assignment of physics electricity

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• What Is Electricity?

Lesson What Is Electricity?

Grade Level: 5 (5-6)

Time Required: 1 hours 15 minutes

Lesson Dependency: None

Subject Areas: Physical Science, Physics, Science and Technology

NGSS Performance Expectations:

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• Is It Shocking?

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An understanding of electricity is important for general technological literacy. In addition, many engineering careers require a fundamental knowledge of electricity in order to invent and design technologies and products that we depend upon every day. Electricity is present everywhere in our modern lives and engineers who specialize in electricity (electrical engineers) make that possible.

After this lesson, students should be able to:

• Relate the flow of electrons to current.
• Correlate the flow of water with the flow of electricity in a system.
• Explain that static electricity is the buildup of a charge (either net positive or net negative) over a surface.
• Compare and contrast two forms of electricity—current and static.
• Name a few engineering careers that involve electricity.

Educational Standards Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards. All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN) , a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org). In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g. , by state; within source by type; e.g. , science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc .

Ngss: next generation science standards - science.

International Technology and Engineering Educators Association - Technology

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State Standards

California - science, indiana - science, oklahoma - science.

Students should be familiar with different forms of energy, including exposure to the term "electrical energy," the basics of matter, and the structure of an atom.

(Write the following sentences on the classroom board, or ask a few students to do so.)

• Astrid turned on the computer.
• When someone shuffles their feet on the carpet, their hair gets crazy and stands up.
• I need to charge my cell phone battery.
• Lightning struck during the last storm.
• The engineer wired the circuit board.
• A lot of power is made in the desert using solar panels.
• After someone slides down the slide, they can shock you.

What do all these sentences have in common? (Give students some time to consider; listen to their ideas.) All these sentences involve electricity.

We use electricity every day, but you may not know what it is, how it works and how we can control it. So that you understand electricity, this lesson will build on the science you already know, such as energy, the parts of an atom and types of materials.

How many of these sentences involved an engineer or engineered technology? (See if students can figure it out; answer: 1, 3, 5 and 6.)

Everyone, take a moment to write a sentence that relates engineering and electricity? (Give students some time; then ask a few students to share their answers. As desired, provide additional information on the topic, such as: engineers make, control and give us ways to use electricity.)

Many fields of engineering require that people have a good understanding of electricity. For example, chemical engineers study the reactions responsible for producing charged particles to create electricity. Material engineers make many substances that serve as conductors and insulators. Electrical engineers are able to control electricity by changing the current or resistivity. This lesson covers the basics of electricity and materials so when we conduct the associated activity Is It Shocking? you can act as if you are engineers to select the best materials for retaining and releasing electricity.

Lesson Background and Concepts for Teachers

Prepare to show students the 19-slide What Is Electricity? Presentation , a PowerPoint® file, guided by the slide notes below. Note the critical thinking questions/answers included in the notes for slides 8, 10 and 12. For two simple classroom demos, have handy water and containers, and some inflated balloons.

Electricity is the flow or presence of charged particles (usually electrons). Remind students of the two types of charged particles in an atom (protons and electrons). Expect students to already have an appreciation for the importance of electricity, which can be cultivated by discussing as a class or creatively writing about what a day without electricity might be like (as provided on slides 1-2).

(Slide 1) While students are looking at the images of an electrical transmission tower and a wall of televisions in a store, ask them: How would your life be different with no electricity?

(Slide 2) Prompt: A power outage has just happened in your city. What actions from your daily life would not be possible without electricity? Use this hypothetical scenario to start a class discussion or creative writing exercise. For example, brainstorm as a class and then give students 15-20 minutes to write on their own.

Why do we bother learning about electricity? The point of the hooks in the first two slides is to emphasize that we constantly use electricity and that our lives would be dramatically different if we did not have access to electricity. Thus, understanding electricity is important in our daily lives.

(Slide 3) Topic preview: electricity, conductors, insulators, current, static charge.

(Slide 4) What are atoms? Expect the structure of an atom to be a review for students. If not, spend more time on this topic. Atoms are the basic unit of all elements of matter. They are made of electrons, protons and neutrons. The center nucleus contains the protons and neutrons.

(Slide 5) What are electrons? Electric charge is the physical property of matter that causes it to experience a force when near other electrically charged matter. Two types of electric charges exist—positive and negative. Positively charged substances are repelled from other positively charged substances, but attracted to negatively charged substances; negatively charged substances are repelled from negatively charged substances and attracted to positively charged substances. An object is negatively charged if it has an excess of electrons; otherwise, it is positively charged or uncharged (neutral).

