Physics 30 Lesson 28 Electric Current

I. The electrochemical cell

Count Allessandro Volta (1745 - 1827) was an
Italian scientist who designed the first
electrochemical cell An electrochemical cell is one
in which a s!ontaneous chemical reaction !roduces
electrical energ" Volta#s cell was the first to
!roduce a stead" flow of electric current $ntil his
disco%er"& all electrical e'!eriments used
electrostatic charges !roduced (" friction )ince
the static discharge ha!!ened %er" *uic+l"
e'!eriments were difficult to !erform Volta#s
disco%er" was immediatel" recogni,ed as a ma-or
(rea+-through (" other scientists
.he charge (uilt u! at the electrodes of an
electrochemical cell create a !otential difference (etween the electrodes .he external
cathode (negati%e !ole) on a cell is the anode inside the cell .he internal anode
accumulates electrons from the chemical reaction Anions (negati%el" charged ions)
tra%el to the anode where the" release their electrons .he external anode (!ositi%e
!ole) on a cell is the cathode inside the cell .he internal cathode gi%es electrons awa"
in the chemical reaction Cations (!ositi%el" charged ions) tra%el to the cathode where
the" collect electrons
.he chemical reaction will continue onl" if the e'ternal cathode (internal anode) gi%es
awa" the e'cess electrons it is gathering in the cell& while the e'ternal anode (internal
cathode) must re!lenish its su!!l" of electrons In other words& an e'ternal wire is
re*uired to com!lete the electric circuit /ithout the wire nothing ha!!ens If a
conductor is connected from the e'ternal cathode to the e'ternal anode& electrons will
mo%e through the conductor and the chemical reaction in the cell will continue )ince
the flow is caused (" the !otential difference (etween the e'ternal cathode and the
e'ternal anode it is (elie%ed that the !otential difference forces the electrons through
the conductor .hus& potential difference has incorrectly inherited the name
electromotive force (012) (ecause it forces electrons through the conductor 3owe%er&
the term 012 is still in use .he terms !otential difference and 012 can (e used
interchangea(l" (2or those who are also stud"ing Chemistr" 45& in physics our stud"
focuses on the external circuit connecting the e'ternal cathode to the e'ternal anode
In chemistry& the focus is on what ha!!ens in the internal circuit where ions flow to the
internal cathode and anode)
12 - 1

