PHYSICS (0625)

ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM

TRANSFORMERS
Structure of a transformer
• A transformer is a device used to change the size of an alternating
voltage or current
o This is achieved using the generator effect
• A basic transformer consists of:
o a primary coil
o a secondary coil
o a soft iron core
• Iron is used because it is easily magnetised
Construction of a simple transformer

A simple transformer is made up of a primary coil and a secondary coil wound

on a soft iron core
Step-up & step-down transformers
• A transformer consists of a primary and secondary coil
o The primary coil is the first coil
o The secondary coil is the second coil
Step-up transformer
• A step-up transformer:

o increases the voltage of a power source

o has more turns on the secondary coil than on the primary
coil

A step-up transformer has more turns on the secondary coil which increases the
size of the voltage
Step-down transformer
• A step-down transformer:

o decreases the voltage of a power source

o has fewer turns on the secondary coil than on the primary
coil

A step-down transformer has fewer turns on the secondary coil which decreases
the size of the voltage
Operation of a transformer
• An alternating current is supplied to the primary coil
• The current is continually changing direction
o This means it will produce a changing magnetic field around the
primary coil
• The iron core is easily magnetised, so the changing magnetic field passes
through it
• As a result, there is now a changing magnetic field inside the secondary
coil
o This changing field cuts through the secondary coil
and induces an emf (voltage)
• As the magnetic field is continually changing, the induced emf will
be alternating
o The alternating emf will have the same frequency as the alternating
current supplied to the primary coil
• If the secondary coil is part of a complete circuit it will cause
an alternating current to flow.
 TRANSFORMER CALCULATIONS
• The voltages across the primary and secondary coils of a transformer can be
calculated using the transformer equation, which states
The ratio of the voltages across the primary and secondary coils of a
transformer is equal to the ratio of the number of turns on each coil
• It can be expressed by the equation:
𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑦
=
𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑦
It can be expressed in symbols as follows:
𝑉𝑝 𝑁𝑝
=
𝑉𝑠 𝑁𝑠
Where:
o 𝑉𝑝 voltage across the primary coil, in volts (V)
o 𝑉𝑠 voltage across the secondary coil, in volts (V)
o 𝑁𝑝 number of turns on the primary coil
o 𝑁𝑠 number of turns on the secondary coil
• The transformer equation can be flipped upside down to give:
𝑉𝑠 𝑁𝑠
=
𝑉𝑝 𝑁𝑝

• Rearranging for the secondary voltage:

𝑁𝑠
𝑉𝑠 = 𝑉𝑝 ×
𝑁𝑝
• This equation shows that the output (secondary) voltage of a transformer
depends on:
o the number of turns on the primary and secondary coils
o the input (primary) voltage
• In a step-up transformer, 𝑉𝑠 > 𝑉𝑝 and 𝑁𝑠 > 𝑁𝑝
• In a step-down transformer, 𝑉𝑠 < 𝑉𝑝 and 𝑁𝑠 < 𝑁𝑝

Class Exercise
1. A transformer has 20 turns on the primary coil and 800 turns on the
secondary coil. The voltage across the primary coil is 500 V.
a) Calculate the output voltage of the secondary coil.
b) State whether this is a step-up or step-down transformer.
Answers: a) 𝑽𝒔 = 𝟐𝟎, 𝟎𝟎𝟎𝑽 𝒃) 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒑 − 𝒖𝒑 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒓
2. An input voltage of 10 V is supplied to the primary coil of a transformer.
An output voltage of 40 V is produced across the secondary coil. The 10 V
supply at the primary coil is now replaced with a 40 V supply. Calculate the
new output voltage across the secondary coil.
Answer: 𝑽𝒔 = 𝟏𝟔𝟎𝑽
3.

Answer: 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 = 𝟏𝟏. 𝟓𝑾 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 = 𝟏. 𝟗𝑨

Examiner Tip
➢ When carrying out transformer calculations, make sure you
have used the same letter (p or s) in the numerators (top line)
of the fraction and the same letter (p or s) in
the denominators (bottom line) of the fraction.
➢ The individual loops of wire going around each side of the
transformer should be referred to as turns and not coils.
 IDEAL TRANSFORMER EQUATION
• A transformer which is 100% efficient is called an ideal transformer
• Although transformers can increase the voltage of a power source, due to
the law of conservation of energy, they cannot increase the power output
• If a transformer is 100% efficient, then the input power in the primary coil is
equal to the output power of the secondary coil:
𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑦 = 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑦
• The equation to calculate electrical power is:

𝑃 =𝑉 ×𝐼
• Where:
o P = power, in watts (W)
o V = voltage, in volts (V)
o I = current, in amps (A)
• Therefore, the equation for an ideal transformer is:

𝐼𝑝 𝑉𝑝 = 𝐼𝑠 𝑉𝑠
• Where:

o 𝐼𝑝 = primary current, in amps (A)

o 𝑉𝑝 = primary voltage, in volts (V)
o 𝐼𝑠 = secondary current, in amps (A)
o 𝑉𝑠 = secondary voltage, in volts (V)
• The equation above could also be written as a ratio:
𝐼𝑠 𝑉𝑝
=
𝐼𝑝 𝑉𝑠
 Exercise:
1. A transformer in a travel adapter steps up a 115 V a.c. mains electricity
supply to the 230 V needed for a hair dryer. A current of 5 A flows through
the hairdryer.
Assuming that the transformer is 100% efficient, calculate the current drawn
from the mains supply.
Answer: 𝑰𝒑 = 𝟏𝟎𝑨

2.
 HIGH VOLTAGE TRANMISSION
• Electricity is transmitted through power cables at a low current to prevent
dissipation of energy
o When current flows in a wire, there is heating in the wire due to
resistance
o Therefore, energy is dissipated to the surroundings, this energy is
wasted
o The lower the current, the more efficient the energy transfer

