Lec-5, 23 June 2021

Electric field and current

 Electric Charge and Coulomb’s Law

• Electric charge is a physical property of mater: experience

force when placed near another charged particle.
• Like charges repel, unlike charges attract.

Follow inverse square law

 Electric Field (E)
• A region around a charged particle or object within which a force
would be exerted on other charged particles or objects (F=qE).
• Positive charges experience force along the electric field lines.
• Negative charges experience force opposite to the electric field
lines
 Electric Current
• Electric current is the flow of charge
• Unit Ampere

Conductor

Battery
Creates potential difference (emf)
Source of electric current
 Ohm’s Law
• Electric current through a conductor is proportional to the
potential difference, at constant temperature.

I=V/R
R is Resistance, ohm (Ω) Power, P=IV
R=ρL/A
Series and Parallel circuit

𝑹𝟏

𝑹𝟐 𝑹𝟏 𝑹𝟐 𝑹𝟑

𝑹𝟑

𝟏 𝟏 𝟏 𝟏
= + +
𝑹𝒔 = 𝑹𝟏 +𝑹𝟐 +𝑹𝟑 𝑹𝒑 𝑹𝟏 𝑹𝟐 𝑹𝟑
 AC and DC current

➢ DC current: uni-directional
➢ AC current: bi-directional
 Capacitors
➢ Two parallel conducting plates separated by an
insulator
➢ Can store charge/energy