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The STUDY HUB

10th Class Physics
Electricity
 The concept of electricity came into notice due to friction. It actually
proves that charges can be produced and they can also be made to
flow and flowing of charges gives rise to electricity
Friction
 It comes into notice when two bodies are rubbed with each other.
For example: Rubbing of a glass rod with silk.
 When a glass rod is rubbed with silk, electrons move from glass rod
to silk therefore, the glass rod acquires a positive charge as it
becomes deficient of electrons
 and silk will acquire negative charge as the amount of negative
charge in it increases.

 So, due to this concept of friction, the concept of charges came in to

notice.
 And further, coulomb was the one who gave more information about
the charges.
Electric charge
 “The charge is an intrinsic property of matter by virtue of which it
can exert electromagnetic force is known as electric charge.”
 It arises due to the loss or gain of electrons
Type of Charges : Like mass, the charge is the fundamental property of
matter. There are two types of charge
(i) Positive charge- It arises due to the loss of electrons
(ii) Negative charge – It arises due to the gain of electrons
 When a glass rod is rubbed with silk, electrons move from glass rod
to silk therefore,
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 the glass rod acquires a positive charge as it becomes deficient of

electrons
 and silk will acquire negative charge as the amount of negative
charge in it increases.
Properties of charge
1) Additivity of Electric Charge
2) Conservation of Electric Charge
3) Quantization of Electric Charge
4) Unlike charges attract each other and like charges repel each other.
5) The.force between two charges varies directly as the product of two
charges and inversely as the square of the distance (r) between both
charges (q1 and q2).

Formula for charge :- Charge = Current x Time

Also Charge, q = ne where e = 1.6 × 10-19 C
S.I. Unit of Electric Charge - coulomb (C).
1 coulomb = 1 ampere × 1 second.
1C = 1A × 1s
 Thus, the quantity of charge which flows through a circuit when one
ampere of current flows through it in one second is known as a 1-
coulomb charge.
 number of electrons constituting one coulomb of charge.
e = 1.6 × 10-19 C
q = 1C
As q = ne
n = q/e
n = 1/(1.6 × 10-19)
n = 6.25 × 1018 electrons ≅ 6 × 1018 electrons
So 1 Columb of charge contains 6 × 1018 electrons
Small units of Electric Current: Small quantity of electric current is
expressed in milliampere and microampere.
 Milliampere is written as mA and microampere as pA.
1 mA (milliampere) = 10-3 A
1 µA (microampere) = 10-6 A

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Coulomb’s Law
 This law was put forward by Charles Augustin de Coulomb, in 1785.
 It states that, “The Electrostatic Force of interaction(attraction or
repulsion) between two point charges at rest is
a) directly proportional to the product of the magnitude of the
charges,and
b) inversely proportional to the square of the distance between
them and acts along the straight line joining the two charges.
Expression :- Consider two point charges q1 and q2 separated by distance r.

Then according to Coulomb,s Law,

Force of interaction between them
F α q1q2 - (1)
F α 1/r2 - (2)
Combining (1) and (2), we get
F α q1q2
r2
F = Kq1q2
r2
K is electrostatic constant which depends upon the medium surrounding the two
charges. For vacuum, it is equal to 1/4πε0
K = 1/4πε0 = 9 × 109 Nm2/c2
Therefore, according to Coulomb’s Law in Vaccuum
F=1 q1q2
4πε0 r2
F = 9 x 109q1q2
r2
Electric Current
 The organized flow of electric charge is known as Electric Current
 In metals, Electric current is carried by the organized movement of
electrons
 By convention, electric current flows from positive to negative
terminal i.e. in the opposite direction to the movement of electrons.
Expression of Electric Current: Electric current is denoted by the letter
‘I’. Electric current is expressed by the rate of flow of electric charges.
f a net electric charge (Q) flows through a cross-section of a conductor in
time t, then,

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Where I is electric current, Q is a net charge and t is a time in second.