(Slide 6) Students may not have an understanding of flow. As necessary, clarify with a simple demo: Have students pour water from one container to another to provide a tangible understanding of the concept of flow. The key point is that flow is movement ! Technically, electricity is the flow of any charged particles. The mnemonic device of "ELECTRicity and ELECTRons" may help students remember.

(Slide 7) Conductors are materials that are good at conducting electricity! In conductors, electrons are free to move around and flow easily. This is not true for insulators, in which the electrons are more tightly bound to the nuclei (which we'll discuss next). When current is applied, electrons move in the same direction.

In preparation for review questions, ask students to think of other metals they know about. You may want to discuss the properties of metals (bendable/ductile, metallic in color) to review students' knowledge of materials.

(Slide 8) Metals, such as copper, are conductors. Copper is an excellent conductor of electricity.

Critical thinking question: How would we test whether something is a good conductor? Answer: By connecting a wire of the material we want to test to a low-voltage battery with a light bulb connected to it. (It may be helpful to draw a sketch of this setup on the classroom board.) If the tested wire is a good conductor, the bulb lights up.

(Slide 9) In insulators, the electrons are more tightly bound to the nuclei (plural for nucleus) of the atoms. So in these materials, the electrons do not flow easily. What are some everyday examples? For example, most of our homes have fiberglass insulation that prevents inside heat from FLOWING outside through the walls of our houses, and the foam cozy that keeps soda from warming in the hot summer air temperatures.

Think about safety measures for electricians. Where would you want to put insulators? (Answer: Anywhere around conductors that you might touch, such as wires that carry electricity.)

Are the words "conductor" and "insulator" antonyms or synonyms? (Answer: Antonyms, or opposites.)

Are insulators such as glass, wood and rubber considered metals or nonmetals? Think of the periodic table and the primary elemental components of these materials (silicon for glass, carbon for wood, and carbon and oxygen for rubber). (Answer: Nonmetals.)

(Slide 10) Rubber is an example of a good insulator. Critical thinking question: We know that insulators and conductors are opposites. Do you think rubber is a good or poor conductor? Why? (Answer: Since rubber is a good insulator, it must be a poor conductor because they are opposite properties.) When students answer correctly, click to reveal the "poor conductor" bullet.

(Slide 11) Is the photograph labeled correctly with which is the conductor and which is the insulator? (Answer: Yes, this picture is labeled correctly. Copper is a metal; most metals make good conductors. Current does not flow easily through rubber, which makes it a good insulator to wrap around the copper wire.)

(Slide 12) Next we'll discuss current, which is the flow of electricity/electrons. We often use water to understand electrical systems because of their similarities. For example, water can build up pressures, like in a dam, and flow like in a river. Electricity acts the same way.

Critical thinking question: What are some examples of how we use analogies to explain more complex scientific phenomena? Examples: Humans use stories like the Greek myths to explain seasons and sunrise/sunset. We often think of materials and animals as having human "personalities" and behaviors, like saying that conductors "direct" and move electrons.

(Slide 13) In water systems, current is the flow of water. In electrical systems, current is the flow of electrons. Refer to the drawings on this slide as you relate back to the water flow demo.

(Slide 14) Let's consider static charge. How can it be explained in our water system analogy? Dammed water collects (like in a dam), but cannot flow. Static charge, or static electricity, collects charge, but cannot flow. It may help to think of the mnemonic device of: "STATIc electricity is STATIonary"—it does not move. A situation when electrons are unable to move between atoms. Thus, charge collects in a similar way to how water collects behind a dam.

(Slide 15) While showing this slide, direct students to rub inflated balloons on the hair on their heads. Ask them: What makes your hair stand up? Objects may gain or lose electrons. Rubbing the balloon on hair causes more electrons to go onto the balloon from the hair. The hair loses electrons, thus becoming positively charged (net positive charge). The balloon becomes negatively charged (net negative charge). What does the term "net" mean? (Answer: "Net" means "total.")

(Slide16) Let's go through some review questions and answers. (Note: Click to reveal the answers.) Do you think electrical current flows more easily in conductors or insulators? (Answer: Electrical current flows more easily in conductors because electrons move better in conductors. Static electricity builds up more easily in insulators because electrons cannot move well in insulators.)

(Slide 17) What do we call the flow of charged particles? (Answer: Electricity.) Does it matter if the particles are positive or negative? (Answer: No, but typically electricity is the flow of electrons—negative charge.)

(Slide 18) We have shown that copper is a conductor. Name three more conductors. (Answers: Gold, silver and aluminum.) Where would an electrician use an insulator? What type of material would it be? Why would an electrician use an insulator? (Answer: Electricians use insulator material around electrical wires and the handles of tools and other equipment. Often, electricians use rubber as the material. Insulators protect electricians from electrical shock because current does not travel very well through insulators.)