• Electrical power is equal to voltage × current, or

• This means that a low current can be achieved by increasing the voltage, so
electricity must be transmitted at a high voltage
o A smaller current flowing through the power lines results in less
heat being produced in the wire
o This reduces the energy loss in the power lines
• The key advantages of high-voltage transmission of electricity are:
o the reduced power loss in transmission cables increases the efficiency
of energy transfer
o lower currents in cables mean thinner, and therefore, cheaper cables
can be used

Electricity is transmitted at high voltage, reducing the current and hence power
loss in the cables using transformers
Calculating power losses
• The power dissipated in the wire due to resistance is given by:

𝑷 = 𝑰𝟐 𝑹
• Where:
o P = power, in watts (W)
o I = current, in amps (A)
o R = resistance, in ohms (Ω)
• A step-up transformer is used to increase the voltage and decrease the
current of electricity before transmission.
o A high-voltage transmission ensures the same power transfer with a
smaller current
o A smaller current means less thermal energy will be lost due to the
resistance in the wire
• A step-down transformer is used to decrease the voltage and increase the
current of electricity after transmission
o High-voltage electricity is dangerous for use in homes, so it must be
lowered before the current reaches consumers.

Examiner Tip
If you forget the equation P = I2R just remember 'Twinkle twinkle little star, power
equals I squared R''.
 THE D.C MOTOR

• The motor effect can be used to create a simple d.c. electric motor
o The force on a current-carrying coil causes it to rotate in a single
direction
• A simple d.c. motor consists of
o a coil of wire (which is free to rotate) between the poles of a
permanent magnet
o a split-ring commutator and brushes connected to a source of d.c.
Structure of a simple d.c. motor
In a simple d.c. motor, a coil placed in a magnetic field may experience a turning
effect
• As current flows through the coil, it produces a magnetic field which
interacts with the external magnetic field
• Forces act in opposite directions on each side of the coil, causing a turning
effect
o The greater the force on the coil, the greater the turning effect and
the faster it will turn
• The turning effect is increased by increasing:
o the number of turns on the coil
o the current in the coil
o the strength of the magnetic field
Examiner Tip
Motors and generators look very similar, but they do very different things.
When tackling a question on either of them, make sure you are writing about the
right one! A motor takes in electricity and turns it into motion. A generator takes
in motion and generates electricity.
You might be expected to give explanations of how these two things happen -
make sure that you understand their subtle differences!
OPERATION OF A DC MOTOR
• In a d.c. motor, when the coil of wire is horizontal, it forms a complete
circuit with a cell
o The coil is attached to a split ring (a circular tube of metal split in
two)
o This split ring is connected in a circuit with the cell via contact with
conducting carbon brushes

Forces on the horizontal coil in a d.c. motor

Forces acting in opposite directions on each side of the coil, causing it to rotate.
The split ring connects the coil to the flow of current
• Current flowing through the coil produces a magnetic field
o This magnetic field interacts with the uniform external field, so
a force is exerted on the wire
• Forces act in opposite directions on each side of the coil, causing it to rotate:
 o On the blue side of the coil, current travels towards the cell so the
force acts upwards (using Fleming's left-hand rule)
o On the black side, current flows away from the cell so the force acts
downwards
• Once the coil has rotated 90°, the split ring is no longer in contact with the
brushes
o No current flows through the coil so no forces act
Coil in the vertical position in a d.c. motor

No force acts on the coil when vertical, as the split ring is not in contact with the
brushes
• Even though no force acts, the momentum of the coil causes the coil to
continue to rotate slightly
• The split ring reconnects with the carbon brushes and current flows through
the coil again
o Now the blue side is on the right and the black side is on the left
 • Current still flows toward the cell on the left and away from the cell on the
right, even though the coil has flipped
o The black side of the coil experiences an upward force on the left and
the blue side experiences a downward force on the right
o The coil continues to rotate in the same direction, forming a
continuously spinning motor

Forces on the coil when rotated 180°

Even though the coil has flipped, the current still flows anticlockwise and the
forces still cause rotation in the same direction
Factors affecting the d.c. motor
• The speed at which the coil rotates can be increased by:
o increasing the current
o using a stronger magnet
• The direction of rotation of the coil in the d.c. motor can be changed by:
 o reversing the direction of the current supply
o reversing the direction of the magnetic field by reversing the poles of
the magnet
• The force supplied by the motor can be increased by:
o increasing the current in the coil
o increasing the strength of the magnetic field
o adding more turns to the coil

Worked Example
A d.c. motor is set up as shown below.

Determine whether the coil will be rotating clockwise or anticlockwise.

Answer:
Step 1: Draw arrows to show the direction of the magnetic field lines
• These will go from the north pole of the magnet to the south pole of the
magnet

Step 2: Draw arrows to show the direction the current is flowing in the coils
• Current will flow from the positive terminal of the battery to the negative
terminal
Step 3: Use Fleming’s left hand rule to determine the direction of the force on
each side of the coil
• Start by pointing your First Finger in the direction of the (magnetic) Field
• Now rotate your hand around the first finger so that the seCond finger points
in the direction of the Current
• The thumb will now be pointing in the direction of the the force

Step 4: Use the force arrows to determine the direction of rotation

• The coil will be turning clockwise
Examiner Tip
It is important to remember all the steps that cause the rotation of the coil in a d.c.
motor. Use Fleming's Left Hand rule to convince yourself of the direction of the
force on each side of the coil, these should be in opposite directions because the
directions of the current through each side are opposite.
Additionally, don't be confused if you see the phrase 'split-ring commutator'. This
is another way of referring to the split ring in the circuit and they mean the same
thing.