S.I. Unit of Current: S.I. unit of electric current is ampere (A).
Ampere is the flow of electric charge through a surface at the rate of one
coulomb per second.
Therefore, 1 A = 1 C/1 s
Small units of Electric Current: Small quantity of electric current is
expressed in milliampere and microampere. Milliampere is written as mA
and microampere as pA.
1 mA (milliampere) = 10-3 A
1 µA (microampere) = 10-6 A
Ammeter: An apparatus to measure electric current in a circuit.
Galvanometer: It is a device to detect current in an electric circuit.
Question 1 What does an electric circuit mean ?
Answer: A continuous and closed path along which an electric current
flows is called an electric circuit.
Question 2 Define the unit of current.
Answer: Unit of current is ampere. If one coulomb of charge flows
through any section of a conductor in one second then the current through
it is said to be one ampere.
I = Q/t or 1 A = 1 C s-1
Question 3 Calculate the number of electrons constituting one
coulomb of charge.
Answer: Charge on one electron, e = 1.6 x 10-19 C
Total charge, Q = 1 C
Number of electrons, n = Q/e = 1C/1.6x10−19 = 6.25 x 1018
Electric Potential and Potential Difference
Electric Potential: The amount of work done to move the unit charge
from infinity to a point against static electric field i.e. electric potential
energy at a point is called electric potential.
Potential Difference: Electric potential difference is also known as
voltage, which is equal to the amount of work done to move the unit
charge between two points against static electric field.

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i.e. The difference in the amount of electric potential energy between
two points in an electric circuit is called electric potential difference.

Therefore, Voltage = Workdone/Charge

Voltage or electric potential difference is denoted by V’.
Therefore, V = W/Q
Where, W = Work done and Q = Charge
S.I. Unit of Electric Potential Difference (Voltage) volt and denoted by
‘V’ This is named in honour of Italian Physicist Alessandro Volta.
1 volt of electric potential difference is equal to the 1 joule of work to be
done to move a charge of 1 coulomb from one point to another in an
electric circuit. Therefore
1V = 1Joule/1Coulomb = 1J/1C
1V = 1JC-1
Voltmeter: A device to measure the potential difference or electric
potential difference between two points in an electric circuit.
Question 1 Name a device that helps to maintain a potential difference
across a conductor.
Answer: A battery.
Question 2 What is meant by saying that the potential difference
between two points is 1V?
Answer: The potential difference between two points is said to be 1 volt if
1 joule of work is done in moving 1 coulomb of electric charge from one
point to the other.
Question 3 How much energy is given to each coulomb of charge
passing through a 6 V battery ?
Answer: Energy given by battery = charge x potential difference
or W = QV = 1C X 6V = 6J.
Ohm’s law
 Georg Simon Ohm, a German physicist was the first to verify Ohm’s
law experimentally.
 It is the relationship between electric current and potential
difference.
 Ohm’s law states that the voltage across a conductor is directly
proportional to the current flowing through it, provided all physical
conditions and temperature remain constant.
 Mathematically, this current-voltage relationship can be written
as,

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In the equation, the constant of proportionality, R is Resistance

and has units of ohms, with symbol Ω.


 Ohm’s law only holds true if the provided temperature and the other
physical factors remain constant.
 In certain components, increasing the current raises the temperature.
 An example of this is the filament of a light bulb, in which the
temperature rises as the current is increased.
 In this case, Ohm’s law cannot be applied.
 The light bulb filament violates Ohm’s Law.
 A rheostat or a variable resistor is a device or a component which
allows changing of resistance in a circuit keeping the voltage same.
 A conductor having some resistance is called a Resistor.

Experimental Verification of Ohm’s law

 Insert the key K. Slide the rheostat contact to one of its extreme
ends, so that current passing through the resistance wire is minimum.
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 Note the milliammeter and voltmeter readings.
 Remove the key K and allow the wire to cool, if heated.
 Again insert the key. Shift the rheostat contact slightly to increase
the applied voltage.
 Note the milliammeter and voltmeter reading.
 Repeat this process for four different settings of the rheostat.
 Record your observations in a tabular form.
 Plot a graph between the potential difference across the wire (V) and
the current (I) flowing through it.
 Determine the slope of the graph.
 The resistance of the given wire is then equal to the reciprocal of the
slope.