(Slide 19) If you wanted to design an electrical system that stored static electricity, would you use a conductor or an insulator? Why? (Answer: To build a static electricity storage system, you would want to use an insulator, because insulators reduce electron flow.)

(If students have had exposure to analogies, which is part of the sixth-grade curriculum in many states, use the analogy question. If not, students may need assistance on how analogies work.) Finish the analogy: River IS TO water molecules AS wire is to ______. (Answer: Electrons.)

Watch this activity on YouTube

After completing the associated static electricity activity, have students recap the activity using scientific terms to explain what happened. Then re-emphasize the water analogy to cement the connection. Ask a few additional real-world application questions:

• Describe how engineers might control electricity in a television: What if they wanted more electricity? (Answer: Increase the current.)
• What if they wanted to protect themselves and you from electrocution? (Answer: Use an insulator.)

atom: The basic unit of all elements of matter.

conductor: A substance that allows the easy movement of electricity.

current: Something that flows, such as a stream of water, air or electrons, in a definite direction.

electricity: The presence or movement of electric charges. Electric charge occurs when a net difference in charged particles (such as proton or electrons) exists.

electron: A particle in an atom that has a negative charge, and acts as the primary carrier of electricity.

insulator: A substance that does not allow the easy movement of electricity.

proton: A particle located in the nucleus of an atom that has a positive electrical charge.

static electricity: A stationary electric charge buildup on an insulating material.

Pre-Lesson Assessment

Discussion : As presented in the Introduction/Motivation section, guide students to realize that the five sentences on the classroom board all involve electricity. Further, have students pick out which of the sentences involve engineers and electricity. Then, have students write their own scenarios involving electricity and engineers. It may be helpful to prompt that engineers think of, design, make and control ways to use electricity.

Post-Introduction Assessment

Critical Thinking Questions : As part of the What Is Electricity? Presentation , critical thinking questions and answers are included in the notes for slides 8, 10 and 12. They are also suitable as classroom board questions or handwritten quiz questions.

Review Questions: Test students' understanding of electricity basics by asking them the seven review questions at the end of the What Is Electricity? Presentation (slides 16-19). Click to reveal the answer after each question. Alternatively, similar questions are provided in the pre-activity Electricity Review Worksheet attachment in the associated activity.

Lesson Summary Assessment

Tiny Pen Pals : To test for understanding of electrical terms, give students the Particle Pen Pals Assignment , which asks them to use terms learned in the lesson in context to describe electricity through storytelling: Pretend you are an electron and you are writing a letter to your favorite proton telling him/her that you are moving away. In this creative writing exercise, students are asked to use at least four of the following terms provided in a word bank on the handout: electricity, atom, static electricity, proton, neutron, electron, conductor, insulator and current.

Lesson Extension Activities

Assign students to investigate and research different professions in electricity and/or involving knowledge of electrical systems, as outlined in the Electrical Careers Research Project Handout . Have students present their summary paragraphs to the rest of the class.

This lesson introduces the concept of electricity by asking students to imagine what their life would be like without electricity. Students learn that electrons can move between atoms, leaving atoms in a charged state.

Students come to understand static electricity by learning about the nature of electric charge, and different methods for charging objects. In a hands-on activity, students induce an electrical charge on various objects, and experiment with electrical repulsion and attraction.

Students gain an understanding of the difference between electrical conductors and insulators, and experience recognizing a conductor by its material properties. In a hands-on activity, students build a conductivity tester to determine whether different objects are conductors or insulators.

Students are introduced to the fundamental concepts of electricity. They address questions such as "How is electricity generated?" and "How is it used in every-day life?" Illustrative examples of circuit diagrams are used to help explain how electricity flows.

"Electricity." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. Accessed August 11, 2014. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/182915/electricity

Headlam, Catherine (ed.). The Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia. New York, NY: Kingfisher Books, 1993.

Muir, Hazel. Science in Seconds:200 Key Concepts Explained in an Instant . New York, NY: Quercus, 2013.

Contributors

Supporting program, acknowledgements.

The contents of this digital library curriculum were developed by the Renewable Energy Systems Opportunity for Unified Research Collaboration and Education (RESOURCE) project in the College of Engineering under National Science Foundation GK-12 grant no. DGE 0948021. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the National Science Foundation, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.

Last modified: January 28, 2021

9.1 Work, Power, and the Work–Energy Theorem

Section learning objectives.

