Current Electricity By ICP- 9855065390 DC Current

Electric Current

• Quantitatively electric current is defined as the time rate of flow of the net charge
of the area of cross section of the conductor i.e.
•
Electric current (I) = Total charge flowing (q) / time taken (t) (1)

• SI unit of the current is Ampere(A) named so in the honors of French scientist

Andee marie Ampere (1775-1836). Now,
1 Ampere= 1 Coulomb/ 1 sec=1 Cs-1
• Thus, current through any conductor is said to be 1 ampere, if 1 C of charge is
flowing through the conductor in 1 sec
• Small amount of current is accordingly expressed in
milliamperes (1mA =10-3 A) or in micro ampere (1 mA=10-6 A)
• Direction of electric current is in the direction of the flow of positive charged carriers
and this current is known as conventional current.
• Direction of the flow of electron in conductor gives the direction of electronic
current. Direction of conventional current is opposite to that of electronic
current
• Electric current is a scalar quantity. Although electric current represent the
direction of the flow of positive charged carrier in the conductor, still current is
treated as scalar quantity as current in wires in a circuit does not follows the laws
of vector addition

Current density (J)

• The current density at a point in the conductor is defined as the current per unit
cross-section area. Thus if the charge is flowing per unit time uniformly over the
area of cross section A of the conductor, then current density J at any point on
that area is defined as
J=I/A (2)
• I = J.A
• Direction of current density is same as the direction of conventional current.
• Note that current density is a vector quantity unlike electric current
• Unit of current density is Ampere/meter2 (Am-2)

Drift velocity:
There is large no. of free electron continuously move from lower potential to higher
potential. On the way or during motion the electron suffer collision with the positive ions
of the conductor at that situation electron looses some of the energy. As in that way there
are no. of collision and they loose more energy and due to lose of the energy electron
cannot gets it actual velocity the net effect is that the electron drift with small velocity
called drift velocity.
• This drift velocity is defined as the velocity with which free electrons gets
drifted towards the positive end of the conductor under the influence of
externally applied electric field

Draft velocity of electron:

 Current Electricity By ICP- 9855065390 DC Current

Metallic conductor there are large no. of free electron and these free electron are
responding only for carrying electricity through the conductor. In the absence of the
electric field the resultant velocity of the electron in a particular direction is zero and hence
the net transport of charge is also zero and the current don’t flow through the conductor
in the absence of electric field.
But if the electric field is applied then the electron start to accelerate in the opposite
direction of the field applied so, the velocity of the electrons increase which implies that
K.E. of the electron also increases. When these electrons collide with the atoms or ions
then the velocity of electrons decrease by transformation of energy to the atoms or ions
this process is continuous and the average acceleration of an electron is ceases i.e.
reduced to zero. Then the electron required a constant velocity to the opposite direction
of the field applied. This constant velocity of the electron on the opposite direction of the
field is called drift velocity of the electron.

Relation between the electric current and drift velocity:

Let us consider a conductor having length L, cross-sectional area A, containing ‘n’ no. of
electron per unit volume, having charge e in each electron.

Volume of the given conductor =AL

Total no. of free electron in given conductor ( N)=nAL
Total charge in given conductor Q= Ne = nALe
If the external source is connected to the conductor then charge starts to flow through the
conductor. Let Vd be the drift velocity of the electron, Q be the charge passes through the
length of conductor L in the time t. I be the current passes through the conductor is given
by
I= Q/t = nAeL/t = neAVd where Vd = L/t (Vd is called drift velocity of electron).
This is the expression for Relation between the electric current and drift velocity.
Since current density, J = I/A then we have from above expression
So that
Current (I) = VdenA
Current Density (J)= I/A = Vden
 Current Electricity By ICP- 9855065390 DC Current

Ohm’s law:
It states that the electric current flowing through any conductor is directly proportional to
the potential difference between the ends of the conductor, under constant physical
condition (temperature, pressure, etc.)

Let I be the electric current flowing through any conductor and V be the potential
difference between the ends the conductors. So, according to Ohm’s law, we can write:
V ∝ I.
Or, V = RI
Where, R is proportionality constant called resistance of the conductor.