 From the graph R =BC/AB = ______Ω

Symbols of some commonly used components in circuit diagrams

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Resistance
 When an electric current flows through a bulb or any conductor, the
conductor offers some obstruction to the current and this obstruction
is known as electrical resistance and is denoted by R.
 Every material has an electrical resistance and this is the reason why
conductors give out heat when current passes through it.
 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)
On Rearranging the above relation,
R = V/I
 Therfore, The electrical resistance of a circuit is the ratio between
the voltage applied to the current flowing through it.
 The unit of electrical resistance is ohms.
1 ohm = 1 volt/1 ampere
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)

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Question 1 On what factors does the resistance of a conductor depend

? OR
List the factors on which the resistance of a conductor in the shape of
a wire depends.
Answer: The resistance of a conductor depends
(i) on its length
(ii) on its area of cross-section and
(iii) on the nature of its material.

Q2 Will current flow more easily through a thick wire or a thin wire
of the same material, when connected to the same source ? Why ?
Answer: The current will flow more easily through a thick wire than a thin
wire of the same material. Larger the area of cross-section of a conductor,
more is the ease with which the electrons can move through the conductor.
Therefore, smaller is the resistance of the conductor.
Question 3 Let the resistance of an electrical component remains
constant while the potential difference across the two ends of the
component decreases to half of its former value. What change will
occur in the current through it ?
Answer: When potential difference is halved, the current through the
component also decreases to half of its initial value. This is according to
ohm’s law i.e., V ∝ I.
Question 4 Why are coils of electric toasters and electric irons are
made of an-alloy rather than a pure metal ?
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OR
Why are alloys commonly used in electric heating devices? Given
reason.
Answer: The coils of electric toasters, electric irons and other heating
devices are made of an alloy rather than a pure metal because (i) the
resistivity of an alloy is much higher than that of a pure metal, and (ii) an
alloy does not undergo oxidation (or burn) easily even at high temperature,
when it is red hot.
Resistivity
It is defined as the resistance offered by a cube of a material of side 1m
when current flows perpendicular to its opposite faces. It’s S.I. unit is
ohm-meter (Ωm).
Resistivity, ρ = RAl
Resistivity is also known as specific resistance.
Resistivity depends on the nature of the material of the conductor.
Materials having a resistivity in the range of 10-8 Ωm to 10-6 Ωm are
considered as very good conductors. Silver has resistivity equal to 1.60 ×
10-8 Ωm and copper has resistivity equal to 1.62 × 10-8 Ωm.
Rubber and glass are very good insulators. They have a resistivity in the
order of 10-12 Ωm to 10-8 Ωm.
The resistivity of materials varies with temperature

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Combination of Resistors
(i) Series combination
(ii) Parallel combination.
1. Resistors in Series: When resistors are joined from end to end, it is
called in series. In this case, the total resistance of the system is
equal to the sum of the resistance of all the resistors in the system.

Let, three resistors R1, R2, and R3 get connected in series.

Potential difference across A and B = V
Potential difference across R1, R2 and R3 = V1, V2 and V3
Current flowing through the combination = I
We, know that
V= V1 + V2 + V3 …. (i)
According to Ohm’s Law :
V1 = IR1, V2 = IR2 and V3 = IR3 ….. (ii)
Let, total resistance = Rs
Then, V = IRs …(iii)
From equations (i) and (ii) and (iii)
IRs = IR1 + IR2 + IR3
Rs = R1 + R 2 + R3
When the resistors are connected in series, the current flowing
through each resistor is the same and is equal to the total current.
2. Resistors in Parallel: When resistors are joined in parallel, the
reciprocal of the total resistance of the system is equal to the sum of
reciprocal of the resistance of resistors.

Let three resistors R1, R2 and R3 connected in parallel.

