Electricity Dr/ Moustafa Salah

Part (4)

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Electricity Dr/ Moustafa Salah
Nerve cell (neuron)
- Specialized cells called neurons form a complex network
within the body which receives, processes, and transmits
information from one part of the body to another.
- The center of this network is located in the brain, which
has the ability to store and analyze information. Based on
this information, the nervous system controls various parts
of the body.

- The concept of electric potential difference plays an important

role in the process.

- The nervous system is very complex.

- Types of neurons

o The sensory neurons receive stimuli from sensory organs.

o The motor neurons carry messages that control the muscle
cells.
o The interneurons transmit information between neurons.
- A nerve cell or neuron is a microscopic structure composed of three
major parts,

1. Soma

2. Dendrites

3. Axon

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1- Cell body (Soma)

➢ The cell body contains cytoplasm with typical cell

organelles.

2- Dendrites

➢ Short fibers which branch repeatedly and project out of

the cell. These fibers transmit impulses towards the cell
body.

➢ Convert stimuli, such as pressure or heat, into electrical

signals that travel through the neuron

3- axon.

➢ The axon is a long fiber, the distal end of which is

branched.

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➢ The axons transmit nerve impulses away from the cell
body terminal to a synapse or to a neuro-muscular
junction.

➢ An axon or nerve fiber is a long, cylinder projection of a

nerve cell that typically conducts electrical impulses
(information to different neurons, muscles, and glands).

➢ The fluid inside a cell, the intracellular fluid, is quite

different from that outside the cell, the extracellular
fluid.

➢ Both fluids contain concentrations of positive and negative

ions

Ion’s distribution and the resting membrane potential

- The axoplasm inside the axon contains high concentration of K+
and negatively charged proteins and low concentration of Na+.

- However, the extracellular fluid is rich in sodium Na+ and

chlorine Cl- ions.

- The inside of the axon is filled with an ionic fluid that is

separated from the surrounding body fluid by a thin membrane.

- The buildup of charge occurs very close to the membrane, so

the membrane acts like a capacitor.

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- Such a separation of positive and negative charges gives rise to
an electric potential difference across the membrane, called the
resting membrane potential.

NOTE
- In neurons, the resting membrane potential ranges from -40
to -90 mV, with a typical value being -70 mV The minus sign
indicates that the inner side of the membrane is negative
relative to the outer side

- The change in the resting membrane potential is the key factor

in the initiation and conduction of a signal.

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HOW action potential generated
- When a sufficiently strong stimulus is applied to a given point
on the neuron, “gates” Mechanically gated channel in the
membrane open and sodium ions flood into the cell,

- The sodium ions are driven into the cell by attraction to the

1- In response to the stimulus, sodium (Na*) and potassium

(K*) gated ion channels open and close as the membrane
reaches its threshold potential.

2- Na+ channels open at the beginning of the action potential,

and Na moves into the axon, causing depolarization.

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➢ The large influx of Na+ ions first neutralize the negative
ions on the interior of the membrane and then causes it to
become positively charged

3- Repolarization occurs when the K* channels open and K*

moves out of the axon.

➢ The sodium gates then close, and the cell membrane quickly
returns to its normal resting potential

- This change in potential, from -70 mV to 30 mV and back to

-75 mV, is known as the action potential.

The action potential continues for a few milliseconds, and it is the

electrical signal that propagates down the axon, typically at a speed
of about 50 m/s, to the next neuron

Example (1)
Estimate the number of sodium ions that enter the axon during
the rising phase of the action potential Capacitance per unit length
of axon (c) =8 × 10-10 F/m

Solution

Δ𝑄 = 𝐶 Δ𝑉
In the resting state, the axon voltage is -70 mV. During the pulse,
the voltage changes to about +30 mV, resulting in a net voltage
change across the membrane of 100mV.

Δ𝑄 = 8 𝑥 10−10 𝑥 100 𝑥 10−3 = 8 𝑥 10−11 𝐶

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Since the charge of one Na ion is +1e,

8 × 10−11
𝑁= −19
= 5 × 108 𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠
1.6 𝑥 10

The electric current ( I )

- Is the flow of charge, occur when there is a potential
difference.

