Lec 1-2

Computer System Basics

Haris Khan
Inst ICT
 Basic Concepts of
Electricity
Objectives
 Define Basic Electrical Concepts
 Use Ohm’s law and Watt’s law to express
the relationship between current, voltage,

and resistance
 Recognize the 3 electrical classifications of
materials
 Electrical and Electronic Devices
 Explain the concept of grounding
Basic Electrical Concepts
 Basic Electrical Concepts

 Electric Charge
 Electric Current
 Electric Voltage
 Electric Resistance
 Electric Circuit
 Electric Power
 Electrical Charge
 Definition
Electric Charge is the property of subatomic
particles that causes it to experience a force
when placed in an electric and magnetic field.
 Two types of Electric charges: Positive and Negative,
commonly carried by charge carriers protons and
electrons.
o Electrons
• The smallest amount of electrical charge having the
quality called negative polarity
• Electrons orbit the center of atoms.
 Electrical Charge
o Protons
• The proton is a basic particle with positive
polarity
• Protons are located in the nucleus of atoms
along with neutrons, particles which have
neutral polarity.
 Atomic Number.
Represented by the
letter Z of an element is
the number of protons in
the nucleus of each
atom of that element
 Atomic Mass. The mass
of an atom is given by
the sum of the masses
of protons and neutrons
present in the nucleus.
 Electrical Current
 Definition
o An electric current is a stream of charged
particles, such as electrons, moving
through an electrical conductor.
o Electric current in a wire, where the
charge carriers are electrons, is a
measure of the quantity of charge passing
any point of the wire per unit of time
o The flow of electrons is called an
“electrical current.”
o known as the current (I) and measured in
amps (A)
 Electrical Current
o When a charge is forced to move because
of a potential difference (voltage) current
is produced.
o So current is charge in motion.
o The more electrons in motion the greater
the current.
 Amperes
o Current indicates the intensity of the
electricity in motion. The symbol for
current is I (for intensity) and is measured
in amperes.
o The definition of current is: I = Q/T
 Electrical Current
 Types. There are two kinds of current
electricity:
o Direct current (DC)
• With direct current, electrons move in
one direction. Batteries produce direct
current
o Alternating current (AC)
• In alternating current, electrons flow in
both directions. Power plants produce
AC electric current.
• Alternating current (AC) is the type of
electricity that Bright Ridge distributes
1 ampere = 1 coulomb per
second
 Electrical Voltage
 Definition
o Electric Charge is The driving force
(electrical pressure) behind the flow of a
current is known as the voltage and is
measured in volts (V)
o Voltage is the "outside force" that causes
the electrons to move. Voltage is potential
energy.
o Potential refers to the possibility of doing
work.
o Any charge has the potential to do the
work of attracting a similar charge or
 Electrical Voltage
 Volt
o The symbol for potential difference is E (for
electromotive force)
o The practical unit of potential difference is the volt (V)
o 1 volt is a measure of the amount of work required to
move 1C of charge
 Characteristics
o Voltage cannot be seen or heard.
o Voltage is a push or force.
o Voltage has the potential to do work.
o Voltage appears between two points.
o Voltage is always there
 Electrical Resistance
 Definition
o The property of a material that limits
current flow is known as its resistance (R).
o Opposition to the flow of current is termed
resistance.
o The fact that a wire can become hot from
the flow of current is evidence of
resistance.
 Ohms (Ω)
o The practical unit of resistance is the ohm
designated by the Greek letter omega: Ω
o A resistor is an electronic component
 Electrical Circuits
 Definition
An electric circuit is a closed loop made of
conductors and other electrical elements
through which electric current can flow.
 Example A very simple electrical circuit
consists of three elements:
o a battery,
o a lamp, and
o an electrical wire that connects the two
 Types of Circuits. There are five types of
Electric Circuits - Closed circuits, Open circuits,
Short circuits, Series circuits, and Parallel
circuits
 Electrical Circuits
 Types of Circuits. There are five types of Electric
Circuits - Closed circuits, Open circuits, Short circuits,
Series circuits, and Parallel circuits
 Electrical Circuits
 The Circuit is a Load on the Voltage Source
o The circuit is where the energy of the source
(battery) is carried by means of the current through
the various components.
o The battery is the source, since it provides the
potential energy to be used.
o The circuit components are the load resistance -
they determine how much current the source will
produce
 Direction of Electric Flow
o The direction of electron flow in our circuit is from
the negative side of the battery, through the load
resistance, back to the positive side of the battery.
o Inside the battery, electrons move to the negative
terminal due to chemical action, maintaining the
Electron Flow in a Simple
Circuit
 Electrical Power
 Definition
o Power is how much work is done over time.
o One watt of power is equal to the work done in one
second by one volt moving one coulomb of charge.
Since one coulomb a second is an ampere
o Electric power is commonly supplied by electric
batteries and produced by electric generators
o The unit of electrical power is the watt
o Formula
Power in watts = volts x amperes
P=VxI
Ohm’s Law and Watt’s law
 Ohm’s Law
 The relationship between current, voltage and
resistance is expressed by Ohm’s Law
 This states that the current flowing in a circuit is
directly proportional to the applied voltage and
inversely proportional to the resistance of the
circuit, provided the temperature remains constant
Ohm’s Law:
Current (I) = Voltage (V) / Resistance (R)
 To increase the current flowing in a circuit, the
voltage must be increased, or the resistance
decreased
 Watt’s Law
 Watt’s law defines the relationship between power,
voltage and current and states that the power in a
circuit is a product of the voltage and the current
 There are many practical applications of Watt's
law, and the formula to calculate Watt’s Law is
Watt’s Law:
Power (P) = Voltage (V) * Current (I)
 Watt’s law can be combined with Ohm’s law to get
many useful formulas including
o P=I2R and
o P=V2/R
Electrical Classifications of
Materials
 Electrical Classifications of
Materials
 Electrically, all materials fall into 1 of 3
classifications
o Conductors
o Insulators
o Semiconductors
 Electrical Classifications of
 Conductors
Materials
o Have 1 valence electron
o Materials in which electrons can move freely from atom
to atom are called conductors
o Free electrons can be forced to move with relative ease,
since they require little work to be moved
o In general all metals are good conductors
o The purpose of conductors is to allow electrical current
to flow with minimum resistance
 Insulators
o Have 8 valence electrons
o Materials in which electrons tend to stay put and do not
flow easily from atom to atom are termed insulators
 Electrical Classifications of
o
Materials
Insulators have large amounts of resistance
o Insulators are used to prevent the flow of electricity.
o Insulating materials such as glass, rubber, or plastic
are also called dielectrics, meaning they can store
charges.
o Dielectric materials are used in components like
capacitors which must store electric charges.
 Semi-Conductors
o Have 4 valence electrons
o Materials which are neither conductors nor insulators
o Common semi conductor materials are carbon,
germanium and silicone.
o Used in components like transistors
Electrical and Electronic
Devices
 Electrical Devices

