3.

Electric Current &

Direct-Current Circuits

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 DP024
 ANALOGY: Electric circuits

Current:
The actual
“substance”
that is
flowing
through the
wires of the
circuit
Voltage: A force that Resistance: (electrons!)
pushes the current Friction that
through the circuit (in impedes flow of
this picture it would be current through the
equivalent to gravity) circuit (rocks in the
river)

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 4.1 Electric Current &
Direct-Current Circuits
(a) Define and use electric current, I =
dQ
dt
(b) Define and use resistivity,
RA
ρ=
l

(c) State and use Ohm’s law

(d) Sketch V-I graph for ohmic conductor
(e) Calculate the effective resistance of resistors in series and parallel by
showing the following formulae:
i. Series: 𝑅𝑒𝑓𝑓 = 𝑅1 + 𝑅2 + 𝑅3 + … + 𝑅𝑛

ii. Parallei, 1 1 1 1 1
= + + + ⋯+
𝑅𝑒𝑓𝑓 𝑅1 𝑅2 𝑅3 𝑅𝑛

(Experiment 4: Ohm’s law: Resistor in Series & Parallel)

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 (a) Define and use Electric
Current, I
 Electric current, I is defined as the rate of flow of charge
Mathematically,
dQ
Q Instantaneous I=
Average
current
I= current dt
t
where Q is charge
n is the number of electrons flow
e = charge of electron = 1.6 10 −19 C

 One Ampere is the flow of one Coulomb charge through an

area in one second
1 coulomb
1 ampere = = 1 C s −1
1 second

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 It is a base and scalar quantity
Electric Current, I S.I. unit: ampere (A).

 Consider a simple closed circuit consists of

wires, a battery and a light bulb as shown

 From the diagram,

 Direction of electric field or electric current:

(+)ve to (–)ve

 Direction of electron flows: (–)ve to (+)ve

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Example 4.1
(a) There is a current of 0.5 A (b) A silver wire carries a
in a flashlight bulb for 2 current of 3.0 A.
min. How much charge Determine
passes through the bulb (i) the number of electrons
during this time? per second pass through
the wire,
N
Solution: = 1.88  1019 electrons s −1
t
(ii) the amount of charge
Q flows through a cross-
I= sectional area of the wire
t
in 55 s.
Q = 60 C Q = 165 C

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(b) Define and use resistivity
Resistivity,  (specific resistance)
 is defined as the resistance of a unit cross-
sectional area per unit length of the
material
ρ=
RA where R= resistance,
l
A= cross sectional area
 Scalar quantity l = length
 Unit: ohm meter ( m)

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 Resistivity, 
Material Resistivity,  (  m)
 It is a measure of a material’s Silver 1.59  10−8
ability to oppose the flow of
Copper 1.68  10−8
an electric current
Aluminum 2.82  10−8
 Resistivity depends on the type
of the material & Gold 2.44  10−8
temperature Glass 1010−1014
 A good electric conductors  Conductivity,  * EXTRA
have a very low resistivities,  is defined as the reciprocal of the
 good insulators  have very resistivity of a material
high resistivitiesa1s4s Mathematically,
1
 Scalar quantity, σ=
unit: −1 m−1 ρ

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Example 4.2
A constantan wire of length Solution:
1.0m and cross sectional L = 1.0 m,
area of 0.5 mm2 has a A = 0.5 mm2 = 0.5 x 10–6 m2,
resistivity of 4.9 x 10–7 Ωm. ρ = 4.9 x 10–7 Ω m
Find the resistance of the
wire. L
Using: R=
A
4.9 10−7 (1.0)
=
0.5 10−6
R = 0.98 

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Example 4.3
Two wires P and Q with
circular cross section are made ρl
RP = 3RQ and R =
of the same metal and have A 2
equal length. If the resistance ρP l P ρQ lQ πd
=3 and A =
of wire P is three times greater AP AQ 4
than that of wire Q, determine
the ratio of their diameters. 4 ρl  4 ρl 
= 3 
Solution: πd P
2  πd 2 
 Q 
Same metal: P = Q
dQ dP 1
Same length: lP = lQ = 3 OR =
dP dQ 3

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Exercise 4.1
1. A wire 5.0 m long and 3.0 mm in diameter has a
resistance of 100 . A 15 V of potential difference is
applied across the wire. Determine
(a) the current in the wire,
(b) the resistivity of the wire,
(c) the rate at which heat is being produced in the wire.
(College Physics,6th edition,Wilson, Buffa & Lou, Q75,
p.589)

ANS: 0.15 A; 1.414  10−4  m; 2.25 W

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(c) State and use Ohm’s law
 Ohm’s law states that the potential difference, V
across a conductor is proportional to the
current, I flowing through it if its temperature is
constant

 V I where T is constant

 Then
V = IR
where R = resistance

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Resistance, R – A ratio of the potential difference
across an electrical component to the current passing
through it V
R=
I
 Scalar quantity, unit: ohm ( ) or V A−1

Cross
Length, l sectional
 In general, the
area, A resistance of
a conductor
Type of
material
Temperature increases
Resistance with
temperature
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(d) Sketch V-I graph for ohmic
conductor
V (V)
 Materials that obey Ohm’s law are
materials that have constant
resistance over a wide range of
voltage  ohmic conductor
Gradient, m  Materials that do not obey the
=R Ohm’s law  non-ohmic
conductors
0 I (A)

