15.

Electricity and Lighting

OBJECTIVES:

 Identify good and poor conductors of electricity;

 Explain the relationship between voltage, current and resistance in a circuit;

 Read an electricity meter in units of KwH and determine the cost in accordance with
local rates;

 Calculate electricity bills;

 Calculate the energy consumption of different electrical appliances;

 Calculate the amperage for fuses and flexes (wires) for household appliances;

 Demonstrate and explain how a fuse works as a safety device;

 State the dangers of overloading a circuit;

 Demonstrate the wiring of a three-way plug by selecting the best flex size and using
conventional wire colours;

 Discuss the energy transformations that take place to produce mains electricity;

 Discuss energy conservation measures that can be taken in the use of household
electrical appliances;

 Discuss the magnetic effects of electric current;

 Distinguish between natural and artificial lighting;

 Compare and contrast the use of fluorescent tubes, LED bulbs and filament lamps in
providing light;

 Describe how to separate light into its component colours;

 Differentiate between primary and secondary colours of light;

 Discuss the effects produced by mixing various combinations of primary pigments.

Electric current
All things on Earth are made up of tiny particles called atoms. There are many kinds of atoms,
but they all consist of a dense central structure called the nucleus, around which negatively
charged particles called electrons rotate. An electric current is the flow of electrons within a
material.

Materials that allow an electric current to pass through them are called conductors of
electricity. Materials that do not allow an electric current to pass through them are called non-
conductors of electricity or insulators.

Electrolytes are substances which contain charged particles called ions. When they are in a
solution or molten, the ions are free to move around and can carry an electric current. Eg.
Sodium Chloride (salt).

Many of our body fluids are electrolytes, which is why the human body is a good conductor of
electric current.

Electric circuits
In order for an electric current to flow, there must be a complete path around which the
electrons can travel. This complete path is called an electric circuit. An electric circuit needs:

 A source of electricity, such as a cell, battery or mains electricity.

 An appliance such as lamp, refrigerator etc., that uses the energy of electrons to do
work.
  Connecting wire to link the different components in the circuit and provides a complete
path for the electrons.

Circuit symbols

Types of circuits
Series circuit

In a series circuit, all the components in the circuit are connected in one route through which
the current can travel. The same current will flow through each part of the circuit. If one of the
components should become defective or disconnected, no electric current will flow through the
circuit.

Parallel circuit

In a parallel circuit there is more than one route through which current can travel around and
back to the source. Therefore the current splits up to supply each branch of the circuit with
electric current. A defective or disconnected component in one part of a parallel circuit will not
stop the flow of current to the remaining branches in the circuit.
Much of the electric wiring in the home is done in parallel, so that when one appliance is off the
others will still work.

Current, voltage and resistance

Current is the flow of electrons through an electric circuit. The cell or battery provides the
energy to drive the electrons around the circuit. The electrons flow from negative to positive.

The size of the current (rate of electron flow) through a circuit can be measured using an
ammeter. The symbol for electric current is I. the unit of current is the ampere or amp,
abbreviated to the symbol A.
Table of symbols, units and instruments used in Electricity.

Component Symbol Unit of Instrument used

measurement to measure
Current I Ampere/Amp Ammeter
Voltage V Volts/V Voltmeter
Resistance R Ohm - Ω Resistor
Power P Watt/W

Voltage

Voltage is the energy that drives electrons through the electric circuit. The greater the voltage,
the greater will be the number of electrons that pass through the circuit in one second.

The change in voltage between any two points in a circuit is called the potential difference
between those points. The potential difference between two points in a circuit can be
measured using a voltmeter. The voltmeter must always be connected in parallel to the
appliance or component in the circuit across which it will measure the potential difference.

Voltage (potential difference) is given the symbol V. the unit of voltage is the volt (v).

Resistance

Resistance is the hindrance to the flow of charge through an electric circuit. Therefore the
resistance in the circuit will determine the amount of current passing through it. Resistors are
devices that are placed in circuits to deliberately reduce the current through the circuit. The
symbol of resistance is R and the unit is the ohm Ω.

