Basic

Electricity
 Electric Current

is a rate of flow of electrical charges passing

through a conductor from point to another in a
circuit.

The direction of current is from the positive

terminal of the battery to the negative terminal.
 Electric Current

The symbol for current is capital letter I.

The unit, ampere (A), is named after Andre-

Marie Ampere, a French physicist who made
important contributions to the theory of
electricity and magnetism.
 Electric Current

One Ampere is a rate of flow equal to 1

Coulomb of charge per second.

A current is caused by the movement of

electrons (which are present inside a
conductor).
 An ammeter measures electric current.

The positive terminal of

an ammeter is connected
to the positive terminal of
the energy source (e.g.
battery) while the
negative terminal is
connected to the negative
terminal of the energy
source
What makes the charges move in a closed circuit?

In a circuit, work must be done on the charges to

make them move. The battery supplies the energy
in electric circuits. The chemical energy in the
battery is transformed to electrical energy. This
electrical energy moves the charges in a circuit.
 Voltage

The voltage provides the energy that

moves the charges in the circuit.
 Voltage

The symbol for voltage is capital letter V.

The unit, volts (V), is named after the Italian

physicist Alessandro Volta who invented the
voltaic pile, the forerunner of what we now call
the dry cell.

A voltmeter measures voltage.

 If voltage is needed for charges to
flow, how does the amount of voltage
affect current?
 Current and Voltage

As the voltage increases, the current also

increases.

Directly Proportional
Battery

Acts as the voltage source in a

circuit
 However, a circuit is not only about
voltage and current. There is another
component which is the load.

A load is any component in a circuit

that converts electricity into light, heat,
or mechanical motion.
In this circuit, the bulb
is the load.

If two bulbs were used

in the circuit, would
there be a change in the
circuit current?
 Resistance

When electric charges flow through the wires and

loads of the circuits they encounter resistance or
a hindrance to their movement.

So another factor that affects the flow of charges

or current is resistance.
 Resistance

Electrical resistance is the opposition to the flow

of current by the conducting wire.

The electrical resistance of the wire depends on

its thickness, length and conductivity.
 Resistance

Thick wires have less

resistance than thin wires
because they have greater
cross-sectional area for the
electrons to flow through
compared to thin wires.
 Resistance

Longer wires have more resistance than shorter wires

because longer wires have a longer path for the current to
flow through.
 Resistance

Copper wires have less resistance than steel wires of

the same size because copper has higher
conductivity than steel.
 Resistance

Conductivity is the property of matter

that allows current to flow. The higher
the conductivity of material, the more
electrons can freely flow.
 Conductors vs Insulators
Conductors Insulators
These materials allow charges These materials resist the free
to flow freely. movement of charges.
diamond
rubber
balloon
copper wire

rubber tire
silver
spoon
 Resistance

Electrical resistance also depends on

temperature. Higher temperature creates
more resistance.
 Resistance

The symbol for resistance is capital letter R. The

unit, ohms (Ω) is named after the German
physicist Georg Simon Ohm.
Resistor

An electronic device that is

designed to resist the flow of
current.
Resistor

A resistor can also be the light

bulb in a circuit.
 Current and Resistance

How is current affected by the resistance

of the load in a circuit?
Current and Resistance

The more load you add to

the circuit, the resistance
increases, thus the
current flowing to the
load decreases.

Inversely Proportional
 Ohm’s Law

The relationship
between current,
voltage and resistance.
 Ohm’s Law
Georg Simon Ohm
discovered that at
resistance, electric
current in a circuit is
directly proportional to
the voltage.
Ohm’s Law
Ohm’s Law
 Ohm’s Law

Find the resistance in of a single motor

horn if it has a voltage of 6V and a current of
2A.
 Ohm’s Law

If a circuit has a resistance of 40 and a

current of 5A, what is its voltage?
 Ohm’s Law

What is the electric current of a circuit that

has a resistance of 100 and a voltage of
12V?
 What is an electric circuit?

DIRECTION OF
ELECTRIC CURRENT

any arrangement of a
source of energy
(battery), connecting
wires, and a load (e.g.
bulbs).
 What is an electric circuit?

It is a complete path DIRECTION OF

ELECTRIC CURRENT

through which electric

current flows.

It should be constructed in
an unbroken loop.
 What makes a circuit?