- The electric current in a conductor is defined as the net

number of charges that passes through a given cross section of
the conductor per unit time or is the rate of change of an
electric charge.
𝑸
𝑰=
𝑻
Units :
𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑜𝑚𝑏 𝐶
= = 𝐴𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑒 ( 𝐴 )
𝑆𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑆

Charge carrier motion in a conductor

- The free electrons in a conductor move with random velocity
and random directions “Zigzag“.

o The net velocity is very small (mm/s).

o No net flow of electron

- When an electric potential is applied across the conductor,

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o The randomly moving electrons are subjected to electrical
force along the field . due to this field, the electrons do
not give up their randomness motion,

o the electrons shift towards higher potential that means

the electrons will drift toward the higher potential.

Drift velocity:
- is defined as the velocity of the electron when an electrical
potential is applied.

- the drift velocity increases with increasing the potential

difference.

- The direction of the drift velocity is opposite to the electric

field.

Ex 1 :-

A steady current of 2.5 A flows in a wire for 4 minutes

A – How much charges pass through any points in the circuit

B – How many electrons would this be

Solution

A – 𝑄 = 𝐼𝑇 = 2.5 𝑥 4 𝑥 60 = 600 𝐶

B – 𝑄 = 𝑁. 𝑒 ,
𝑄 600
𝑁= = −19
= 3.8 𝑥 1021 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑠
𝑒 1.6 𝑥 10

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Ohm’s law :-

The current I flows through a conductor is directly proportional to

the potential difference V applied to ends

𝐼∝𝑉
𝐼 = 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 . 𝑉
𝑉 = 𝐼𝑅

Where R is the resistance

- (is a measure of how difficult voltage to push the charges

along the conductor)
𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑡
𝑅 = = 𝑂ℎ𝑚 (Ω)
𝐴𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑒
- R Depends on the dimension of the conductor
𝜌𝑙
𝑅=
𝐴

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Resistivity ( 𝝆 )

Is the resistance of a wire with length of 1 m and a cross section

area of 1 m2
𝑹. 𝑨
𝝆 =
𝐿
𝝆 = Resistivity = Ω . 𝑚

Example (2)
A small flashlight bulb uses 300 mA from its 1.5 battery

A – what is the resistance of the bulb

B – if the voltage is dropped to 1.2, how would the current

change

Solution
𝑉 1.5
A – 𝑅= = = 5 𝑜ℎ𝑚
𝐼 300 𝑥 10−3
𝑉 1.2
B – 𝐼= =
𝑅 5

𝐼 = 0.24 𝐴 = 240 𝑚𝐴 𝑜𝑟 𝑎 𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑝 𝑜𝑓 60 𝑚𝐴

Example (3)
Given that the resistivity of a copper wire is 1.7 x 10−8 ohm.m
find

A – The diameter of 20 m wire if the resistance of the wire is 0.1

ohm

B – What is V if I = 12 A

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Solution
𝑅.𝐴 𝜌 .𝐿 1.7 𝑥 10−8 𝑥 20
A – 𝜌= , 𝐴= =
𝐿 𝑅 0.1

𝜌 = 3.4 𝑥 10−6 𝑚2
𝐴 𝐴
Since 𝐴 = 𝜋𝑟 2 , 𝑟 = √ , 𝑑 = 2 𝑥 √ = 2.1 𝑚𝑚
𝜋 𝜋

B – V = IR = 12 x o.1 = 1.2 volt

Temperature effect on resistivity

1. Metals (conductors)

- Because the atoms move more rapidly at higher temperature

and are arranged in a less orderly fashion.

- Therefore they interfere more with the flow of electrons

through the material causing the material to have higher
resistance.