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

• Describe and apply the work–energy theorem
• Describe and calculate work and power

Teacher Support

The learning objectives in this section will help your students master the following standards:

• (A) describe and apply the work–energy theorem;
• (C) describe and calculate work and power.

In addition, the High School Physics Laboratory Manual addresses the following standards:

• (C) calculate the mechanical energy of, power generated within, impulse applied to, and momentum of a physical system.

Use the lab titled Work and Energy as a supplement to address content in this section.

Section Key Terms

In this section, students learn how work determines changes in kinetic energy and that power is the rate at which work is done.

[BL] [OL] Review understanding of mass, velocity, and acceleration due to gravity. Define the general definitions of the words potential and kinetic .

[AL] [AL] Remind students of the equation W = P E e = f m g W = P E e = f m g . Point out that acceleration due to gravity is a constant, therefore PE e that results from work done by gravity will also be constant. Compare this to acceleration due to other forces, such as applying muscles to lift a rock, which may not be constant.

The Work–Energy Theorem

In physics, the term work has a very specific definition. Work is application of force, f f , to move an object over a distance, d , in the direction that the force is applied. Work, W , is described by the equation

Some things that we typically consider to be work are not work in the scientific sense of the term. Let’s consider a few examples. Think about why each of the following statements is true.

• Homework is not work.
• Lifting a rock upwards off the ground is work.
• Carrying a rock in a straight path across the lawn at a constant speed is not work.

The first two examples are fairly simple. Homework is not work because objects are not being moved over a distance. Lifting a rock up off the ground is work because the rock is moving in the direction that force is applied. The last example is less obvious. Recall from the laws of motion that force is not required to move an object at constant velocity. Therefore, while some force may be applied to keep the rock up off the ground, no net force is applied to keep the rock moving forward at constant velocity.

[BL] [OL] Explain that, when this theorem is applied to an object that is initially at rest and then accelerates, the 1 2 m v 1 2 1 2 m v 1 2 term equals zero.

[OL] [AL] Work is measured in joules and W = f d W = f d . Force is measured in newtons and distance in meters, so joules are equivalent to newton-meters ( N ⋅ m ) ( N ⋅ m )

Work and energy are closely related. When you do work to move an object, you change the object’s energy. You (or an object) also expend energy to do work. In fact, energy can be defined as the ability to do work. Energy can take a variety of different forms, and one form of energy can transform to another. In this chapter we will be concerned with mechanical energy , which comes in two forms: kinetic energy and potential energy .

• Kinetic energy is also called energy of motion. A moving object has kinetic energy.
• Potential energy, sometimes called stored energy, comes in several forms. Gravitational potential energy is the stored energy an object has as a result of its position above Earth’s surface (or another object in space). A roller coaster car at the top of a hill has gravitational potential energy.

Let’s examine how doing work on an object changes the object’s energy. If we apply force to lift a rock off the ground, we increase the rock’s potential energy, PE . If we drop the rock, the force of gravity increases the rock’s kinetic energy as the rock moves downward until it hits the ground.

The force we exert to lift the rock is equal to its weight, w , which is equal to its mass, m , multiplied by acceleration due to gravity, g .

The work we do on the rock equals the force we exert multiplied by the distance, d , that we lift the rock. The work we do on the rock also equals the rock’s gain in gravitational potential energy, PE e .

Kinetic energy depends on the mass of an object and its velocity, v .

When we drop the rock the force of gravity causes the rock to fall, giving the rock kinetic energy. When work done on an object increases only its kinetic energy, then the net work equals the change in the value of the quantity 1 2 m v 2 1 2 m v 2 . This is a statement of the work–energy theorem , which is expressed mathematically as

The subscripts 2 and 1 indicate the final and initial velocity, respectively. This theorem was proposed and successfully tested by James Joule, shown in Figure 9.2 .

Does the name Joule sound familiar? The joule (J) is the metric unit of measurement for both work and energy. The measurement of work and energy with the same unit reinforces the idea that work and energy are related and can be converted into one another. 1.0 J = 1.0 N∙m, the units of force multiplied by distance. 1.0 N = 1.0 kg∙m/s 2 , so 1.0 J = 1.0 kg∙m 2 /s 2 . Analyzing the units of the term (1/2) m v 2 will produce the same units for joules.

Watch Physics

Work and energy.

This video explains the work energy theorem and discusses how work done on an object increases the object’s KE.

Grasp Check

True or false—The energy increase of an object acted on only by a gravitational force is equal to the product of the object's weight and the distance the object falls.

Repeat the information on kinetic and potential energy discussed earlier in the section. Have the students distinguish between and understand the two ways of increasing the energy of an object (1) applying a horizontal force to increase KE and (2) applying a vertical force to increase PE.

