By: Eng.

SPARS Jayathilaka
Senior Lecturer
UNIVOTEC
1
What is Electricity?

Electricity is the flow of

electrons (charge) and
can be created by forcing
electrons to flow from
atom to atom.

2
 Voltage, Current,
Power and Resistance

• Fundamental concepts R1

Voltage V volt
50
 I
V1

 Current I amp V
R2
50

 Power W watt
 Resistance R ohm
0

3
 Voltage
• Voltage is defined as the amount of work
done or the energy required (in joules) in
moving a unit of positive charge (1 coulomb)
from a lower potential to a higher potential.
• Voltage is also called potential difference
(PD).
• When you measure voltage you must have
two points to compare, one of them being the
reference point.
• When measuring the voltage drop for a circuit
component it is sometimes called measuring
the potential across that component.
4
 Current

• Current is the amount of electric charge

(coulombs) flowing past a specific point in a
conductor over an interval of one second.
1 ampere = 1 coulomb/second

• In order for a charge to flow, it needs a push (a

force) and it is supplied by voltage, or potential
difference. The charge flows from high potential
energy to low potential energy.

5
Contd….
When the balancing force between protons
and electrons is upset by an outside force,
an atom may gain or lose an electron. When
electrons are "lost" from an atom, the free
movement of these electrons constitutes an
electric current.

e e e e
+ -
Wire

6
 Contd…
• Electron flow is from a lower potential (voltage) to
a higher potential (voltage).

e e e e
+ -
Wire

• For historical reasons, current is

conventionally thought to flow from the
positive to the negative potential in a circuit.
7
 Power
• Power is the rate at which energy is
generated or dissipated in an electrical
element.
1 watt = 1 joule/sec

8
 Resistance

• Charges passing through any conducting medium collide with

the material at an extremely high rate and, thus, experience
friction.
l
R
A
• The rate at which energy is lost depends on the wire thickness
(area), length and physical parameters like density and
temperature as reflected through the resistivity

9
Electrical Quantities
Ampere (A)
The ampere is the Standard International(SI)
unit of current and is defined as the constant
current which when flowing through each of the
two straight parallel conductors of
•infinite length
•negligible circular cross section
•placed 1 meter apart in vacuum
would produce between these conductors a
force equal to 2 x 10-7 newtons per meter
length. 10
Coulomb (C)
The standard – derived unit of charge. It is
the quantity of electricity passing a given
point in a circuit when a current of 1A is
maintained for 1 second or the quantity
produced by an electro-motive force of one
volt acting in a circuit having a resistance of
one ohm.
Q = I.t where Q = charge in coulombs
I = current in amperes
t = time in seconds 11
Ohm - Ω
The derived SI unit of electrical
resistance - defined as the resistance
in which a constant current of 1 ampere
generates heat at the rate of 1 watt .

Siemens - S
The unit of electrical conductance
(reciprocal of resistance)
12
Volt (V)
The Volt is the SI unit of electric
potential or electromotive force. A
potential of one volt appears across a
resistance of one ohm when a current
of one ampere flows through that
resistance.

13
Joule (J)
The joule is the derived unit of energy,
work or quantity of heat.

It is defined as the work done when a

force of one newton is applied over a
displacement of one meter. One joule
is the equivalent of one watt of power
radiated or dissipated for one second.
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Watt (W)
The watt is the unit of power (rate of
doing work) and is used to specify the
rate at which electrical energy is
radiated or dissipated.
Power in W = Joule/second
One joule is the equivalent of one watt
of power radiated or dissipated for one
second. 15
 Circuit Diagram

e
Heat
BATTERY Resistor
Pump Exchanger
e
e e e
Current Water

16
 Basic Electrical Laws
• Ohm’s Law
V  IR
• Kirchoff’s Voltage Law

V  0
• Kirchoff’s Current Law

I 0
17
 Ohm’s Law

Georg Ohm

• There is a simple linear relationship

between voltage, current and
resistance. V  IR
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 Kirchoff’s Voltage Law (KVL)

Gustav Kirchoff
• The sum of the voltage differences
around a circuit is equal to zero.

V  0
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 Kirchoff’s Current Law (KCL)

Applying
conservation of
current.

• The sum of all the currents entering or

exiting a node is equal to zero.
I 0
20
 Series Combination of Resistors
A

Ia +
Vr1 R1
Ib
+ +
+
-
V V Vreq
Req
+
- - -
Vr2 R2

• Resistors add in series

REQ  R1  R2 ... RN

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 Series Combination of Resistors

R1

10Vdc 30ohms
V1

R2
10ohms

• The effect of resistors in series is additive.

There is a corresponding voltage drop
across each resistor.
REQ  R1  R2 ... RN
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 Parallel Combination of Resistors
A

I1 Vr1 Ib
+ + +
+ +
I2 R1 I3 R2
V - - Vr2 V Vreq
Req

- - -
I4

• The reciprocal or inverse of resistors

add in parallel. 1 1 1 1
  ...
REQ R1 R2 RN

23
 Parallel Combination of Resistors

10Vdc
V1 R1 R2
30ohms 10ohms

• For resistors in parallel, the same voltage occurs

across each resistor and more than one path exists
for the current, which lowers the net resistance.
1 1 1 1
  ...
REQ R1 R2 RN
24
 Series Combination of Resistors
A
• Kirchoff’s
Voltage Law: V  Vr1  Vr 2
Ia +
Vr1 R1
+
-
V
+

• Ohm’s Law: V  I a R1  I a R2
-
Vr2 R2

B
• Solve for Ia:
V V
+
Ib
Ia    Ib
R1  R2 REQ
+

V Vreq
Req

- -
• In General
REQ  R1  R2 ... RN
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 Parallel Combination of Resistors
• Kirchoff’s Current Law:
A

+
I1 Vr1 I1  I 2  I3
+ +
I2 I3 R2

• Ohm’s Law:
R1
V - - Vr2
-
V V V
I1   
I4

B R1 R2 REQ

+
Ib • In General:
+

V Vreq
Req
1 1 1 1
- -   ...
REQ R1 R2 RN

26
 Combination of Resistors
• Series REQ  R1  R2 ... RN

• Parallel 1

1

1
...
1
REQ R1 R2 RN
• For two resistors, the second
expression can be written as
R1 R2
REQ 
R1  R2

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 Combination of Resistors

• Adding resistors in series always results

in a larger resistance than any of the
individual resistors
• Adding resistors in parallel always
results in a smaller resistance than any
of the individual resistors

28
Questions?

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