OHMs Law

GENERAL PHYSICS 2 MODULE
OHM’S LAW
OHM'S LAW
A knowledge of the different electrical quantities and units, even the most common
ones only, is important in analyzing electrical circuits. This module presents application
of Ohm's law and the devices that are used to relate and measure these different
quantities and units.
In this module, you will:
a) list down the essential parts of a simple circuit;

b) state Ohm's law;
c) use Ohm's law to calculate current, voltage and resistance in simple electric circuits;
d) determine the current, voltage and resistance using measuring devices;
e) calculate the power of a circuit given any two of the three electrical quantities-
current, voltage and resistance;
f) calculate electrical energy and its cost; and
g) list down ways to use electricity wisely.
A SIMPLE CIRCUIT
An electric circuit is a conducting loop in which a current can transfer electrical energy
from a suitable source to a useful load. Figure 47.1 shows a simple electric circuit. It
has the following essential parts:
1. A source or supply to provide the voltage needed to force current through the circuit
(e.g., battery)
2. Conductors through which the current can travel (e.g., copper wire, gold, silver)
3. A load is a device that converts electrical energy into some other useful form (e.g..
electric motor, light bulb). Different loads have different amounts of resistance.
4. A control device or switch which continues or discontinues the flow of electric current
through the circuit (e.g., push buttons, single-pole switch, single-throw switch)
A protection device such as a fuse, which interrupts the circuit in case of a

malfunction, can be included but this is
often omitted.
A simple electric circuit can be drawn

using only symbols. Some of the
common symbols used are shown in
image below. The drawing, which shows
how parts are connected together, is
called a schematic diagram. This
diagram, however, does not indicate the
physical size and mechanical
arrangements of the parts.
When the circuit is closed, current I flows.
The electrons flow from the negative end
of the cell through the closed switch and
the lamp back to the positive end of the
cell. Some books show a conventional
CHARIBEL R. SARTE
Faculty In-Charge
OHM’S LAW
flow of current. It was thought before that electric current, even through solids, is
composed of moving positive charges; hence, the direction is from the positive
electrode (anode) to the negative electrode (cathode). But now, we know that the
electrons are the ones that move through the conductor.
Some Electrical Circuit Symbols
UNDERSTANDING OHM'S LAW
Although the three electrical quantities, current, voltage and resistance, are used
differently, they are related to each other. A German physicist named Georg Simon
Ohm (1787-1854) discovered this relationship and it was named in his honor. This
relationship is now known as Ohm's law. It is stated as, current is directly pro-
portional to the voltage and inversely proportional to the resistance.
𝑉
In equation form, it is given as 𝐼= 𝑅
While we can calculate the current, voltage and

resistance mathematically, there are devices which
can give us measurements of these three quantities
in a circuit.
The three devices are the ammeter which measures

current in amperes (or milliamperes), The ohmmeter
which measures resistance in ohms and the voltmeter
which measures voltage in volts. Let us take some
examples to show how Ohm's law is applied to simple
circuits.
CHARIBEL R. SARTE
Faculty In-Charge
OHM’S LAW
Examples
1. How much current flows through a lamp with resistance 90 Ω when it is connected
to a 220-V outlet?
Given: R = 90Ω, V = 220 V

Find I:
Solution:
𝑉 220 𝑉
𝐼 = 𝑅 = 90Ω = 2. 44 𝐴 =
2. How much current would a 10-Ω bread toaster draw when connected to a 110-V
outlet?
Given: I = 0.8 A
V = 110V
Find: R
Solution:
𝑉 110𝑉
𝑅= = = 137.5 Ω
𝐼 0.8𝐴
POWER IN A CIRCUIT
Power is the rate of energy transfer. It is equal to the product of the current and voltage.
In equation form, it is given as P=IV and its unit is the watt (W) when voltage is in volts
and current is in amperes.
If you express the previous formula in terms of l and V, the formula for current and
𝑃 𝑃
voltage, respectively, will be 𝐼 = 𝑉 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑉 = 𝐼 .
If we combine Ohm's law and the power formula, it will result in another variation of
the power formula.
𝑽 𝑽𝟐
Let us substitute I = V/R in P = IV, it will yield 𝑷 = 𝑽 𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆, 𝑷 =
𝑹 𝑹
On the other hand, if we substitute V=IR in P=IV it will yield P=I(IR) P = I2R
This tells us that given any two of the three quantities (current, resistance and voltage)
we can solve for power.
CHARIBEL R. SARTE
Faculty In-Charge
OHM’S LAW
Examples:
1. What is the power input to an electric heater that draws 3 A from a 220-V outlet?
Given: I=3A, V = 220 V
Find: P
Solution:
P=IV =(3A)(220V)
P=660W
2. The heating element in a clothes dryer is rated at 5 kW and 220 V. How much
current does it draw?
Given: P=5kW = 5000 W ,V=220V
Find: I
Solution:
𝑃 5000 𝑊
𝐼= 𝑉
= 220 𝑉
= 22. 73 𝐴
ELECTRICAL ENERGY AND ITS COST
You have learned that energy is equal to power times time from previous lessons. We
know that power is the product of current and voltage. Therefore, energy can also be
expressed using current, voltage and time. In equation form, this is given as W=P∆t
As we have said, electric power is the rate of energy transfer. Do you know what power
companies charge us for? They charge us for energy, not power. The unit of energy
used by these companies to calculate our consumption is the kilowatt-hour (kWh). This
is the energy delivered in one hour at the constant rate of 1 kW. We are usually billed
for a given period. And an electric meter is used to determine how much energy is
consumed over a period of time.
While the power rating of most of the

appliances we have at home remains
constant, the amount of energy used
depends on the number of hours these
appliances are actually operated.
The figure shows a sample Power, Voltage

and Current Rating tag of an appliance
(chest freezer), where:
Voltage rating = 220 V
Power rating = 220 W
Current rating = 1. 5 A
CHARIBEL R. SARTE
Faculty In-Charge
OHM’S LAW
SELF CHECK:
1. What happens to the current in a circuit when the voltage is doubled?

2. What happens to the power if the resistance connected to a battery is cut half?
3. How much current would a 10 Ω bread toaster draw when connected to a 110
V outlet?
4. An electric heater is operated by applying a potential difference of 60 V across
a nichrome wire of total resistance 9 Ω. What is the power rating of the heater?
5. List down your appliances at home. Locate the power, current and voltage
rating of each appliance (show sample pictures) and fill out the table below:
Appliance Power Rating Voltage Rating Current Rating

Ex. bulb
CHARIBEL R. SARTE
Faculty In-Charge

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GENERAL PHYSICS 2 MODULE

In this module, you will:

a) list down the essential parts of a simple circuit;

A protection device such as a fuse, which interrupts the circuit in case of a

A simple electric circuit can be drawn

Some Electrical Circuit Symbols

UNDERSTANDING OHM'S LAW

While we can calculate the current, voltage and

The three devices are the ammeter which measures

Given: R = 90Ω, V = 220 V

Given: I=3A, V = 220 V

Given: P=5kW = 5000 W ,V=220V

ELECTRICAL ENERGY AND ITS COST

While the power rating of most of the

The figure shows a sample Power, Voltage

1. What happens to the current in a circuit when the voltage is doubled?

Appliance Power Rating Voltage Rating Current Rating

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