Potential difference across point A and B = V
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Total current flowing between point A and B = I
Currents flowing through resistors R1, R2 and R3 = I1, I2 and
I3 respectively.
We, know that,
I = I1 + I2 + I3 …….(i)
Since, the potential difference across R1, R2, and R3 is the same = V
According to Ohm’s Law,

Question 5 Use the data to answer the following :

(i) Which among iron and mercury is a better conductor ?
(ii) Which material is the best conductor ?
Answer: (i) Resistivity of iron = 10.0 x 10-8 Ω m
Resistivity of mercury = 94.0 x 10-8 Ω m.
Thus iron is a better conductor because it has lower resistivity than
mercury.
(ii) Because silver has the lowest resistivity (= 1.60 x 10-8 Ω m), therefore
silver is the best conductor.
Question 1 Draw a schematic diagram of a circuit consisting of a
battery of three cells of 2 V each, a 5Ω resistor, an 8 Ω resistor, and a
12 Ω resistor, and a plug key, all connected in series.
Answer: The required circuit diagram is shown below :

Question 2 Redraw the circuit of Questions 1, putting in an ammeter

to measure the current through the resistors and a voltmeter to
measure the potential difference across the 12 Ω resistor. What would
be the readings in the ammeter and the voltmeter ?
Solution: The required circuit diagram is shown on the right.
Total voltage, V = 3 x 2 = 6V
Total resistance, R = 5Ω + 8Ω + 12Ω = 25Ω

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Question 1 Judge the equivalent resistance when the following are

connected in parallel :
(i) 1 Ω and 106 Ω, (ii) 1 Ω and 103 Ω and 106 Ω.
Answer: When the resistances are connected in parallel, the equivalent
resistance is smaller than the smallest individual resistance.
(i) Equivalent resistance < 1 Ω.
(ii) Equivalent resistance < 1 Ω.
Question 2 An electric lamp of 100 Ω, a toaster of resistance 50 Ω, and
a water filter of resistance 500 Ω are connected in parallel to a 220 V
source. What is the resistance of an electric iron connected to the
same source that takes as much current as all three appliances, and
what is the current through it ?
Solution: Resistance of electric lamp, R1 = 100 Ω
Resistance of toaster, R2 = 50 Ω
Resistance of water filter, R3 = 500 Ω
Equivalent resistance Rp of the three appliances connected in parallel, is

Resistance of electric iron = Equivalent resistance of the three appliances

connected in parallel = 31.25 Ω
Applied voltage, V = 220 V
Current, I = VR = 220V31.25Ω
Question 3 What are the advantages of connecting electrical devices in
parallel with the battery instead of connecting them in series ?
Answer: Advantages of connecting electrical devices in parallel with the
battery are :-

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1. In parallel circuits, if an electrical appliance stops working due to

some defect, then all other appliances keep working normally.
2. In parallel circuits, each electrical appliance has its own switch due
to which it can be turned on turned off independently, without
affecting other appliances.
3. In parallel circuits, each electrical appliance gets the same voltage
(220 V) as that of the power supply line.
4. In the parallel connection of electrical appliances, the overall
resistance of the household circuit is reduced due to which the current
from the power supply is high.
Question 4 How can three resistors of resistances 2Ω, 3 Ω, and 6Ω be
connected to give a total resistance of (i) 4 Ω, (ii) 1 Ω ?
Solution: (i) We can get a total resistance of 4Ω by connecting the 2Ω
resistance in series with the parallel combination of 3Ω and 6Ω.

(ii) We can obtain a total resistance of 1Ω by connecting resistors of 2 Ω,

3 Ω and 6 Ω in parallel.

Q5 What is (i) highest, (ii) lowest total resistance that can be secured
by combinations of four coils of resistance 4 Ω, 8 Ω, 12 Ω, 24 Ω?
Solution: (i) Highest resistance can be obtained by connecting the four
coils in series.
Then, R = 4Ω + 8Ω + 12Ω + 24Ω = 48Ω
(ii) Lowest resistance can be obtained by connecting the four coils in
parallel.

