Copyright by Holt, Rinohart and Winston. All rights rosorvod.

Interactive Textbook 141 Introduction to Electricity

5ECIION
2
|ertrr Curreot aod |ertrra| oery
Introduction to Electricity
Namo Class Dato
After you read this section, you shouId be abIe to answer
these questions:

What is oloctric curront?

What is voltago?

What is rosistanco?

How doos a coll produco oloctrical onorgy?

What aro thormocouplos and photocolls?

What Is EIectric Current!
Wo uso oloctricity ovory day to watch TV, uso a
computor, or turn on a light. Eloctricity makos all of
thoso things work.
E|eclrca| enerq is tho onorgy of oloctric chargos. In
most of tho things that uso oloctrical onorgy, tho chargos
(oloctrons) flow through wiros.
Tho drawing bolow shows oloctrons moving through a
wiro whon it is connoctod to a battory. This movomont is
callod an e|eclrc cvrrenl. Eloctric curronts provido tho
onorgy to things that uso oloctrical onorgy.
+
When a wire is connected to a
battery, electrons will move
through the wire. Electrons moving
through a wire make up current.
This provides energy to the things
that you use every day.
An eIecIric currenI is tho rato at which chargos pass
a givon point. Eloctric curront is liko tho curront of a rivor
or a stroam. Whon tho curront is high, moro chargos pass
tho point oach socond, liko a fast-flowing rivor. Wo talk
about oloctric curront in units callod aujeres, or aujs.
Tho symbol for amporo is A. In oquations, tho symbol for
curront is tho lottor !.
8EFDRE D0 RE40
NationaI 5cience
Education 5tandards
P5 Ja

keading 0rganizer As you
read this section, make a
table. The table should de-
scribe what electric current,
voltage, and resistance are
and how one property affects
another property.
RE40INC CHECK
1. Describe What movement
causes an electric current in
a wire!
RE40INC CHECK
2. Name What unit is used
to measure electric current!
What is its symbol!
ChAPIk T

