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ELECTRC CIRCUIT COMPONENTS

Heating effect in a resistor

 natural effect
 all resistors are rated for power dissipation
 P = VI = V2/ R = I2R [W]
 R increases with Temperature
 in heating elements – use large R

Metal Filament (thin wire) Lamp (bulb)

 Electric energy => heat and light energy

 R is constant at low V and I (linear operation)

 Shines brighter with increasing current I

 At high (+/-)V, filament temperature increases:

=>> R becomes higher
=>> only small change in I = V / R
 R of a bulb can be investigated experimentally
=>> measure the I vs V curve
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Thermistor

 Temperature-dependent resistor
 R decreases when T increases
 Large change in R with small change in T
 Used in temperature-sensitive circuits

Light-Dependent Resistor (LDR)

 R decreases when Illumination increases

 R is large in the dark (with no light)
 Used in light-sensitive circuits

Diode
 Made from semiconductor material
 Conducts current only in one direction
 diode is ON (I in Forward direction)
=>> for VDiode > 0.6V
=>> small R, conducting I
 diode is OFF (I in Backward direction)
=>> for VDiode < 0.6V
=>> large R, current I ~ 0
 LED (Light-Emitting-Diode)

Compare SERIES and PARALLEL CIRCUITS in domestic lighting, etc.
Advantages of series circuits:
 Control all elements with one switch
 Elements are less likely to overheat
 Individual elements have lower voltage
Disadvantage: one element fails – the rest don’t work
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Mains Electricity (home electric appliances)
Mains electricity – ALTERNATING CURRENT (AC)
Batteries / Cells – DIRECT CURRENT (DC)
Transfer of Electric Energy:
Electric Power = I*V [Watts] = Energy / time [Joules / sec]
=>> E = I * V * t [Joules]
Protection of electric equipment
To avoid damage – should not exceed maximum allowed current
=>> circuit breaker or fuse is added in series
=>> fuse is made of metal with low melting point, it has low resistance
=>> circuit breaker can be reset / fuse has to be replaced
Fuses have fixed Ampere rating
(home appliances in the UK: 3A, 5A, 13A, …)
=>> choose a fuse rated 1A higher than the expected normal current
Safety measures:
 Use low-resistance earth wire to ground the metal casing of appliances
(if the live wire disconnects and contacts the metal casing, the current will be
drained through the earth wire and the fuse will blow)
 Insulation of metal wires + earth wire
 Double insulation – insulation of all electrical part (no need for earth wire)