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Revision
Q = It Q = ne
V (V)
Ohm' s Law Ohmic conductor (metal)

V I V = IR
Gradient, m
=R
RA
ρ=
l
0 I (A)
1
σ=
ρ
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(e) Calculate the effective
resistance of resistors in series &
parallel
Resistance of resistors in

(a) Series (b) Parallel

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 Resistors in
Series
 Consider three resistors are
connected in series to the
battery
Characteristics:  From the definition of
 Same current I flows resistance, thus
through each resistor V1 = IR1 ;V2 = IR2 ;V3 = IR3 ;V = IReff
I = I1 = I 2 = I 3 Substituting for V1, V2 , V3 and V
 Total potential difference, V
(Assumption: the connecting IReff = IR1 + IR2 + IR3
wires have no resistance)
Reff = R1 + R2 + R3
V = V1 + V2 + V3 where
Reff: effective) resistance

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 Resistors in
Parallel
 Consider three resistors are
connected in parallel to the
battery
Characteristics:  From the definition of
resistance, thus
 Same potential V V V V
difference, V across I1 = ; 2
I = ; I 3 = ; I =
R1 R2 R3 Reff
each resistor
V = V1 = V2 = V3 Substituting for I1, I2 , I3 and I
V V V V
= + +
 Total current in the Reff R1 R2 R3
circuit 1 1 1 1
I = I1 + I 2 + I 3 = + +
Reff R1 R2 R3
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 In the series case the same current
flows through both bulbs.
Series VS Parallel If one of the bulbs burns out, there
will be no current at all in the
 When connected to the circuit, and neither bulb will glow
same source, two light
bulbs in series draw less
power and glow less
brightly than when they
are in parallel
In the parallel case the potential difference
across either bulb remains equal if one of the
bulbs burns out. The current through the
functional bulb remains equal and the power
delivered to that bulb remains the same . This is
another of the merits of a parallel arrangement
of light bulbs: If one fails, the other bulbs are
unaffected. This principle is used in household
wiring systems
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 A
R2
Example 4.4
R4 R3 R1
What is the equivalent
resistance of the resistors in B
figure below?
A

R2 R2
R1
R34
A
R4 R1
R3
B
B
A

3
R1= R2= R 3= R4= 1 Ω R234 R1 RE = 
5

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B
Example 4.5
Find the effective resistance Solution:
for the circuit shown below.

1 1 1 = 1 +1 = 6
= +
Rp R1 R 2 10 2 10
Rp = 1.67 
RE = R 3 + R p
= 1.67 + 5.0
RE = 6.67
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Example 4.6
For the circuit below, calculate the effective
resistance of the circuit,

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Solution:
R1 R2 R12

R3 R3

V V

a.The resistors R1 and R2 are in series, thus R12 is

R12 = R1 + R2 R12 = 4.0 + 12
R12 = 16 
Since R12 and R3 are in parallel, therefore Reff is given by
1 1 1 1 1 1
= + = +
Reff R12 R3 Reff 16 2
Reff = 1.78 
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 Solution:
Example 4.7 Given R1 = 5.0, R2 = 5.0,
R3=10, R4 = 20 , R5=10 
A
R4
R3
R5 R1
R2
B
A
For the circuit above, R4
calculate the effective R5
R3
R12
resistance between the
points A and B.
B
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 Solution:
Example 4.7 Given R1 = 5.0, R2 = 5.0,
R3=10, R4 = 20 , R5=10 
 R1 and R2 are connected
A
in series, thus R12 is R4
R12 = R1 + R2 R5
R3
R1
R12 = 5.0 + 5.0 = 10  R2
B
A
R4
R3
R5 R12

B
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Solution:

A Since R12 and R3 are connected in

R4
parallel , thus R123 is given by
R5 R123
1 1 1 1 1 1
= + = +
R123 R12 R3 R123 10 10
B
R123 = 5.0 
A
R123 and R4 are connected in series ,
R5 R1234 thus R1234 is given by
R1234 = R123 + R4 R1234 = 5.0 + 20

B R1234 = 25 

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Solution:
A

Reff

Since R1234 and R5 are connected in parallel , therefore the

effective resistance Reff is given by
1 1 1
= +
Reff R1234 R5
1 1 1
= +
Reff 25 10
Reff = 7.14 
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Exercise 4.2

(a) What is the total resistance of the circuit (watch

out for the bear trap)?
(b) What is the current through each resistor?
(c) What is the total current?
ANS: 12.8; 0.40A, 0.30A, 0.24A; 0.94A
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Exercise 4.3
1. Determine the equivalent resistances of the resistors below.
2.0 
8.0 
2.0 
2.0  16  20 
2.0  16 

9.0 
6.0  6.0 
18 
10 
4.0  ANS: 0.80 ; 2.7 ; 8.0 
6.0 

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Exercise 4.4
2. The circuit below includes a
battery with a finite internal
resistance, r = 0.50 .
(a) Determine the current flowing
through the 7.1  and 3.2 
resistors.
(b) How much current flows
through the battery?
(c) What is the potential difference
between the terminals of the
battery? (Physics,3th edition, James
S.Walker, Q39, p.728)
ANS: 1.1 A, 0.3 A; 1.4 A; 11.3 V

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