+
+

cell
e'ternal wire
e'ternal anode
internal cathode
e'ternal cathode
internal anode
II. Current Flow
Andres Am!ere (1775 - 1846) *uic+l" made use of Volta#s
cell to stud" the flow of charge through a conductor .he
stud" of electricit" changed from in%estigating static
electricit" to in%estigating current (flowing) electricit"
Am!ere ga%e an operational definition for current flow (recall
that an o!erational definition is (ased on o(ser%ation& not
on theor")7
/hen a Coulom( (C) of charge flows !ast a gi%en
!oint in a conductor o%er a one second time inter%al&
a current of one Am!ere (1A) e'ists
I 8
*
t
where I current (A) 91 am!ere 8 1 A 8 1 C : s;
* charge (C)
t time (s)
1.
If 12 ' 15
25
electrons flow !ast a gi%en !oint in a conductor o%er 25 seconds& what is
the current<
I 8 * 8 12 ' 15
25
(165 ' 15
-1=
C) 8 9.6
t 25 s
III. !esistance
>eorge )imon ?hm (1787 - 1854) is res!onsi(le for the
earl" stud" of conducti%it" of su(stances 3e found that
some su(stances made (etter conductors than others At
this !oint& it ma" (e !rudent to re%iew the difference
(etween conductors and insulators 0lectric charges
mo%e through and s!read o%er o(-ects A conductor is a
material through which electric charges mo%e easil"
>ood conductors are items such as an" metal (co!!er @
sil%er)& an" ionic solution (dissociated into ions (" the
sol%ent) or hot gases An insulator is an" material that
retards or restricts the flow of electric charge Insulators
include such items as glass& dr" fi(ers& or dr" air
3owe%er& if the !otential difference across the conductor
is large enough& all materials& including insulators& will
conduct electricit"
?hm found it easier to com!are su(stances in terms of their reluctance to allow the
flow of electric charge 3e called the factor resistance and it is in%ersel" related to
conducti%it" ?hm found that the resistance of su(stances was related to se%eral
factors7
12 - 2
1 .he type of material 0ach su(stance has a resistance %alue that is innate to the
material
2 Aesistance is directl" !ro!ortional to the length of the conductor .he longer the
conductor& the greater the resistance .hat is wh" the Cit" of Calgar" as+s
residents to use short cords to !lug their cars in during the winter
4 Aesistance is in%ersel" !ro!ortional to the cross sectional area of the conductor
.he more area& the greater the flow of current Bi+e a water hose& a large diameter
water hose will mo%e more water than a small diameter hose
4 Aesistance is generall" directl" !ro!ortional to the a(solute tem!erature of the
conductor As the tem!erature increases& the resistance increases
Aesistance material ' a(solute tem!erature ' length
cross sectional area
Aesistance is measured in ?hms ( )
I". #hm$s Law
?hm is remem(ered for the sim!le relationshi! +nown as ?hm#s Baw which is7
I 8
V
A
where I current (A)
V !otential difference (V)
A resistance ()
2.
A 65 %olt source is a!!lied across a conductor with a resistance of 45 /hat is the
current flow through the conductor<
I 8 V:A 8 65 V : (45 ) 8 %.&
3.
A 54 mA current is measured across a 475 resistor /hat is the !otential dro!
across the resistor<
V 8 I A 8 54 ' 15
-4
A (475 ) 8 2.&' "
12 - 4
.he limitations of ?hm#s Baw are7
1 It a!!lies onl" to solid conductors It can not (e used to calculate current flow
through a salt solution
2 )ince resistance %aries with tem!erature& ?hm#s law will %ar" with tem!erature
4 It a!!lies to direct current and instantaneous alternating current
4 )ome com(inations of materials conduct charge (etter in one direction than in the
other ?hm#s law does not account for this situation
". The (irection o) electric current
0arl" in the nineteenth centur"& Cen-amin 2ran+lin made the assum!tion that there were
two electrical states7 one with more than the normal amount of electricit"& which he
called a !ositi%e charge& and one with less than the normal amount of electricit"& which
he called a negati%e charge
0lectric current was defined as the rate of mo%ement of electricall" charged !articles
!ast a !oint& so it was onl" natural to assume that the charge mo%ed from an area
where there was an e'cess (!ositi%e charge) to an area where there was a deficit
(negati%e charge) .hus& the direction of the electric current was defined as mo%ing
from the !ositi%e terminal to the negati%e terminal of the source of electric !otential
.his assumption a(out the direction of the electric current is called Dcon%entional
currentD
1uch later& after the con%entional current assum!tion had (ecome firml" entrenched in
scientific literature& the electron was disco%ered It soon (ecame clear that what
actuall" constituted an electric current in a solid conductor (such as a wire) was a flow
of negati%el" charged electrons from the negati%e terminal to the !ositi%e terminal of
the source of electric !otential .his model& fa%ored (" man" !h"sicists since it gi%es a
more accurate re!resentation of what is actuall" ha!!ening in the circuit& is called
Delectron flowD current .he same circuit& using electron-flow current& would a!!ear as7
It should (e noted that the term DcurrentD will (e used to denote the magnitude of the
rate of charge flow 2or e'am!le& a current of ten am!eres can refer to an electron flow
rate of ten coulom(s !er second or a con%entional current of 15 coulom(s !er second
12 - 4
resistor
E