Copyright by Holt, Rinohart and Winston. All rights rosorvod.
Interactive Textbook 142 Introduction to Electricity
5ECIION 2
Namo Class Dato
Electric Current and Electrical Energy
MAKINC CHAkCE5 MOVE
Whon you flip tho switch on a flashlight, tho light comos
on quickly. But do chargos in tho battory instantly roach tho
bulb? No, thoy don't. Whon you flip tho switch, it sots up an
oloctric fiold in tho wiro at tho spood of light. Tho oloctric
fiold makos tho froo oloctrons in tho wiro movo. Tho onorgy
of oach oloctron is transforrod instantly to tho noxt oloctron.
COMMANDINC ELECIkON5 IO MOVE
Whon you flip a switch, tho oloctric fiold is croatod vory
quickly. All of tho oloctrons start moving through tho wiro at
tho samo timo. Think of tho oloctric fiold as a command to tho
oloctrons to movo ahoad. Tho light comos on right away
bocauso all of tho oloctrons oboy tho command at tho samo
timo. So, tho curront that lights tho bulb starts vory quickly
ovon though oach oloctron movos slowly. A singlo oloctron may
tako moro than an hour to travol through ono motor of wiro.
AC AND DC
Thoro aro two kinds of oloctric currontdrecl cvrrenl
(DC) and a|lernalnq cvrrenl (AC). In tho drawing bolow
you can soo that in diroct curront, tho chargos always
flow in tho samo diroction. In altornating curront, tho
diroction of tho chargos continually changos. It movos in
ono diroction, thon in tho opposito diroction.
ONE WAY
Die Ce
IWO WAY
AIeai Ce
Charges move in one direction in DC, but charges continually
change direction in AC.
Tho oloctric curront from tho battorios in a camora or
a flashlight is DC. Tho curront from outlots in your
homo is AC. In tho Unitod Statos, tho altornating curront
changos diroctions 1zO timos oach socond. That moans it
has 6O cyclos oach socond.
Both kinds of curront givo you oloctrical onorgy. For
oxamplo, if you connoct a flashlight bulb to a battory, tho
bulb will light. And, you can light a housohold bulb by
putting it in a lamp and turning it on.
5IANDAkD5 CHECK
P5 Ja Energy is a property of
many substances and is associ-
ated with heat, light, electricity,
mechanical motion, sound,
nuclei, and the nature of a
chemical. Energy is transferred
in many ways.
J. ExpIain What makes
electrons move when you
turn on a lamp!
,-...e-! J-.--.-_
4. Describe What kind of
current makes a refrigerator
run and in what direction do
the charges move!
Copyright by Holt, Rinohart and Winston. All rights rosorvod.
Interactive Textbook 143 Introduction to Electricity
5ECIION 2
Namo Class Dato
Electric Current and Electrical Energy
What Is VoItage!
If you aro on a biko at tho top of a hill, you can roll
down to tho bottom. This happons bocauso of tho dif-
foronco in hoight botwoon tho two points. Tho hill" that
causos chargos in a circuit to movo is voltago. This pro-
coss can occur in an oloctric circuit.
VoIIage is tho potontial difforonco botwoon two points
in a circuit. Wo uso volts, V, as to moasuro voltago. Wo
writo voltago in oquations with tho lottor V.
VOLIACE AND ENEkCY
Voltago is a moasuro of how much work is noodod
to movo a chargo botwoon two points. Voltago is liko
tho wator prossuro in your plumbing systom. Moro volts
moans moro onorgy pushing oloctrons through tho wiro.
VOLIACE AND ELECIkIC CUkkENI
Tho voltago botwoon two points on a wiro causos chargos
to flow through tho wiro. Tho sizo of tho curront doponds on
tho voltago. If tho voltago botwoon two points on a wiro is
incroasod, moro curront will flow in tho wiro.
DIFFEkENI KIND5 OF VOLIACE
Difforont dovicos nood difforont amounts of curront to
run. So, battorios aro mado with many difforont voltagos.
For oxamplo, it takos a largo curront to start a car. So, tho
battory in a car has a high voltago, 1z V. Things that run
on battorios ofton nood a low voltago. For oxamplo, a
portablo radio might nood only J V. If you havo a dovico
that usos diroct curront, you would probably uso ono of
tho battorios in tho photo bolow.
12 v
9 v
1.5 v
6 v
atteries are made with various voltages for
use in many different devices.
Most dovicos in your homo uso altornating curront
from an outlot. In tho Unitod Statos, outlots usually havo
AC at 1zO V. So, things liko TVs, toastors, and clocks run
on 1zO V.
RE40INC CHECK
5. Describe What happens to
the electric current in a wire
when voltage is increased!
,-...e-! J-.--.-_
6. AnaIyze Why do batteries
come in different sizes and
voltages!
Copyright by Holt, Rinohart and Winston. All rights rosorvod.
Interactive Textbook 144 Introduction to Electricity
5ECIION 2
Namo Class Dato
Electric Current and Electrical Energy
What Is kesistance!
Havo you ovor triod to run in a swimming pool? Tho
wator makos it hard for you to movo ahoad. That's a typo
of rosistanco.
With oloctricity, rosistanco is a factor that dotorminos
tho amount of curront in a wiro. ReaiaIance is tho ojjoslon
to tho flow of oloctric chargo. Opposition moans to work
against." So, a matorial that is rosistant lowors tho flow of
curront. Wo uso ohus () as a moasuro of rosistanco. In
oquations, tho symbol for rosistanco is tho lottor E.
You can think of rosistanco as oloctrical friction." Tho
highor tho rosistanco of a matorial, tho lowor tho curront
flowing through it. So, if tho voltago doos not chango, as
rosistanco goos up, tho curront goos down.
Rosistanco doponds on four things: an objoct's thicknoss,
longth, tho matorial it is mado of, and tomporaturo.
kE5I5IANCE, IHICKNE55, AND LENCIH
Tho figuro bolow shows how tho thicknoss and longth
of a wiro affoct tho wiro's rosistanco. This figuro com-
paros tho flow of oloctricity through a wiro to wator that
flows through a pipo. Tho pipo fillod with gravol is liko a
wiro. Tho wator is liko tho flow of oloctric chargos.
A short pipe has less resistance than a long pipe does. This is because
the water in a short pipe does not have to move around as many pieces
of gravel.
A thick pipe has far less resistance than a thin pipe does. This is because
there are more spaces between pieces of gravel in a thick pipe for water to
how around.
RE40INC CHECK
7. Describe What is resis-
tance and how does it affect
the how of current!
RE40INC CHECK
8. List What are the four fac-
tors that affect resistance!
Copyright by Holt, Rinohart and Winston. All rights rosorvod.
Interactive Textbook 145 Introduction to Electricity
5ECIION 2
Namo Class Dato
Electric Current and Electrical Energy
kE5I5IANCE AND MAIEkIAL
Matorials with difforont amounts of rosistanco can do
difforont jobs. Cood conductors, such as coppor, havo low
rosistanco. Eloctricity flows oasily through thom. That's
why wo uso good conductors to mako oloctrical wiro.
Poor conductors, such as iron, havo highor rosistanco.
Matorials with high rosistanco aro usoful. For oxamplo,
tho tiny wiro in a light bulb is mado of rosistant matorial.
It hoats up and givos off light
kE5I5IANCE AND IEMPEkAIUkE
Rosistanco also doponds on tomporaturo. Tho rosis-
tanco of motals usually incroasos as tomporaturo risos.
Tho atoms vibrato fastor at highor tomporaturos. Thoy got
in tho way of tho flowing oloctric chargos.
If you cool cortain matorials to a vory low tompora-
turo, rosistanco will drop to O . Matorials in this stato
aro svjercondvclors. Vory littlo onorgy is wastod whon
oloctric chargos movo in a suporconductor. Howovor, it
takos a largo amount of onorgy to cool thom.
Sciontists aro studying how to uso suporconductors
to storo and transmit onorgy. Ono possiblo application of
suporconductors is uaq|ei lrans. Thoso aro trains that
uso magnots mado by an oloctric curront in coils of wiro.
Tho magnotic fiold producod raisos tho train abovo tho
track and pulls it along. If tho coils could bo mado from a
suporconducting matorial, oporating tho train would cost
much loss than it doos today.
Cne interesting property of superconductors is that they repel
magnets. The superconductor in this photograph is repelling
the magnet so strongly that the magnet is hoating.
,-...e-! J-.--.-_
9. Infer Toasters and space
heaters heat up when current
hows through them. Do
they use material with low
resistance or high resistance!