Calculations Involving Work and Power

In applications that involve work, we are often interested in how fast the work is done. For example, in roller coaster design, the amount of time it takes to lift a roller coaster car to the top of the first hill is an important consideration. Taking a half hour on the ascent will surely irritate riders and decrease ticket sales. Let’s take a look at how to calculate the time it takes to do work.

Recall that a rate can be used to describe a quantity, such as work, over a period of time. Power is the rate at which work is done. In this case, rate means per unit of time . Power is calculated by dividing the work done by the time it took to do the work.

Let’s consider an example that can help illustrate the differences among work, force, and power. Suppose the woman in Figure 9.3 lifting the TV with a pulley gets the TV to the fourth floor in two minutes, and the man carrying the TV up the stairs takes five minutes to arrive at the same place. They have done the same amount of work ( f d ) ( f d ) on the TV, because they have moved the same mass over the same vertical distance, which requires the same amount of upward force. However, the woman using the pulley has generated more power. This is because she did the work in a shorter amount of time, so the denominator of the power formula, t , is smaller. (For simplicity’s sake, we will leave aside for now the fact that the man climbing the stairs has also done work on himself.)

Power can be expressed in units of watts (W). This unit can be used to measure power related to any form of energy or work. You have most likely heard the term used in relation to electrical devices, especially light bulbs. Multiplying power by time gives the amount of energy. Electricity is sold in kilowatt-hours because that equals the amount of electrical energy consumed.

The watt unit was named after James Watt (1736–1819) (see Figure 9.4 ). He was a Scottish engineer and inventor who discovered how to coax more power out of steam engines.

[BL] [OL] Review the concept that work changes the energy of an object or system. Review the units of work, energy, force, and distance. Use the equations for mechanical energy and work to show what is work and what is not. Make it clear why holding something off the ground or carrying something over a level surface is not work in the scientific sense.

[OL] Ask the students to use the mechanical energy equations to explain why each of these is or is not work. Ask them to provide more examples until they understand the difference between the scientific term work and a task that is simply difficult but not literally work (in the scientific sense).

[BL] [OL] Stress that power is a rate and that rate means "per unit of time." In the metric system this unit is usually seconds. End the section by clearing up any misconceptions about the distinctions between force, work, and power.

[AL] Explain relationships between the units for force, work, and power. If W = f d W = f d and work can be expressed in J, then P = W t = f d t P = W t = f d t so power can be expressed in units of N ⋅ m s N ⋅ m s

Also explain that we buy electricity in kilowatt-hours because, when power is multiplied by time, the time units cancel, which leaves work or energy.

Links To Physics

Watt’s steam engine.

James Watt did not invent the steam engine, but by the time he was finished tinkering with it, it was more useful. The first steam engines were not only inefficient, they only produced a back and forth, or reciprocal , motion. This was natural because pistons move in and out as the pressure in the chamber changes. This limitation was okay for simple tasks like pumping water or mashing potatoes, but did not work so well for moving a train. Watt was able build a steam engine that converted reciprocal motion to circular motion. With that one innovation, the industrial revolution was off and running. The world would never be the same. One of Watt's steam engines is shown in Figure 9.5 . The video that follows the figure explains the importance of the steam engine in the industrial revolution.

Initiate a discussion on the historical significance of suddenly increasing the amount of power available to industries and transportation. Have students consider the fact that the speed of transportation increased roughly tenfold. Changes in how goods were manufactured were just as great. Ask students how they think the resulting changes in lifestyle compare to more recent changes brought about by innovations such as air travel and the Internet.

Watt's Role in the Industrial Revolution

This video demonstrates how the watts that resulted from Watt's inventions helped make the industrial revolution possible and allowed England to enter a new historical era.

Which form of mechanical energy does the steam engine generate?

• Potential energy
• Kinetic energy
• Nuclear energy
• Solar energy

Before proceeding, be sure you understand the distinctions among force, work, energy, and power. Force exerted on an object over a distance does work. Work can increase energy, and energy can do work. Power is the rate at which work is done.

Worked Example

Applying the work–energy theorem.

An ice skater with a mass of 50 kg is gliding across the ice at a speed of 8 m/s when her friend comes up from behind and gives her a push, causing her speed to increase to 12 m/s. How much work did the friend do on the skater?

The work–energy theorem can be applied to the problem. Write the equation for the theorem and simplify it if possible.

Identify the variables. m = 50 kg,

Substitute.

Work done on an object or system increases its energy. In this case, the increase is to the skater’s kinetic energy. It follows that the increase in energy must be the difference in KE before and after the push.

