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CHAPTER -3 Nichrome is used as heating element of

CURRENT ELECTRICITY electrical devices
Electric current • Nichrome has High resistivity
• It is the rate of flow of electric charge. • High melting point.
q , It is scalar quantity. Ohmic conductors
I=
t • Conductors which obey ohm’s law.
• SI unit – ampere (A) • Eg: metals
Current density Non ohmic conducors
• Current flowing through unit area. • Conductors do not obey ohm’s law.
• J = I , Unit – A/m2 • Eg: diode, transistor etc.
A
Temperature and resistance
Drift velocity
• Conductors – resistance increases with
• Average velocity of an electron in an
temperature.
electric field.
Relaxation time
• Average time interval between two
successive collisions.
Relation connecting drift velocity and relaxation • Semiconductors – resistance decreases
time with temperature
eEτ
v=−
m
Relation connecting drift velocity and current • Alloys – independent of temperature
• I = nAve , n-electron density, A –area,
v- drift velocity, e- electron charge
Ohm’s law
• At constant temperature V = IR , Why materials like constantan and manganin
V- potential, I – current, R- resistance are used to make standard resistances?
Resistance • Resistance does not change with
• Ability of conductor to oppose electric temperature.
current. • Material has high resistivity.
ρl Colour code of resistors
• SI unit – ohm , R = , ρ- resistivity
A
Factors affecting resistance of a conductor
• Nature of material
• Proportional to length of the conductor
• Inversely proportional to area of cross
section.
• Proportional to temperature
Resistivity (specific resistance) • BB ROY of Great Britain has a Very Good
RA Wife.
• ρ= , Unit – ohm meter
l
• Resistivity of conductor depends on
nature of material and Temperature
Conductivity Combination of resistors
1 Resistors in Series
• Reciprocal of resistivity σ =
ρ
Copper is used as for making connecting wires
• Copper has low resistivity.
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• In series current same, potential different. Wheatstone’ s principle

• V = V1 + V2 + V3 , thus IR = IR1 + IR2 + IR3 • If galvanometer current is zero, P R
=
Q S
• Therefore R = R1 + R2 + R3
Meter bridge
Resistors in parallel • Works on Wheatstone’s principle.
• Used to find resistance of a wire.
Circuit diagram

• In parallel current different, potential

same.
• I = I1 + I 2 + I 3 , thus V = V + V + V
R R1 R2 R3
• When no current in the galvanometer,
• Therefore 1 = 1 + 1 + 1
R R1 R 2 R 3
Internal resistance of a cell Potentiometer
• Resistance offered by the components of Principle
a cell. • Secondary emf is proportional to
balancing length that is E α l.
Comparison of emfs
Circuit diagram

• Internal resistance is given by

• Where E – emf, I –current

Factors affecting internal resistance
• Nature of electrolytes
• We have, E1α l1 and E2α l2
• Distance between electrodes
• Temperature E l
• Thus 1 α 1
Kirchhoff’s rule E 2 l2
First rue (junction rule) To find internal resistance
• Current entering a junction = current Circuit diagram
leaving the junction

Second rule (loop rule) • The internal resistance is given by

• In a closed circuit algebraic sum of
voltages is zero.
Wheatstone’ s bridge
• Used to find unknown resistance •Where l1- balancing length key K1open,
l2- balancing length key K1 closed
Why potentiometer is preferred over voltmeter
for measuring emf of a cell?
• In potentiometer null method is used, so
no energy loss in measurement.
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