Electricity is a type of energy that consists of the movement of electrons between two points

when there is a potential difference between them, making it possible to generate what is
known as an electric current.

Electric current

A simple electric circuit, where current is

represented by the letter i. The relationship
between the voltage (V), resistance (R), and
current (i or I) is V=IR; this is known
as Ohm's law.

Electric Current is the rate of flow of electrons in a conductor. The SI Unit of electric current
is the Ampere.

Conventional Current flow Vs Electron Flow

There is a lot of confusion around conventional current flow and electron flow. In this section,
let us understand their differences.
Conventional Current Flow vs Electron Flow

Conventional Current Flow

The conventional current flow is from the positive to the negative terminal and indicates the
direction in which positive charges would flow.

Electron Flow

The electron flow is from negative to positive terminal. Electrons are negatively charged and
are therefore attracted to the positive terminal as unlike charges attract.

Voltage is the pressure from an electrical circuit's power source that pushes charged electrons
(current) through a conducting loop, enabling them to do work such as illuminating a light.

In brief, voltage = pressure, and it is measured in volts (V).

 In electricity's early days, voltage was known as electromotive force (emf). This is why
in equations such as Ohm's Law, voltage is represented by the symbol E.

1. In this dc circuit, the switch is closed (turned ON).

2. Voltage in the power source—the "potential difference" between the battery's two
poles—is activated, creating pressure that forces electrons to flow as current out the
battery's negative terminal.

3. Current reaches the light, causing it to glow.

4. Current returns to the power source.

Voltage is either alternating current (ac) voltage or direct current (dc) voltage.

• The mathematical representation of voltage is as follows:

• V = IR

• V = Voltage in volts

• I = Current in amperes

• R = Resistance in ohms
 Resistance measurements are normally taken to indicate the condition of a
component or a circuit.

• The higher the resistance, the lower the current flow. If abnormally high, one possible
cause (among many) could be damaged conductors due to burning or corrosion. All
conductors give off some degree of heat, so overheating is an issue often associated with
resistance.

• The lower the resistance, the higher the current flow. Possible causes: insulators
damaged by moisture or overheating.

The electrical resistance of a circuit is the ratio between the voltage applied to the current
flowing through it.

Resistance is a measure of the opposition to current flow in an electrical circuit.

Resistance is measured in ohms, symbolized by the Greek letter omega (Ω). Ohms are
named after Georg Simon Ohm (1784-1854), a German physicist who studied the relationship
between voltage, current and resistance. He is credited for formulating Ohm's Law.

All materials resist current flow to some degree. They fall into one of two broad
categories:

• Conductors: Materials that offer very little resistance where electrons can move easily.
Examples: silver, copper, gold and aluminum.

• Insulators: Materials that present high resistance and restrict the flow of electrons.
Examples: Rubber, paper, glass, wood and plastic.
What's a circuit?

A circuit is a closed loop that electrons can travel in. A source of electricity, such as a battery,
provides electrical energy in the circuit. Unless the circuit is complete, that is, making a full
circle back to the electrical source, no electrons will move.

An electrical circuit consists of an organization of elements for the storage, transmission and
conversion of energy.
In an electrical circuit, energy is transported through the agency of electrical charge and
through the medium of magnetic and electric fields. There are different types of circuits,
parallel and series circuits.
Series Circuits

A series circuit is one in which numerous resistances are linked one after the other. Such
connection is also termed as an end to end connection or a cascade connection. There is a
single path for the flow of current.

Properties of Series circuit:

The same current travels through every resistance.

The supply voltage V is the total of the individual voltage dips across the resistances.

V = V1 + V2 + V3 + …..+ Vn

The equivalent electrical resistance is equivalent to the total of the individual resistances.

The equivalent resistance is the biggest of all the individual resistances.

Parallel Circuits

The parallel circuit is one in which numerous resistances are linked across one another in such
a manner that one terminal of every resistance is connected to form a junction point while the
remaining end is also linked to form another point.

Properties of Parallel Circuits:

A similar potential difference gets across all the resistances in parallel.

The total current gets distributed into the number of paths equivalent to the number of
resistances in parallel. The aggregate current is always the summation of all the individual
currents.

I = I1 + I2 + I3 + ……+ In

The reciprocal of the equivalent resistance of a parallel circuit is equivalent to the sum of the
reciprocal of the individual resistances.

The equivalent resistance is the minutest of all the resistances.

Dissimilarities

The variances between series and parallel circuits are demonstrated in the table underneath.

Circuit In Series Circuit In Parallel

There is a single current pathway There are multiple current pathways

All components have similar current All components have similar potential
running through them difference across them

The sum of the potential dips across The sum of the currents flowing into any point
each component is equivalent to the in the circuit is equivalent to the sum of the
emf of the source. currents flowing out of that point.

Direct Current

The current electricity whose direction remains the same is known as direct current. Direct
current is defined by the constant flow of electrons from a region of high electron density to a
region of low electron density. DC is used in many household appliances and applications that
involve a battery.