There are two types or resistors, those with a fixed resistance and those with variable
resistance, which are also known as variable resistors o rheostats.

Ohm’s law states that:

At a fixed temperature the current through a conductor is directly proportional to the voltage
across it.

This means that if the voltage is doubled, the current is doubled.

V = IR
Electrical power
The power of an appliance is the rate at which it can do work, or the amount of electrical
energy an appliance uses per second. Power has the symbol P. The unit of power is the watt.
The abbreviation for watt is W.

1000w = 1Kw

The power rating of an electrical appliance can be calculated from the equation P = VI/ watts =
volts x amps.

Also, power = energy / time

Power in watts, energy in joules (J) and time in seconds (s).

Complete Assessment.

How is mains electricity made?

Michael Faraday a British scientist found that, when a magnet was moved inside a coil of wire,
an electric current was produced. Today very large machines called generators are made to
produce electricity on the same principle.

The generators are usually turned using water that forces a turbine to spin. As the turbine spins
it causes the generator to spin which in turn produces electricity.

After electricity is produced at the power station, it is broken down and sent to homes. When
electricity enters your home it first passes through an electric meter which registers the
amount of electrical energy used. The meter records the amount of electricity used in kilowatt-
hour (Kwh). One kilowatt-hour is the amount of electrical power used in one hour.
Reading an electricity meter
Electricity meters can be analogue, with dials or digital, with numbers.

The energy consumption of an appliance is calculated:

Energy used (Kwh) = power rating of an appliance (kilowatts) x time (hours)

The reading above is 71,787 kWh. If the cost of electricity is 2 cents, and the duration of usage was for 1
hour, then the cost of the electricity used will be:

total kWh x time used x cost per unit of electricity.

71,787 x 1 x .02 = $1,435.74 (very expensive)

Safety devices used for electricity

Fuses and circuit breakers are safety devices used in electrical circuits.

If for any reason too high a current flows in a circuit the fuse ‘blows’. The fuse avoids the
danger that the high current might overheat the circuit and perhaps cause a fire.

Fuses are made from a thin wire that melts when too high a current flows through it. This
breaks the circuit and prevents any further flow of electric current.
Energy conservation
We waste a lot of the electricity we use, so being more careful about how we use electricity is
one way of reducing consumption and hence production.

 Turn off appliances, including light, when they are not in use.

 Avoid frequent and lengthy openings of the refrigerator and freezer.

 Make sure that the rubber seal on the door of the refrigerator fits correctly.

 Only use washing machine and dish washer when there is a full load, because the
washer does not use less energy for smaller loads.

Magnetism
A magnet is an object that attracts other objects to it. Each magnet has two poles (or ends) – a
North Pole (N) and a south pole (S). When a small magnet is freely suspended in air it swings
until its North Pole points to the North Pole of the Earth. This is the principle on which the
compass works.

Opposite or unlike poles of magnets attract and like poles repel.

The magnetic field of a magnet is where the magnetic force can be detected. It is strongest at
its poles.
There are two types of magnets:

 Permanent magnets – these are made from iron or from alloys and are magnets all the
time.

 Temporary magnets – magnets for a time.

Magnetic materials are materials that are attracted to magnets. They are usually made from
iron or steel. Non-magnetic materials are materials that are not attracted to magnets.eg.
rubber, paper, wood, plastic, gold, silver, brass.

Electromagnets
An electromagnet is formed when an electric current is passed through a coil of wire
surrounding an iron rod (core). The magnetic effect is lost when the current through the coil is
turned off.

Electromagnets can be made stronger by:

 Increasing the current passing through the coil.

 Increasing the number of windings in the coil.

 Using a U-shape core as the gap between the two poles will have a concentrated
magnetic field.