lnvestigate Research how
superconductors work and
their potential uses and
report to the class.
Copyright by Holt, Rinohart and Winston. All rights rosorvod.
Interactive Textbook 146 Introduction to Electricity
5ECIION 2
Namo Class Dato
Electric Current and Electrical Energy
How Do We Cenerate EIectricaI Energy!
Rocall that onorgy cannot bo croatod or dostroyod. It
can only bo changod into othor kinds of onorgy. Many
things chango onorgy into oloctrical onorgy. For oxamplo,
gonorators convort mochanical onorgy (tho onorgy of
motion) into oloctrical onorgy. CeIIa convort chomical
onorgy or radiant onorgy from tho sun into oloctrical
onorgy. Battorios aro mado of ono or moro colls.
How a Cell Works
FIow
A chemical reaction
with the electrolyte
leaves extra electrons
on one electrode. This
electrode is made of
zinc.
a
A different chemical
reaction causes elec-
trons to be pulled off
the other electrode. In
this cell, this electrode
is made of copper.
b
If the electrodes
are connected by a
wire, electrons how
through the wire and
ions move in the
electrolyte. The mov-
ing charges make an
electric current.
c
PAkI5 OF A CELL
A coll, such as tho ono in tho picturo abovo, contains
a mixturo of chomicals callod an e|eclro|le. Eloctrolytos
allow chargos to flow. Evory coll also has a pair of oloc-
trodos mado from conducting matorials. Chargos ontor or
oxit oloctrodos through wiros. Chomical changos botwoon
tho oloctrolyto and tho oloctrodos convort chomical
onorgy into oloctrical onorgy.
KIND5 OF CELL5
Two kinds of colls aro wot colls and dry colls. Wot colls,
such as tho ono abovo, havo liquid oloctrolytos. A car bat-
tory is mado of sovoral wot colls that uso sulfuric acid as
tho oloctrolyto. You can mako your own wot coll by pok-
ing strips of zinc and coppor into a lomon. Whon tho motal
strips aro connoctod, tho coll gonoratos onough oloctrical
onorgy to run a small clock or light a small light.
Dry colls work in a similar way. But tho oloctrolytos in
dry colls aro solid or liko pasto. Radios and flashlights uso
battorios with dry colls.

