Chapter 17(17.1, 17.3-17.

6)Current
and Resistance
17.1 Electric current
17.1 Electric current: is the rate at which electric charges moves
through a conductor
I =  Where ,  = 1 Ampere (scalar)
In this book conventional current is used.
Conventional current is defined as positive charges move. While
the physical facts dictates that negative charges do the motion.
Since motion is a relative concept, it does not matter which
charge carrier is moving.
In a conducting metal where charges are free to move, the
electric charge moves only if there is a force pushing it or pulling it
in some direction.
This can be restated, there must be a potential difference ΔV to
cause the motion.
A decreasing electric potential means the moving charge is losing
energy in its motion.
From the previous chapter ΔU = q ΔV
ΔV =  - 
A positive charge moves from regions of high potential to a lower
potential as shown below
+++
−−−
Example:
Consider the current in a conductor of cross-sectional
area A. The volume of the cylindrical conductor of length
x is equal (Ax). If n represent the number of mobile
charge carrier. What is ΔQ in the cylindrical rod?
ΔQ = n A x q ( where q is the electric charge per carrier)
X =t ( where  is the drift speed of the carrier).
Therefore, we can write ΔQ = n A t
I =  = nq A This another way to express the current.
17.3 Current and voltage measurements in circuits
The circuit shown before has a battery and a lightbulb, the
battery pumps charge through the bulb. Electric current
runs through a conducting wire, which composes a closed
path starting from the positive terminal and entering the
negative terminal of the battery. No current will run
through a broken circuit. The voltmeter measures the
potential difference between two points, in the circuit it
measure the voltage across the light bulb, and it measures
the voltage. An ammeter is a device used to measure the
current in the circuit, and its connected in series within the
circuit,
17.4 Resistance, Resistivity, and Ohm’s Law
The current I, is found to increase with increasing potential difference V.
ΔV ∝ I
Since, the proportionality holds well through experimentations and the slope
of the graph of ΔV versus I represents the resistance R of the conductor.
The resistance symbol is a zigzag line
R =  , where resistance has units of Ohm, where 1Ω = 
Ohms law is given by ΔV = I R
Resistivity
Charge carrier do not move in straight lines paths, instead the
carriers keep colliding with other particles and end up in a zigzag
path. This means the resistance to their motion increases with
length and decrease with increasing cross-sectional area.
R∝
The constant of proportionality is called resistivity of the
material it depends on the electronic structure and on
temperature.
R = ρ
Good conductors have low resistivity and insulator have very
high resistivity.
I
Non-
ohmic
Ohmic

𝑉
17.5 Resistance vary with temperature
The resistivity and hence the resistance of the material changes with
temperature increases. The reason is the increase of vibrations and
rate of collisions among charge carriers. The lower the temperature
the better the conduction. A state of super conductivity for most
metals can be reached when the temperature reaches close to zero
kelvin degree, where the material becomes well- ordered no
vibration.
It is found that the resistivity and the resistance of most conducting
materials increases with increasing temperature as given by these
equations.
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1
Example: a rectangular block of iron has dimensions ( 1.2 x 1.2x
15 )cm. A potential difference applied across the square ends.
(a)What will be the resistance of the block?
(b) what is the resistance if the potential difference applied
across the two rectangular sides?
a) R = = 
b) R =  = 0.65 
17.6 Electrical Energy and power
The battery is a device that converts its chemical energy though chemical
reactions to Kinetic energy for the charge carriers. The charge carriers lose their
energies through the continuous process of collisions producing thermal energy in
the conducting material.
The charge carrier of ΔQ going through a potential difference ΔV, loses energy of
the amount ΔQΔV as it passes against the resistance of the wire. The
instantaneous rate of losing electrical energy is:
 ΔV= I ΔV
The rate of energy loss through the transfer of charge in a resistor is called the
power.
Power = I ΔV = P
The above equation gives the power transferred from a voltage source (battery)
to any device carrying current I. If you substitute for ΔV from Ohm’s law
P = R = the equation gives the power delivered to the resistor
Example: A heating device uses a heating wire (resistor)
of 72 Ω. At what rate energy is dissipated in each of the
following situations?
a) A potential difference of 120 V
b) A potential difference of 240 V

Solution:
c) P =  =  = 200 w
d) P =  =  = 800 w
Real life example about energy waste
What is the cost of electricity, if every house in Palestine
leave a 60w light bulb on for 24 hours. The cost of
electricity
Is 0.6 Shekel for one kilo-watt.hr (KW-h)?
At least there are one million Palestinian house
Since the energy consumed = power x time
Energy used = 0.06 Kw x24 h = 1.44 KW-h per house
1.44 (Kw-h} X 0.6 x =0.864 million about one million
shekel .
How much environmental damage?
Health and economic problems……
Homework problems from Chapter 17 are:
12, 26, 40, and 42
Due on Dec 20
About the physics application project
1. It is not a presentation
2. It is about physics applied to …
3. It shows your thinking, observations and
vision of the application.
4. It is your work, your vision and
interpretations of physics
5. Example of topics: the heart, brain, teeth,
lung,
6. Why is this a suitable size, power, force…any
measurement