Tips For Success

This problem illustrates a general technique for approaching problems that require you to apply formulas: Identify the unknown and the known variables, express the unknown variables in terms of the known variables, and then enter all the known values.

Identify the three variables and choose the relevant equation. Distinguish between initial and final velocity and pay attention to the minus sign.

Practice Problems

Identify which of the following actions generates more power. Show your work.

• carrying a 100 N TV to the second floor in 50 s or
• carrying a 24 N watermelon to the second floor in 10 s ?
• Carrying a 100 N TV generates more power than carrying a 24 N watermelon to the same height because power is defined as work done times the time interval.
• Carrying a 100 N TV generates more power than carrying a 24 N watermelon to the same height because power is defined as the ratio of work done to the time interval.
• Carrying a 24 N watermelon generates more power than carrying a 100 N TV to the same height because power is defined as work done times the time interval.
• Carrying a 24 N watermelon generates more power than carrying a 100 N TV to the same height because power is defined as the ratio of work done and the time interval.

Work, Energy, and Power

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Current Electricity

Many inventions and discoveries have been made in order to facilitate human life smoothly. The discovery of current electricity is one such discovery that we are highly dependent on to make our life easier. Benjamin Franklin is credited with the discovery of electricity.

What Is Current Electricity?

Current electricity is defined as the flow of electrons from one section of the circuit to another.

Electromotive Force (EMF) and Voltage:

When two bodies at different potentials are linked with a wire, free electrons stream from Point 1 to Point 2, until both the objects reach the same potential, after which the current stops flowing. Until a potential difference is present throughout a conductor, current flows.

From the above analogy, we can define electromotive force and voltage as follows:

Electromotive Force Definition: Electromotive force is defined as the electric potential produced by either an electrochemical cell or by changing the magnetic field.

Voltage Definition: Voltage is defined as the electric potential difference between two points.

• Unit of Voltage
• Electromotive Force

Types of Current Electricity

There are two types of current electricity as follows:

• Direct Current (DC)
• Alternating Current (AC)

Direct Current

The current electricity whose direction remains the same is known as direct current. Direct current is defined by the constant flow of electrons from a region of high electron density to a region of low electron density. DC is used in many household appliances and applications that involve a battery.

Alternating Current

The current electricity that is bidirectional and keeps changing the direction of the charge flow is known as alternating current. The bidirectionality is caused by a sinusoidally varying current and voltage that reverse directions, creating a periodic back and forth motion for the current. The electrical outlets at our home and industries are supplied with alternating current.

Read More :

• Difference Between Direct Current and Alternating Current
• Universal Motor

Generation of Current Electricity

Current electricity can be generated by the following methods:

• By moving a metal wire through a magnetic field (Both alternating current and direct current can be generated by the following method)
• By a battery through chemical reactions (Direct current can be generated through this method)

The video is a rapid revision of current electricity in physics for JEE Main, presented by Atiullah Sir through short notes.

Relative Motion Between Magnetic Field and Coil

Current Electricity vs Static Electricity

In this section, we will look into the difference between current electricity and static electricity:

What Is Static Electricity?

Static electricity refers to the electric charges that build up on the surface of materials or substances. These charges remain static until they are grounded, or discharged. This type of electricity is formed due to fiction. Basically, the phenomenon of static electricity arises when the positive and negative charges are separated.

Now let us look at the various differences between static electricity and current electricity.

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Revision: the chapter Electricity Class 10

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs

What is current electricity in physics, how is current electricity different from static electricity, how does current electricity work, do circuits use static or current electricity, who discovered the current electricity, the below video helps to revise the chapter magnetic effects of electric current.

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• Current Electricity

Electric current is the movement of electrons through a conductor wire. Electric current refers to the number of charges which move through the wire per second. Also, we may say that the electric current is the flow of electrons through a complete electric circuit of conductors. Current electricity is in use to power everything from our house lights, trains, industries etc. Therefore, electricity is one of the forms of energy. It is the flow of electrons whereas the current is the combination of flow of charge per unit time. This article will explain the current electricity basic concept and related facts.

Current electricity

Introduction to Current Electricity

With the variety of context, this word may refer to “electric charge”, “electric power” or the “electric energy”. We are generating the current electricity by the following methods.

• By moving a metal wire through the magnetic field. It generates both alternating current and direct current.
• By a battery through chemical reactions happening inside it. It generates only a direct current.

Atoms are having three types of particles – protons, electrons and neutrons. Protons and Neutrons exist within the centre of the atom i.e. Nucleus. Whereas, the electrons move around the nucleus. These electrons are also having some energy. Neutrons are having neutral charge and protons are positively charged.

