Current electricity

2
Chapter 1
Alessandro Volta invented the electric battery in 1800, and with
it, he produced the first steady flow of electric charge, i.e.
current electricity. This discovery has become significant today as
many household applications such as computers, televisions and
air-conditioners use electricity.
Chapter 21: Current Electricity
 Conductors & Insulators
In an insulator, the movements of the electrons are limited to only within
the electron clouds.
The free electrons in a conductor are in constant, random motion

Metals have many free electrons.

When a metal wire is connected to a battery such that
there is a potential difference across it, the free electrons
will be pulled towards the positive end.

Chapter 21: Current Electricity

 Current in Metals
When a circuit is closed, the free electrons in the circuit drift towards the
positive terminal of the cell, and away from the negative terminal of the cell.

Chapter 21: Current Electricity

 Current I is defined as the rate of flow of charged particles. It is a measure of
the amount of charges Q flowing through a point in a closed circuit per unit
time t.

Since electrons are the only

charged particles capable of
flowing from one end to the
other end of a circuit, the
flow of charges here refer to
the flow of electrons.

A single electron carries a charge of

1.6 x10-19 coulombs.

Chapter 21: Current Electricity

 Current in Semiconductors
Semiconductors such as silicon and germanium have both negative
(electrons) and positive (holes) charge carriers.

In silicon, all four electrons in the outer shell are shared among
neighbouring atoms to form covalent bonds.
The free electrons leave behind electron holes in the atoms
where neighbouring electrons can move to fill them.
In this way, the ‘holes’ seem to behave like positively-charged
particles, moving in the opposite direction to the electron flow.

Chapter 21: Current Electricity

 Current in Electrolytes
Electrolytes are basically ionic solutions that consist of both positive and
negative ions (e.g. NaCl).

(+) (-)

Ions are highly mobile and when oppositely charged electrodes are dipped in
an ionic solution, the ions move to oppositely charged electrodes to complete
the circuit.

Chapter 21: Current Electricity

 Conventional Current vs. Electron Flow
When Sir J J Thomson discovered electrons in late 19th century, the
validity of the existence of conventional current became questionable.

Chapter 21: Current Electricity

Chapter 21: Current Electricity
 Measuring Current
If more charges Q flow through the circuit per unit time t, greater amount
of current I will be detected at any point in the circuit.

Q = It

measured in
measured in measured in seconds
coulombs amperes

Chapter 21: Current Electricity

Chapter 21: Current Electricity
 D.C. A.C.

A current that has constant A current that reverses its

magnitude and flows only in one direction many times and has
direction fluctuating magnitude.

Chapter 21: Current Electricity

 Frequency and Period of A.C. Voltage

T : Period of the a.c. voltage. The period is the time taken for one
complete cycle. It can be measured between any two corresponding points in
successive cycles.
VP : Peak voltage. This is the maximum value of voltage in either direction.
f : Frequency of the a.c. voltage. This is the number of cycles completed per
second. The measurement unit for frequency is the hertz, Hz.

1 Hz = 1 cycle per second

If the period is known, the frequency of the signal can be calculated
from: f = 1/T
Chapter 21: Current Electricity