Electric Power
 The rate at which electric energy is dissipated or consumed in an
electric circuit.
 This is also termed as electric power.
 The power P is given by P = VI
Or P = I2R = V2/R
SI unit watt (W)
 It is the power consumed by a device that carries 1 A of current
when operated at a potential difference of 1 V.

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 Thus, 1 W = 1 volt × 1 ampere = 1 V x 1A

 The unit ‘watt’ is very small.
 Therefore, in actual practice we use a much larger unit called
‘kilowatt’.
 1 kW = 1000 W
Electrical energy
 Electrical energy is the amount of work done or energy consumed in
a given amount of time.
 It is measured in Joule or Wh (watt hour)
 or most commonly as kWh (Kilowatt hour).
 1 kWh = 1000 watt × 1 hour = 1 unit = 1000 W × 3600 s
1 kWh = 3.6 x 106 watt second = 3.6 × 106 J
Heating Effect of Electric Current
 When electric current is supplied to a purely resistive conductor, the
energy of electric current is dissipated entirely in the form of heat
and as a result, resistor gets heated.
 The heating of resistor because of dissipation of electrical energy is
commonly known as Heating Effect of Electric Current.
 Some examples are as follows : When electric energy is supplied to
an electric bulb, the filament gets heated because of which, it gives
light.
 The heating of electric bulb happens because of heating effect of
electric current.
Cause : Electric current generates heat to overcome the resistance offered
by the conductor through which it passes.
 Higher the resistance, the electric current will generate higher
amount of heat.
 Thus, generation of heat by electric current while passing through a
conductor is an inevitable consequence.
 This heating effect is used in many appliances, such as electric iron,
electric heater, electric geyser, etc.
Joule’s Law Of Heating
 Let, an electric current, I is flowing through a resistor having
resistance = R.
 The potential difference through the resistor is = V.
 The charge, Q flows through the circuit for the time, t
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 Thus, work done in moving of charge (Q) of potential
difference (V), W=V×Q
 Since this charge, Q flows through the circuit for time t
 Therefore, power input (P) to the circuit can be given by the
following equation :
P = W/t
P = V × Q/t …..(i)
We know, electric current, I = Q/t
Substituting Q/t = I in equation (i), we get,
P = VI …(ii)
i.e., P = VI
Since, the electric energy is supplied for time t, thus, after multiplying
both sides of equation (ii) by time t, we get,
P × t = VI × t = VIt ……(iii)
i.e., P t= VIt
Thus, for steady current I, the heat produced (H) in time t is equal to VIt
H = VIt i.e., H = VIt
We know, according to Ohm’s Law,
V = IR
By substituting this value of V in equation (iii), we get,
H = IR × It
H = I2Rt ……(iv)
The expression (iv) is known as Joule’s Law of Heating, which states that
heat produced in a resistor is directly proportional to the square of current
given to the resistor, directly proportional to the resistance for a given
current and directly proportional to the time for which the current is
flowing through the resistor.
Electric Bulb
In an electric bulb, the filament of bulb gives light because of the heating
effect of electricity. The filament of bulb is generally, made of tungsten
metal, having melting point equal to 3380°C.
Electric Iron
The element of electric iron is made of alloys having high melting point
Electric heater and geyser work on the same mechanism
Electric Fuse
 Electric fuse is used to protect the electric appliances from high
voltage if any.