Electrons are negatively charged. Electrons circles the nucleus as opposite charges protons and electrons attract each other. The electrons move from one atom to the other atom. Thus electricity is produced when protons and electrons interact with each other with further movement. Electricity is of the two types- Static Electricity and Current Electricity.

Atoms in the conductor consist of free electrons which move gently. This movement of these electrons in the atoms is irregular and undirected. It means, there is no flow in any particular direction. With the voltage to the conductor, these free electrons move in the same direction and hence creates current. Thus, the current is the flow of electrons i.e. the charged particles through a conducting medium.

History of Current Electricity

Thales has introduced the concept of electric power in nature. He discovered the notion of static electricity by rubbing amber with the section of fur. Amber is the fossilized wood. When amber rubbed with fur or cloth, then it will attract small pieces of dust and others. Due to this, other objects are caused by the effect of static electricity. This word has the origin of ‘Elektron’ which means amber. It was discovered by William Gilbert, who also invented the science of magnetism.

Later Benjamin Franklin stated that electric charge is of two forms, which are positive and negative. His kite experiment proved that lightning is static electricity. Electric Current was not fully considered up to the time batteries were designed. Further, Alessandro Volta invented the electric battery.

Michael Faraday was another great scientist who has made major discoveries in this field. He invented the concept of electromagnetic induction. He found out that varying magnetic fields are capable to produce the electricity in the electric circuit. Also, he mentioned that kinetic energy can be converted further into electrical energy using the property of electromagnetic induction. This principle is useful in the electric transformer and generator.

Thomas Alva Edison was a great scientist, who invented the electric bulb. The invention of the bulb was an important point in the field of electricity. HE invented the concept of the direct current system of generating power. Further, Nikola Tesla invented the alternating current system and hence he developed ac motor.

Static Electricity and Current Electricity:

• Static Electricity

Consider two objects which are rubbed together. Then one material gives up electrons and the other one collects those electrons. The one leaving the electrons becomes more positively charged. Whereas the other one which receives the electrons becomes more negatively charged. This accumulation of more charge is termed as Static Electricity. This static electricity has a high voltage and low current.

Lightning is one of the popular examples of static electricity. It is possible due to the attractions of opposite charges which forms by the friction between the air, water droplets and the ice particles. Static electricity is in use in Xerox machines, laser printers, crystal microphones etc. Sometimes electric shock may appear while touching an object with a high electric charge.

As we saw that Electrical Current is the flow of charged particles. It means the flow of charges will be constant in the current electricity. The electrons in the current flow from negative to positive. This is because the electrons flow in its opposite direction. Also, the electric current flows from higher electric potential to lower electric potential. In the DC electric charge flows in one direction. But, in AC the direction of the electric charge changes sporadically. DC current is possible from cell or battery. AC current is possible from the AC generator and mains.

Some facts about Current Electricity:

• Electricity is the flow of electrons in any material.
• Electricity is of two kind – Static electricity and Current electricity.
• The word electricity is taken from ‘Elektron’ which means amber.
• William Gilbert introduced the concept of electromagnetism thoroughly.
• Benjamin Franklin conducted the kite experiment and gave the concept of static electricity.
• The Electric bulb was invented by Thomas Alva Edison with the contribution in the field of electricity.
• Nikola Tesla gave the concept of the alternating current, whereas Thomas Edison invented the direct current.
• Static electricity is the collection of more charge while rubbing them altogether.
• Electrical current is nothing but the flow of charged particles in a circuit.
• An electric circuit consists of the conductor, load, switch and power source.
• Voltage is the electrical potential difference between any two endpoints in the circuit.
• Resistance is the ability for controlling the flow of electrons in any circuit.
• Ohm’s law is very important in the field of electricity. It established the relationship between voltage (V), current (I) and the resistance (R). It is V = I R.

FAQs about Current Electricity

Q.1: What is the main cause of electric current ?

Solution: A sufficient electromotive force or voltage, will produce the charge imbalance. It will cause further for electrons to move through a conductor like an electric current.

Q.2: Define the electric charge.

Solution: Electrons and protons carry an electric charge or electrical charge within an atom. Therefore there are two types of electrical charges: positive and negative

Q.3: How to produce electricity?

Solution: Power plants are converting the resources like oil, coal, water, sun, wind and natural gas into the electricity. For this conversion, high-pressure water or steam activators are used to move the turbine, attached with the generator. This turning movement rotates a large magnet inside of loops of wire in the generator. With the spinning magnet inside the coils of wire, electricity generates.

Q.4: How electricity reached to us?

