
The resistance of conductor depends upon:
● Length of the conductor: directly
● Thickness of the conductor: indirectly
● Material of the conductor: indirectly
● Temperature: directly, but resistances of alloys like manganin, constantan and nichrome is
almost unaffected by temperature.

Graph of V and I
It always forms a straight line, which shows us that the V and I are directly proportional to one
another and the ratio of the V and I also remains the same on each and every point, this ratio is
the R, we can take it out at every point it will always remain the same.
Experiment to verify OHM’s law
If we can show that the V and I graph so formed is linear or if we can show that the ratio of the V and
I is the same at all the points on the graph, then we can say that OHM’s law is verified because it
will show that V is proportional to I.
Experiment
Take a rheostat and change the resistance every instance and note the readings of both V and I on
every such instance, form a table from the data. Show that it’s a linear graph and the ratio of V
and I is the same on every point. H.P

Formulae derived by the factors affecting resistivity

● R∞l
● R ∞ 1/A
● Therefore, R∞l/A
● Finally, R= rho l/A [where rho is a Greek symbol representing resistivity]

Resistivity
Is the property of a conductors which tells its resistance when 1 meter of length and 1m 2 of cross
section of a particular conductor are taken.
Resistivity only depends upon the temperature and the nature of the conductor, not on length
or area of the cross section.
Formula: rho(resistivity)=R*A/l
SI unit= ohm meter[ohm*meter2/meter]
The least resistivity is of silver and highest resistivity is of Ebonite.
Copper and aluminum are used in wires because they are cheap and have very less resistivity.

Why alloys are used as resistors in appliances?

First of all, alloys have more resistivity than their constituent metals.
Reason:
● Coz they are less reactive with oxygen and don’t undergo oxidation.
● Coz they are having higher melting points.

Combination of resistances:
It helps us in altering the electric current in a circuit according to our own needs.
Combination of resistances in a circuit can be in two ways: -

Parallel Series

Helps in reducing the overall resistance Helps in increasing the overall resistance

Helps in transferring the equal potential Helps in transferring equal current throughout
throughout the conductor the conductor.

Each part of the conductor receives different Each part of the conductor receives different
electric current. But the sum of the current potential differences. But the sum of the pd
in the resistances is equal to the equivalent across the two resistances = equal to the pd
electric current flowing through the circuit. of the battery.

Formula: 1/R1 + 1/R2=1/Req R1+R2=Req

Domestic Electric series or parallel?
In earlier days usually households had series connections but nowadays houses are only equipped
with parallel connections.

Advantages of Parallel:
● Each appliance connected in the circuit receives equal voltage from the power line.
● If one of the appliances gets damaged others still work, the circuit dosent break.
● Each appliance has its individual switch.
● The overall resistance of the appliances is reduced due to which the current from the power
supply is high.

Electric Power
Electric power is defined as the rate of transfer of electric energy or as the rate of doing electrical
work.
Power= Electric work done/time taken
SI unit= joule per second/ Watts
It can also be defined as electrical energy consumed per second.
Formulae:
● W=VI
● W=i2r
● W=V2/r

Power voltage Rating

Formulae of usage: i(max)= W/V, R=W/V2
Pro tip: In solving power voltage ques first we need to take out the resistance by Appling R=W/V 2
formula and then put the resulted outcome to further solve it.

Commercial Unit of Energy

KwH is the commercial unit of energy
Formulae: Power*time
= power in Kw (by applying any of the above-mentioned formula) * time into hours.

Heating effects of electric current

Heat is caused in a circuit because of the collision of the electrons with the atoms of the conductor,
and these collisions generate heat energy.

Made with love by-

Arshroop Singh
arshroopsaini@gmail.com