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 Electric fuse is made of metal or alloy of metals, such as
aluminum, copper, iron, lead, etc.
 In the case of flow of higher voltage than specified, fuse wire melts
and protect the electric appliances.
Question 1 Why does the cord of an electric heater not glow while the
heating element does ?
Solution: Heat generated in a circuit is given by I2R t.
 The heating element of an electric heater made of nichrome glows
because it becomes red-hot due to the large amount of heat produced
on passing current because of its high resistance, but the cord of the
electric heater made of copper does not glow because negligible heat
is produced in it by passing current because of its extremely low
resistance.
Question 2 Compute the heat generated while transferring 96000
coulomb of charge in one hour through a potential difference of 50 V.
Solution: Here, Q = 96,000 C, t =1 hour = 1 x 60 x 60 sec = 3,600 s,
V = 50 V
Heat generated, H = VQ = 50Vx 96,000 C = 48,00,000 J = 4.8 x 10 6 J
Question 3 An electric iron of resistance 20Ω takes a current of 5 A.
Calculate the heat developed in 30 s.
Solution: Here, R = 20 Ω, i = 5 A, t = 3s
Heat developed, H = I2 R t = 25 x 20 x 30 = 15,000 J = 1.5 x 104 J
Question 1 What determines the rate at which energy is delivered by a
current ?
Answer: Resistance of the circuit determines the rate at which energy is
delivered by a current.
Question 2 An electric motor takes 5 A from a 220 V line. Determine
the power of the motor and the energy consumed in 2 h.
Answer: Here, I = 5 A, V = 220 V, t = 2h = 7,200 s
Power, P = V I = 220 x 5 = 1100 W
Energy consumed = P x t = 100 W x 7200 s = 7,20,000 J = 7.2 x 10 5 J
Question 1 A piece of wire of resistance R is cut into five equal parts.
These parts are then connected in parallel. If the equivalent resistance
of this combination is R’, then the ratio R/R’ is :
(a) 1/25 (b) 1/5 (c) 5 (d) 25
Answer: (d) 25
Question 2 Which of the following terms does not represent electrical
power in a circuit?
(a) I2R (b) IR2 (c) VI (d) V2/R
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Answer: (b) IR2

Question 3 An electric bulb is rated 220 V and 100 W. When it is
operated on 110 V, the power consumed will be :
(a) 100 W (b) 75 W (c) 50 W (d) 25 W
Answer: (d) 25 W
Question 4 Two conducting wires of the same material and of equal
lengths and equal diameters are first connected in series and then
parallel in a circuit across the same potential difference. The ratio of
heat produced in series and parallel combinations would be :
(a) 1 : 2 (b) 2 : 1 (c) 1 : 4 (d) 4 : 1
Answer: (c) 1 : 4
Question 5 How is a voltmeter connected in the circuit to measure the
potential difference between two points ?
Answer: A voltmeter is connected in parallel to measure the potential
difference between two points
Question 6 A copper wire has diameter 0.5 mm and resistivity of 1.6 x
10-8 Ω m. What will be the length of this wire to make its resistance 10
Ω ? How much does the resistance change if the diameter is doubled ?
Answer:

If a wire of diameter doubled to it is taken, then area of cross-section

becomes four times.
New resistance = 102 = 2.5 Ω, Thus the new resistance will be 14 times.
Decrease in resistance = (10 – 2.5) Ω = 7.5 Ω
Question 7 The values of current I flowing in a given resistor for the
corresponding values of potential difference V across the resistor are
given below :

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Plot a graph between V and I and calculate the resistance of the

resistor.
Solution: The graph between V and I for the above data is given below.
The slope of the graph will give the value of resistance.
Let us consider two points P and Q on the graph.
and from P along Y-axis, which meet at point R.
Now, QR = 10.2V – 34V = 6.8V
And PR = 3 – 1 = 2 ampere

Thus, resistance, R = 3.4 Ω

Question 8 When a 12 V battery is connected across an unknown
resistor, there is a current of 2.5 mA in the circuit. Find the value of
the resistance of the resistor.
Solution: Here, V = 12 V and I = 2.5 mA = 2.5 x 10-3 A
∴ Resistance, R = VI = 12V2.5×103A = 4,800 Ω = 4.8 x 10-3 Ω
Question 9 A battery of 9V is connected in series with resistors of 0.2
Ω, 0.3 Ω, 0.4 Ω, 0.5 Ω and 12 Ω, respectively. How much current
would flow through the 12 Ω resistor?
Solution:
Total resistance, R = 0.2 Ω + 0.3 Ω + 0.4 Ω + 0.5 Ω + 12 Ω – 13.4 Ω
Potential difference, V = 9 V
Current through the series circuit, I = V/R = 9V/13.4Ω = 0.67 A
∵ There is no division of current in series. Therefore current through 12 Ω
resistor = 0.67 A.
Question 10 How many 176 Ω resistors (in parallel) are required to
carry 5 A on a 220 V line?
Solution: Suppose n resistors of 176 Ω are connected in parallel.