Solution: After the production of electricity through a power plant. Further, it is delivered to the substation via some power grid of high-voltage transmission lines. Here, the voltage is reduced and the electricity travels from there to our houses. Thus, it is done through overhead or underground distribution lines.

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Electricity

• Unit of Voltage
• Conductivity of Water
• Electric Potential and Potential Difference
• Electric Current and Circuit Diagrams
• Heating Effects of Electric Current and Its Applications
• Ohm’s Law and Resistance

15 responses to “Ohm’s Law and Resistance”

Not to offend no but can u please explain how did you wrote v=i/r when this is completely Wrong . I is proportional to V voltage and this equation is neither true by ohm,s law neither mathematically by manipulating what ohms said. please make this correct. Its a blunder for whosoever is studying especially small students.

Yes. V =IR always true for all the ohmic conductors

Yea that’s wrong . V=IR

Then which one is correct

V=IR is correct.

🙏 thanks for the correction

For every action theres an equal and opposite reaction so if a circuit is wired for a resistor that has a diode at the other end instead of a transistor would the light bulb make a sound ? Boom .o yeah

What is second law of Ohm on electric currents

Non linear dependence means

My ass hole burns

what is the resistance of the circuit, if the voltage is 12 volts and the current is 6 amperes

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Funding of $5.65 million for 11 research projects in high energy density laboratory plasmas to better understand extreme environments was announced by the Department of Energy (DOE) today.

The research is a cooperative effort of two DOE agencies: the Office of Science (SC) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Research teams supported by both agencies perform work in High Energy Density Laboratory Plasmas (HEDLP), a field of physics that studies plasmas created in a lab setting, simulating extreme conditions found in stars or nuclear explosions,  

The SC-NNSA Joint Program was established to steward HEDLP science within the Department of Energy. The focus is on studying matter under extreme conditions of temperature, density, and pressure. Areas of exploration include laboratory astrophysics, planetary science, laser-plasma interactions, relativistic optics, plasma hydrodynamics, plasma atomic physics, and radiation transport.

“This collaboration is essential to our commitment to advancing high energy density science and consistently produces groundbreaking results,” said Jean Paul Allain, Associate Director of Science for Fusion Energy Sciences (FES). “Gaining deeper insights into this extreme state of matter has wide-ranging benefits across science, industry, and technologies relevant to inertial fusion energy.”

“We are excited to be supporting cutting edge research that plays a critical role in developing the next generation of elite scientists in the area of high energy density science,” said Jahleel Hudson, Director of Technology and Partnerships Office for NNSA’s Defense Programs. “This work advances our understanding of these extreme environments and has benefits that range from fundamental science to specific technological applications.”

Selections were made via competitive peer review under the DOE Funding Opportunity Announcement for High-Energy-Density Laboratory Plasma Science . Funding will last up to three years, with total funding of $5.65 million: $3.75 million in FY24 and $1.9 million in outyear funding contingent on congressional appropriations.

The list of projects and more information can be found at science.osti.gov . 

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Title: $ν$-point energy correletors with fasteec: small-$x$ physics from lhc jets.

Abstract: In recent years, energy correlators have emerged as a powerful tool for studying jet substructure, with promising applications such as probing the hadronization transition, analyzing the quark-gluon plasma, and improving the precision of top quark mass measurements. The projected $N$-point correlator measures correlations between $N$ final-state particles by tracking the largest separation between them, showing a scaling behavior related to DGLAP splitting functions. These correlators can be analytically continued in $N$, commonly referred to as $\nu$-correlators, allowing access to non-integer moments of the splitting functions. Of particular interest is the $\nu \to 0$ limit, where the small momentum fraction behavior of the splitting functions requires resummation. Originally, the computational complexity of evaluating $\nu$-correlators for $M$ particles scaled as $2^{2M}$, making it impractical for real-world analyses. However, by using recursion, we reduce this to $M 2^M$, and through the FastEEC method of dynamically resolving subjets, $M$ is replaced by the number of subjets. This breakthrough enables, for the first time, the computation of $\nu$-correlators for LHC data. In practice, limiting the number of subjets to 16 is sufficient to achieve percent-level precision, which we validate using known integer-$\nu$ results and convergence tests for non-integer $\nu$. We have implemented this in an update to FastEEC and conducted an initial study of power-law scaling in the perturbative regime as a function of $\nu$, using CMS Open Data on jets. The results agree with DGLAP evolution, except at small $\nu$, where the anomalous dimension saturates to a value that matches the BFKL anomalous dimension. This work is meant as a first step towards detailed experimental measurements and precision theoretical studies.

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