Electromagnets are commonly used in many appliances such as electric bells, electric relays,
cranes in metal scrap yards, telephones and as switches.
The electric bell
When the switch is pressed current flows through the coil of wire causing the iron rod to
become magnetic and the following steps occur:

 The iron spring attached to the hammer is attracted to the magnetized iron rod which
causes the hammer to hit the gong.

 The circuit becomes broken.

 The iron rod loses it magnetism, releasing the spring with the attached hammer.

 As the magnet releases the spring it moves back to make contact, hence closing the
electric circuit and current begins to flow again.

The bell keeps ringing until the switch is opened.

Light
Light is a form of energy called electromagnetic radiation.

Source of light
Some objects are self-luminous light sources, which mean they produce their own light.eg. sun,
a fire and an electric lamp.

All other light sources are said to be non-luminous, that is they do not produce their own light.
These objects can only be seen when they reflect light. eg. moon.

The filament lamp

A filament lamp is an incandescent source of light, that is, it gives off light because it is very hot.
The lamp consists of a very thin tungsten filament coil, enclosed in a glass case or bulb filled
with an inert gas such as argon, and is mounted on a glass support so that it sits in the middle of
the bulb.

When the bulb is connected to a power supply, an electric current passes through the tungsten
filament. This makes the filament heat up and glows omitting light.
Fluorescent tubes
The fluorescent tube is a sealed cylindrical glass tube that contains mercury vapour and
electrodes at either ends of the tube. A phosphor powder coats the inside of the glass.

When switched on, the current flows through the electrical circuit to the electrodes, which
shoot electrons into the mercury vapour causing it to emit a bluish light and ultraviolet
radiation. When the ultraviolet radiation hits the phosphor powder coating the glass tube, it
causes the coating to emit light.
How does light travel
Light travels in a straight line, which is why we cannot see around corners. Light is generally
represented as straight lines with arrowheads pointing in the direction in which the light travels.
These lines are called rays. A collection of rays is called a beam of light. There are different
types of beams.

Shadows
Shadow is formed when an opaque object or material is placed in the path of light rays. The
shadow is the area that the light cannot reach because the light rays have been blocked by the
object.

The type of shadow formed will depend on the size of the light source relative to the opaque
object:

 When the light source is small, relative to the opaque object. This creates a very dark
shadow called an umbra.

 When the light source is large, some of the light rays will be able to pass the edges of
the opaque object. This result in a shadow with two parts: a very dark central region the
umbra with a lighter region surrounding it called the penumbra. It is often referred to as
a partial shadow.

The effect of different types of material on light

Transparent materials allow light to pass through easily. Objects are seen clearly on the other
side.eg. glass, plastic wrap.

Translucent materials allow some light to pass through them. Objects on the other side can be
seen but not clearly.eg. frosted glass, tracing paper.

Opaque materials do not allow light to pass through them. They block the passage of light.
Objects on the other side cannot be seen.
Light and colour
When white light passes through a glass prism, water droplets or a piece of diamond, it
separates into the seven colours: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. These are
called the spectrum of light, and these are the colours that make up white light. Therefore
white is not really a colour but it is a combination of all the colours of the spectrum.eg.
Rainbow. This separation of a beam of light into the spectrum is called dispersion of light.
Mixing coloured lights
Not all the colours in the spectrum are required to produce white light. White light can be made
from just three colours: red, blue and yellow. They are called primary colours of light. When
pairs of the primary colours of light are mixed, they produced three secondary colours of light –
orange, violet and green.

Primary and Secondary Colours

 Red and blue mixed make violet.

 Blue and yellow mixed make green.
 Red and yellow mixed make orange.

Each secondary colour of light lacks one of the primary colours, which is called its
complementary colour:

 The complementary colour of green is red.

 The complementary colour of violet is yellow.
 The complementary colour of orange is blue.

Any secondary colour of light, when mixed with its complementary colour, will make white light.

Application of colour mixing principles to light

 Stage lighting
 Colour television
 Decorating

The colour of objects depends on the colour of light reflected from the surface.