 The devices which convert the current into other

forms of energy or work such type of devices is
known as the electrical devices. It uses the
metal for conduction. The electrical devices
mainly work on the high alternating current.

 The electric bulb, lamp, tube light, converts the

current into light. The heater converts the current
into heat, etc.
 Electronic Device

 The devices which control the flow of electrons

for performing the particular task such type of
devices is known as the electronic devices. The
word electronics means the study of the
behavior of electrons under the effect of electric
field.

 For example – The transistor is an electronic

device used for amplifying the weak signal.
 Difference Between Electrical
and Electronic Equipment
 The main difference between electrical and electronic circuits is that
electrical circuits have no decision making (processing) capability,
whilst electronic circuits do.

 An electric circuit simply powers machines with electricity. However,

an electronic circuit can interpret a signal or an instruction, and
perform a task to suit the circumstance.
 For example, a microwave oven often bleeps when it has finished
cooking, to inform the user that his or her meal is ready

 Most modern appliances use a combination of electronic and

electrical circuitry. A washing machine has an electrical circuit
comprising a plug socket, fuse, on/off switch, heater and motor,
which rotates the drum. The desired wash cycle and temperature
are inputted by the user via the control panel.
 Most electronic components are very small, and require small direct
current (DC) voltages. A single micro-processor, which will fit on the
end of your finger, may contain hundreds or thousands of tiny
components, some of which are only a few atoms wide!

 Electrical components tend to be larger, and use alternating current

(AC) voltages. Whilst most electronic components operate on 3-12
volts DC, electrical appliances require 230 volts AC.

 Some products, such as computers, have far more electronic

components than electrical components