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Thus 4 resistors are needed to be connect.

Question 11 Show how you would connect three resistors, each of
resistance 6 Ω, so that the combination has a resistance of (i) 9 Ω, (ii)
4Ω
Solution:
Here, R1 = R2 = R3 = 6 Ω.

Question 12 Several electric bulbs designed to be used on a 220 V

electric supply line, are rated 10 W. How many lamps can be
connected in parallel with each other across the two wires of 220 V

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line if the maximum allowable current is 5 A ?

Solution:
Here, current, I = 5 A, voltage, V = 220 V
∴ Maxium power, P = I x V = 5 x 220 = 1100W
Required no. of lamps =Max.Power/ Powerof1lamp=1100/10=110
∴ 110 lamps can be connected in parallel.
Question 13 A hot plate of an electric oven connected to a 220 V line
has two resistance coils A and B, each of 24 Ω resistance, which may
be used separately, in series, or in parallel. What are the currents in
the 3 cases?
Solution:

Question 14 Compare the power used in the 2 Ω resistor in each of the

following circuits
(i) a 6 V battery in series with 1 Ω and 2 Ω resistors, and
(ii) a 4 V battery in parallel with 12 Ω and 2 Ω resistors.
Solution:
(i) The circuit diagram is shown in figure.
Total resistance, R = 1Ω + 2Ω = 3Ω
Potential difference, V= 6V

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=
Question 15 Two lamps, one rated 100 W at 220 V, and the other 60
W at 220 V, are connected in parallel to electric mains supply. What
current is drawn from the line if the supply voltage is 220 V ?
Solution: Power of first lamp (P1) = 100 W
Potential difference (V) = 220 V

Question 16 Which uses more energy, a 250 W TV set in 1 hr, or a

1200 W toaster in 10 minutes ?
Solution: Energy used by 250 W TV set in 1 hr = 250 W x 1 h = 250 W-h
Energy used by 1200 W toaster in 10 minutes = 1200 W x 10 min

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= 1200 x 10/60 = 200 W-h
Thus, the TV set uses more energy than the toaster.
Question 17 An electric heater of resistance 8 Ω draws 15 A from the
service mains 2 hours. Calculate the rate at which heat is developed in
the heater.
Solution: Here, R = 8 Ω, 1 = 15 A, t = 2 h
The rate at which heat is developed in the heater is equal to the power.
Therefore, P = I2 R = (15)2 x 8 = 1800 Js-1
Question 18 Explain the following:
(i) Why is tungsten used exclusively for filament of electric lamps ?
(ii) Why are the conductors of electric heating devices, s/as bread-
toasters and electric irons, made of an alloy rather than pure metal ?
(in) Why is the series arrangement not used for domestic circuits ?
(iv) How does the resistance of a wire vary with its area of cross-
section ?
(v) Why are copper and aluminium wires usually employed for
electricity transmission?
Answer: (i) The tungsten is used almost exclusively for filament of
electric lamps because it has a very high melting point (3300°C). On
passing electricity through tungsten filament, its temperature reaches to
2700°C and it gives heat and light energy without being melted.
(ii) The conductors of electric heating devices such as bread-toasters and
electric irons, are made of an alloy rather than a pure metal because the
resistivity of an alloy is much higher than that of pure metal and an alloy
does not undergo oxidation (or burn) easily even at high temperature.
(iii) The series arrangement is not used for domestic circuits because in
series circuit, if one electrical appliance stops working due to some defect,
than all other appliances also stop working because the whole circuit is
broken.
(iv) The resistance of a wire is inversely proportional to its area of cross-
section, i.e., Resistance R ∝ (1/πr2). If the area of cross section of a
conductor of fixed length is increased, then resistance decreases because
there are more free electrons for movement in conductor.
(v) Copper and aluminium wires usually employed for electricity
transmission because they have very low resistances. So, they do not
become too hot on passing electric current.

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