Alternating Current

The current electricity that is bidirectional and keeps changing the direction of the charge flow
is known as alternating current. The bidirectionality is caused by a sinusoidally varying current
and voltage that reverse directions, creating a periodic back and forth motion for the current.
The electrical outlets at our home and industries are supplied with alternating current.
What is Electrical Resistance?

According to Ohm’s law, there is a relation between the current flowing through a conductor
and the potential difference across it. It is given by,

V ∝ I V = IR

Where,

V is the potential difference measured across the conductor (in volts)

I is the current through the conductor (in amperes)

R is the constant of proportionality called resistance (in ohms)

The electrical resistance of a circuit is the ratio between the voltage applied to the current
flowing through it.

Rearranging the above relation,

R=V/I

The unit of electrical resistance is ohms.

Electric charge flows easily through some materials than others. The electrical resistance
measures how much the flow of this electric charge is restricted within the circuit.
Factors Affecting Electrical Resistance
The electrical resistance of a conductor is dependent on the following factors:
• The cross-sectional area of the conductor
• Length of the conductor
• The material of the conductor
• The temperature of the conducting material
Electrical resistance is directly proportional to length (L) of the conductor and inversely
proportional to the cross-sectional area (A). It is given by the following relation.

R= ρL/A
where ρ is the resistivity of the material (measured in Ωm, ohm meter)
Resistivity is a qualitative measurement of a material’s ability to resist flowing electric current.
Obviously, insulators will have a higher value of resistivity than that of conductors. The
resistivities of a few materials are given below for comparison. Materials with a low value of
resistivity conduct electricity very well.

What Is the Current Formula?

Ohm's Law states that the voltage (V) across a conductor is equal to the product of the current
(I) flowing through it and the resistance (R) of the conductor. According to Ohm's law, the
current is the ratio of the potential difference (voltage) and the resistance. Thus, the electric
current formula is given by: I = V/R

where
• I represent current in Ampere (A),
• V is the potential difference in Volt (V)
• R is the resistance in Ohm (Ω).
This current equation can be used to calculate the current in a circuit if the voltage and
resistance are known, or to calculate the current or resistance if the other two values are known.
What is the Voltage and Total Current in a Parallel Circuit?
In a parallel circuit, all components share the same electrical nodes. Therefore, the voltage is
the same across all parallel components, and the total current is the sum of all the individual
branch currents.
Parallel Circuit Fundamentals Review:
• The voltage is the same for all components in a parallel circuit: V1 = V2 = . . . Vn
• The total parallel circuit current is the sum of the individual branch currents: Itotal = I1 +
I2 + . . . In
• The total resistance of a parallel circuit is less than any of the individual brand
resistances:
1/R total =1/R1+1/R2+1/R3

IR1 = VR1/R1 = 9 V/10 kΩ = 0.9 mA

IR2 = VR2/R2 = 9 V/2 kΩ = 4.5 mA
IR3 = VR3/R3 = 9 V/1 kΩ = 9.0 mA
Itotal=IR1+IR2+IR3=0.9+4.5+9.0=14.4 mA

Rtotal=1/(1R1+1R2+1R3)

Rtotal = Vtotal / Itotal

I V R

IR1 = VR1/R1 = 9 V/10 kΩ = 0.9 m V1 = V2 = . . . Vn Rtotal=1/(1R1+1R2+1R3)

Rtotal = Vtotal / Itotal
IR2 = VR2/R2 = 9 V/2 kΩ = 4.5 mA

IR3 = VR3/R3 = 9 V/1 kΩ = 9.0 mA

Itotal=IR1+IR2+IR3=0.9+4.5+9.0=14.4 mA
What is the Total Resistance and Voltage of a Series Circuit?

In a series circuit, all components are connected end-to-end to form a single path for current
flow. The total resistance in a series circuit is equal to the sum of the individual resistors, and
the total voltage drop is equal to the sum of the individual voltage drops across those resistors.

In this introduction to series resistance circuits, we will explain these three key principles you
should understand:

• Current: The current is the same through each component in a series circuit

• Resistance: The total resistance of a series circuit is equal to the sum of the individual
resistances.

• Voltage: The total voltage drop in a series circuit equals the sum of the individual
voltage drops.

Series Circuit Fundamentals Review:

• All components in a series circuit conduct the same current: Itotal = I1 = I2 = . . . In

• The total equivalent resistance of a series circuit is equal to the sum of the individual
resistances: Rtotal = R1 + R2 + . . . Rn
• The total voltage drop in a series circuit is equal to the sum of the individual voltage
drops Vtotal = V1 + V2 + . . . Vn

I V R
Itotal = Vtotal/Rtotal VR1=IR1⋅R1=(500 μA)⋅(3 kΩ)=1.5 V Rtotal=R1+R2+R3=1+2+3
Itotal=9 V/18 kΩ=500 μA VR2=IR2⋅R2=(500 μA)⋅(10 kΩ)=5.0 V Rtotal=3 kΩ+10 kΩ+5 kΩ
Itotal = I1 = I2 = . . . In VR3=IR3⋅R3=(500 μA)⋅(5 kΩ)=2.5 V Rtotal=18 kΩ
Vtotal = V1 + V2 + . . . Vn