Verification:
The experimental arrangement for verification of Ohm’s law is shown in figure. A and V
stands for Ammeter and Voltmeter. Xh for Rheostat.
Here, by varying the Rh, the electric current (I) and potential difference across any length
of conductor is measured from Ammeter and Voltmeter respectively. We plot V versus I.
If the plot is a straight line passing through origin i.e. of the form y = mx then Ohm’s law

is said to be verified.
❖ Ohmic and non-ohmic conductor:
The conductors which obey ohm’s law strictly are called Ohmic conductors.
Devices obeying ohm's law follow a linear relationship between current
following and potential applied where current is directly proportional to voltage
applied .Graphical relation between V and I is shown below in figure
 Current Electricity By ICP- 9855065390 DC Current

• Graph for a resistor obeying ohm's law is a straight line through the origin
having some finite slope. Examples Copper, silver, gold etc

The conductors which do not follow ohm’s law are called non – ohmic conductors.
• There are many electrical devices that does not obey the ohm's law and
current may depends on voltage in more complicated ways. Such
devices are called non-ohmic devices for examples vacuum tubes,
semiconductor diodes, transistors etc
• Consider the case of a semiconductor junction diode which are used to
convert alternating current to direct current and are used to perform
variety of logic functions is a non ohmic device
• Graphical voltage relation for a diode is shown below in the figure

• Figure clearly shows a non linear dependency of current on voltage and

diode clearly does not follow the ohm's law.
Resistance
• From Ohm's Law
V=IR or R=V/I (8)
Thus electric resistance is the ratio of potential difference across the two ends of
conductor and amount of current flowing through the conductor
• Electric resistance of a conductor is the obstruction offered by the conductor to
the flow of the current through it.
• SI unit of resistance is ohm (Ω) where
1 Ohm=1 volt/1 Ampere
or 1Ω=1VA-1
• Dimension of resistance is [ML2T-3A-2]

Law of Resistance
At constant temperature the resistance R of a conductor is
i) directly proportional to length l
 Current Electricity By ICP- 9855065390 DC Current

R∝l
ii) inversely proportional to area of cross-section A
R ∝ 1/A
Combining them
R = ρl/A
Where ρ is constant called resistivity of material or specific resistance of
material of conductor.
The resistivity of the material:
The resistivity of the material of a conductor is defined as the resistance per unit length
per unit area of cross – sectional of the conductor.
Its unit is ohm meter. Resistivity is independent of the dimension of the wire only depends
on material of the conductor and temperature.

Variation of resistivity with temperature

• Resistance and hence resistivity of conductor depends on numbers of factors
• One of the most important factors is dependence of resistance of metals on
temperature
• Resistivity of the metallic conductor increases with increase on temperature
• When we increase the temperature of the metallic conductor, its constituent atoms
vibrate with greater amplitudes then usual. This results to the more frequent
collision between ions and electrons.
• As a result average time between the two successive collision decreases resulting
the decrease in drift velocity
• Thus increase collision with the increase in temperature results in increase
resistivity.
• For small temperature variations ,resistivity of the most of the metals varies
according to the following relations
ρ(T)=ρ(T0)[1 + α(T-T0)]
Where ρ(T) and ρ(T0) are the resistivities of the material at temperature T and
T0 respectively and α is the constant for given material and is known as
coefficient of resistivity.
• Since resistance of a given conductors depends on the length and cross-
sectional area of the conductor through the relation
R= ρl/A
Hence temperature variation of the resistance can be given as
R=R(T0)[1 + α(T-T0)]
• Resistivity of alloys also increase with temperature but this increase is much small
as compared to metals
• Resistivities of the non-metals decreases with increase in temperature. This is
because at high temperature more electrons becomes available for conduction as
they set themselves loose from atoms and hence temperature coefficient of
resistivity is negative for non-metals
• A similar behavior occurs in case of semi-conductors. Temperature coefficient of
resistivity is negative for semi-conductors and its value is often large for a semi-
conductor materials
Q. Show that resistivity ρ=m/ne2τ. Where symbol has their usual meaning.
 Current Electricity By ICP- 9855065390 DC Current