Load Conducting Voltage Switch

wires source
controls the
converts electrical material that source of
current flow
energy into another allows electricity, such as
form current to batteries or electric
flow outlets
 What makes a circuit?
Conducting wires

Battery Load

Switch
 A dry cell provides the ‘push’
What happens in needed for electrons to flow in
the loop.
a circuit?
These electrons are already
present in the wires.

When these electrons pass

through a load or a receiver,
electrical energy can change into
other forms, such as light, heat
and sound.
 Types of Circuits
Series Parallel

A circuit with
one loop or has two or
having a more loops
single path. (branches)
Series Circuits

If a series circuit is
interrupted at any point in
a single loop, no current
can flow in a circuit and
no loads in a circuit will
work.
Series Circuits

If a series circuit, if one

light bulb burns out, the
other light bulb will not
work because it will not
receive any current.
Series Circuits
 Series Circuits
Properties
• The total resistance of a series circuit is the sum of
all resistances in the circuit. Total resistance
increases with the increasing load.
• The voltage source is equal to the sum of all the
voltage in each load in a circuit. Each load has a
different voltage.
• The current is constant across each load.
Series Circuits
Advantages
• A series circuit does not overheat
easily. There is no need to use
expensive thick wires.
• It would be easy to connect and
disconnect a new load since there is
only one path for the current to
flow.
Series Circuits
Disadvantages

• If one of the light bulbs is

damaged or removed, all the
other light bulbs will not light
up too.
• Addition of more light bulbs
causes a decrease in the
brightness of the bulbs.
Series Circuits
Disadvantages

3. The loads in a series circuit are

difficult to control individually.
When the switch is off, all loads
in the circuit will not function
anymore.
4. It is difficult to identify the
damaged bulb in the circuit
 Parallel Circuits

In a parallel circuit, if one loop is

interrupted the current can still
flow through the other loop.
Parallel Circuits

In a parallel circuit, if one light

bulb burns out the other light
bulbs will still work because
current can still flow through it.
Parallel Circuits
 Parallel Circuits
Properties
• The total resistance decreases with the increasing
load.
• There is only one voltage which is equal to a voltage
source.
• The total current is equal to the sum of all currents in
each load. The more load added to the parallel
circuit, the current increases.
Parallel Circuits
Advantages
• All loads in a parallel circuit are
directly connected to the voltage source.
All light bulbs can have the maximum
brightness.
• Even if one of the light bulbs is
damaged, all other light bulbs will still
function since the flow of current is not
entirely interrupted.
 Parallel Circuits
Advantages

3. The individual load is easy to

control. All light bulbs and appliances
at home are connected in parallel.
Switching one appliance will not affect
other appliances.
Parallel Circuits
Disadvantages

• Overloading may happen if appliances are

simultaneously used at home. With more
loads, the total resistance decreases
resulting in a large amount of current
which may lead to fire.
Parallel Circuits
Disadvantages

2. Difficult to install, maintain and

repair since a large volume of
conducting wires is needed.

3. It requires the use of several

conducting wires of different sizes
(more expensive).
Electrical
Safety
Electrical Hazard

or electric shock is a condition

due to direct or indirect electrical
contact with an energized
conductor or a piece of equipment
from which a person may sustain
electrical injury from shock or
damage to property or both.
Situations where current can go through the
body:

• Direct contact with light parts of the installation.

• Accidental contact with damaged wires that are
seemingly not live.
• Direct contact with a grounded surface.
 Electric current damages the body in three
ways.:
• Can cause improper functioning of the brain and
heart and may lead to cardiac arrest or death.
• The body will experience intense heat that can
cause skin burning.
• Muscles will involuntarily contract - which will be
hard to control.
 How to handle electrical wirings:
• Use only one hand, the other kept behind your back
while working on high voltage circuits.
• Disconnect all sources of power from the equipment
you are about to repair.
• Don not rely on insulated tool handles and rubber shoes
to protect you. It is better to shut down the main switch
of the voltage source before doing any electrical repair.
One of the primary causes of fire is an Electrical
Fault (faulty wirings). This happens usually
when a non-professional works and houses
wiring or even professionals who have
overlooked important reminders in doing their
job.
 Warning Signs

It is important to stay vigilant and know the

important warning signs to identify if
something is wrong.
Prevention is
better than
cure.
 Circuit Conditions
with Faulty Electrical
Wirings
Happens when there is overloading of the current
making the conducting wire extremely hot that can
cause the melting of insulators until two live wires
come into contact.
Electrical Safety
Devices
Electrical Safety
Measures