10. Identify What are the
parts of a cell!
RE40INC CHECK
11. Name What are two
kinds of cells!
Copyright by Holt, Rinohart and Winston. All rights rosorvod.
Interactive Textbook 14? Introduction to Electricity
5ECIION 2
Namo Class Dato
Electric Current and Electrical Energy
PHOIOCELL5
If you look at a solar-poworod calculator, you will soo
a dark strip callod a so|ar jane|. This panol is mado of
sovoral photocolls. A phoIoceII convorts light onorgy into
oloctrical onorgy. How do photocolls work? Most photo-
colls contain silicon atoms. As long as light shinos on tho
photocoll, oloctrons gain onough onorgy to movo botwoon
atoms. Tho oloctrons can movo through a wiro to provido
oloctrical onorgy to powor a dovico, such as a calculator.
With largor panols, photocolls can provido onorgy to
buildings and cars. Largo panols of photocolls aro ovon
usod on satollitos. Photocolls chango light onorgy from
tho sun into oloctrical onorgy to powor tho many dovicos
on tho satollito.
IHEkMOCOUPLE5
Wo can chango thormal onorgy (hoat onorgy) into
oloctrical onorgy with a IhermocoupIe. Tho picturo
bolow shows a simplo thormocouplo. You can mako a
thormocouplo by joining wiros mado of two difforont
motals into a loop. Tho tomporaturo difforonco in tho loop
causos chargos to flow through tho loop. You must hoat
ono part of tho loop and cool tho othor. Tho groator tho
tomporaturo difforonco, tho groator tho curront.
Thormocouplos do not usually gonorato much onorgy.
But, thoy aro usoful for monitoring tho tomporaturos of
car onginos, furnacos, and ovons.
Copper wire
urner
Iron wire
Ice water
Current meter
In a simple thermo-
couple, one section
of the loop is heated
and one section is
cooled. The current
meter shows that
an electric current is
produced.
RE40INC CHECK
12. Name What device
changes light energy into
electrical energy!
RE40INC CHECK
1J. Name What device
changes heat energy into
electrical energy!
Copyright by Holt, Rinohart and Winston. All rights rosorvod.
Interactive Textbook 14S Introduction to Electricity
Namo Class Dato
5ECIION VOCAULAkY
cell in electricity, a device that produces an elec-
tric current by converting chemical or radiant
energy into electrical energy
electric current the rate at which charges pass
through a given point; measured in amperes
gbotocell a device that converts light energy
into electrical energy
resistance in physical science, the opposition
presented to the current by a material or
device
tbermocougle a device that converts thermal
energy into electrical energy
voltage the potential difference between two
points; measured in volts
1. ExpIain Colls can convort what typos of onorgy to mako an oloctrical curront?
2. AppIy Concepts Tho two wiros bolow aro mado of coppor. Thoy also havo tho
samo tomporaturo. Which wiro has tho lowor rosistanco? How can you toll?
A 8
3. Describe What is tho difforonco botwoon altornating curront and diroct curront?
What typo of curront runs in tho wiros of your houso?
4. Describe How doos incroasing rosistanco affoct tho curront?
5. Make Inferences How doos tho curront from a 1.b V flashlight battory comparo to
tho curront from a 1z V car battory? Explain.
6. Describe What aro tho throo factors that would givo a pioco of coppor wiro high
rosistanco?
Sertoo 2 kevew N5E5 P5 Ja