We Know I= dQ/dt = neAvd =(ne2Aτ/mL) V

vd= u + at = 0 + (F/m) t = (eE/m)τ
but Now E=V/L
Therefore
vd=(eV/mL)τ
Also I=neAvd
Substituting the value of vd in I relation
I = (ne2A/mL) τ V
The above can be rearranged to give the ohm's law i.e,
V = IR
where R = (mL/ne2Aτ) = (m/ne2τ)L/A = ρL/A
Where ρ is called the specific resistance or resistivity of the conductor
And Hence
ρ=m/ne2τ Proved
Law of Stretching of Wire
In case of Stretching of wire
Volume of Wire (V) = A*L= Constant
Case i) If Length of wire increases than
R= ρL/A = ρL*L/A*L = ρL2/V = kL2
Case ii) If diameter of wire changes
R = ρL/A = ρL*A/A*A = ρV/A2 = k/A2
Conductance (C) = The reciprocal of resistance of a conductor is called its conductance.
C = 1/R
Unit:- mho or (ohm)-1 (Ω-1m-1) or Siemen
Conductivity (σ) =1/ρ = The reciprocal of resistivity of a conductor is called Conductivity.
Unit:- Ohm-1 meter-1, mho m-1, Siemen m-1
The relation between J and E
We know
I = V/R = V/ (ρL/A) = V σ A/L
I/A = σ (V/L)
J=σE

Combination of Resistors
• We have earlier studied that several capacitors can be connected in series or parallel
combination to form a network. In same way several resistor may be combined to form a
network.
• Just like capacitors resistors can be grouped in series and parallel.
• Equivalent resistance of the combination of any number of resistors is a single resistance
which draw same current as the combination of different resistances draw when the same
potential difference is applied across it.
 Current Electricity By ICP- 9855065390 DC Current

(A) Resistors in Series

• Resistors are said to be connected in series combination. If same current flows through
each resistor when same potential difference is applied across the combination.
• Consider the figure given below

• In figure given above three resistors if resistance R1, R2 and R3 are connected in series
combination.
• If battery is connected across the series combination so as to maintain potential difference
V between points A and B, the current I would pass through each resistor.
• If V1, V2 andV3 is the potential difference across each resistor R1, R2 and R3 respectively,
then according to Ohm's Law,
V1=IR1
V2=IR2
V3=IR3
Since in series combination current remains same but potential is divided so,
V=V1+V2+V3
or, V=I(R1+R2+R3)
If Reqis the resistance equivalent to the series combination of R1, R2 and R3 then ,
V=IReq
where, Req=R1+R2+R3
• Thus when the resistors are connected in series, equivalent resistance of the series
combination is equal to the sum of individual resistances.
• Value of resistance of the series combination is always greater then the value of largest
individual resistance.
• For n numbers of resistors connected in series equivalent resistance would be
Req=R1+R2+R3+...........................+Rn
• In series combination maximum resistance is obtained

(B) Resistors in parallel

• Resistors are said to be connected in parallel combination if potential difference across
each resistors is same.
• Thus , in parallel combination of resistors potential remains the same but current is divided.
• Consider the figure given below

• Battery B is connected across parallel combination of resistors so as to maintain

potential difference V across each resistors. Then total current in the circuit would be
I=I1+I2+I3 (16)
 Current Electricity By ICP- 9855065390 DC Current

• Since potential difference across each resistor is V. Therefore, on applying Ohm's Law
V=I1R1=I2R2=I3R3
or,

From equation (16)

• If R is the equivalent resistance of parallel combination of three resistors heaving

resistances R1, R2 and R3 then from Ohm's Law
V= I Req
or,

Comparing equation (16) and (17) we get

• For resistors connected in parallel combination reciprocal of equivalent resistance is equal

to the sum of reciprocal of individual resistances.
• Value of equivalent resistances for capacitors connected in parallel combination is always
less then the value of the smallest resistance in circuit.
• If there are n number of resistances connected in parallel combination, then equivalent
resistance would be reciprocal of