con%entional current
E

electron flow
"I. lternatin* current
.he electric circuits we ha%e (een stud"ing use electrochemical cells ((atteries) which
in%ol%e direct current (FC) In FC electric !ower& the electrons flow down the wire
0lectrons are forced into one end of a wire& which causes an electron to !o! out the
other end Although the indi%idual electrons mo%e relati%el" slowl" down the wire& the
o%erall effect of !ushing one electron in and another electron emerging is almost
instantaneous An analog" would (e a set of (all (earings in a tu(e7 /hen a (all
(earing is !ushed into the tu(e& another one immediatel" !o!s out the other end
3owe%er& there are considera(l" more circuits that o!erate with alternating current
(AC) 2or AC& the electrons %i(rate (ac+ and forth across one location AC !ower is
like a mechanical wa%e G the energ" !asses through the medium %ia %i(rations in the
medium#s !articles AC current is transmitted through the oscillations of the electrons in
a conductor
"II. +an(,in ssi*nment
1 Calculate the amount of current through an electric toaster if it ta+es =55 C of
charge to toast two slices of (read in 15 min (15 A)
2 A light (ul( with a current of 585 A is left (urning for 25 min 3ow much electric
charge !asses through the filament of the (ul(< (=6 ' 15
2
C)
4 A gold-leaf electrosco!e with 125 ' 15
15
e'cess electrons is grounded and
discharges com!letel" in 555 s Calculate the a%erage current through the
grounding wire (45 ' 15
-=
A)
4 A small electric motor draws a current of 545 A 3ow long will it ta+e for 85 C of
charge to !ass through it< (25s)
5 3ow man" electrons !ass through a light (ul( in each second if the (ul( has a
current of 555 A through it< (41 ' 15
18
)
6 A !orta(le radio is connected to a =5 V (atter" and draws a current of 25 mA
/hat is the resistance of the radio< (46 ' 15
2
)
7 An electric clothes dr"er is connected to a 245 V source of electric !otential If it
has a resistance of =2 & calculate the current it draws (25 A)
8 A large tu(e in a tele%ision set has a resistance of 55 ' 15
4
and draws a current
of 165 mA /hat is the !otential difference across the tu(e< (85 ' 15
4
V)
= An electric toaster has a resistance of 12 /hat current will it draw from a 125 V
su!!l"< (15 A)
15 /hat !otential difference is re*uired to !roduce a current of 85 A in a load ha%ing
12 - 5
a resistance of 64 < (51 ' 15
2
V)
11 $sing a diagram of a circuit& e'!lain con%entional current and electron flow /hat
is the difference (etween Dcon%entional currentD and Delectron flow D<
12 - 6
cti-ity . #hm$s Law
Pro/lem0
2ind the resistance of a resistor using ?hmHs law
1aterials0
low-%oltage FC !ower su!!l"
two different resistors (145 & 225 )
FC ammeter
FC %oltmeter
%arious connecting wires
Proce(ure0
1 0ach wooden (loc+ is la(eled with the %alue of the resistor .his will (e "our
theoretical %alue for resistance
2 )et u! the series circuit shown in the diagram using one of the resistors Fo not
turn the !ower on until the circuit has (een chec+ed (" "our teacher
4 .urn the !ower dial so that the %oltmeter reads 25 V 1easure the current on the
ammeter (note the unit for current) Aecord the measurements in a suita(le data
ta(le .urn the !ower su!!l" +no( to increase the %oltage (" 15 V 1easure and
record the !otential difference and the current Ae!eat this !rocedure until "ou
ha%e fi%e !otential difference:current readings
4 Ae!eat ste! 4 for the second resistor
5 Ilot a gra!h such that the slo!e will e*ual the resistance of the resistor Ilot (oth
gra!hs on the same sheet of gra!h !a!er using a different colour for each one
Calculate the resistance of each resistor )how all calculations
6 Calculate the !ercentage of error (etween the gra!hical %alue and the gi%en
%alue
7 /hen loo+ing at the gra!h& how can "ou tell which resistor has the highest
resistance< 0'!lain
12 - 7
V
A
$se the 15 V scale
$se the 55 mA scale