- In general, the resistivity of metals increases with temperature

according to

𝝆𝒕 = 𝝆𝒐 ( 𝟏+ ∝ ∆𝒕 )
𝑹𝒕 = 𝑹𝒐 ( 𝟏+ ∝ (𝑻 − 𝑻𝟎 ) )

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Example (4)
If a wire has resistivity 𝜌0 = 2 × 10−8 Ω . 𝑚 at T = 30 0C what its
resistivity at T = 100 0C if 𝛼 = 2 × 10−4 0C-1

𝑇0 = 30℃ , 𝑇 = 100 ℃ ,
𝜌0 = 2 × 10−8 , 𝛼 = 2 × 10−4
𝜌𝑡 = 𝜌𝑜 ( 1+ ∝ ∆𝑡 )
𝜌𝑡 = 2 × 10−8 ( 1 + 2 × 10−4 (100 − 30) )
𝜌𝑡 = 2.028 × 10−8 Ω . 𝑚
Example (5)
A copper wire has a length of 160m and diameter of 1 mm. if the
wire is connected to a 1.5-volt battery, how much current flows
through the wire. (𝜌 = 1.72 × 10−8 Ω . 𝑚)

Solution

𝑟 = 0.5 × 10−3 𝑚, 𝜌 = 1.72 × 10−8 Ω . 𝑚

𝜌𝑙
𝑅=
𝐴
1.72 × 10−8 × 160
𝑅= = 3.5 Ω
𝜋 (0.5 × 10−3 )2
𝑉 1.5
𝐼= = = 0.428 𝐴
𝑅 3.5

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Electric energy and power

When a small amount of charge ∆𝑄 moves across a potential

difference V , its electrical potential energy U changes by the
amount

∆𝑈 = 𝑉 ( ∆𝑄 )
Electric power P is the rate of change of energy
∆𝑈 ∆𝑄
𝑃= =𝑉 = 𝑉𝐼
∆𝑇 ∆𝑇
2
𝑉2
𝑃 = 𝐼𝑉 = 𝐼 𝑅 =
𝑅
SI Units of P is j/s = watt

Example (6)
Calculate the resistance of 40 W automobile head light designed for
12 V

Solution
𝑉2 𝑉 2 122
𝑃= , 𝑅= = = 3.6 𝑜ℎ𝑚
𝑅 𝑃 40

Paying electric bills

We pay our electric bill based on the total energy we use

U = P. t Watt x Second = Joule

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Note

1 Kw. h = 1000 W x 3600 S = 3.6 x 106 j

Example (7)
An electric heater draws a 15 A on a 240 V line how much power
does it use and how much does it cost per month ( 30 days
) if it operates 3 hours per day and the ray is 10.5 cent per
KWh . Assume the current flow steadily in one direction

Solution

P = IV = 15 x 240 = 3600 W = 3.6 KW

Hours of usage is 3 hours/day x 30 days = 90 hours

U = 3.6 x 90 = 324 KWh

Cost = 324 x 0.105 = 34.02 $

Example (8)
75 W light bulb operates on a potential difference of 95 V find

A - The current in the bulb

B – The resistance of the bulb

C – If this bulb is replaced with one whose resistance is half value

found in part B, is its power rating greater than or less than 75
Watt? By what factor?

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Solution
𝑃 75
A – 𝐼= = = 𝑂. 79 𝐴
𝑉 95
𝑉2 952
B – 𝑅= = = 120 𝑜ℎ𝑚
𝑃 75

C – R’ = 0.5 R = 60 ohm
𝑉2
Since P =
𝑅
𝑃′ 𝑅 120
Then = = =2
𝑃 𝑅′ 60

P’ = 2 P P’ Is greater by factor of 2

Example (9)
Find the power dissipated in a 25 Ω electric heater connected to a
120 V outlet

Solution

𝑉2 1202
𝑝= = = 580 𝑊
𝑅 25

Example (10)
The current in 120 V reading lamp is 2.3 A if the cost of the
electrical energy is 0.075 $ per KWh, How much does it cost to
operate the light for an hour?

Solution

P = IV , U = P.t

U = I.V.t = 2.3 x 120 x 1 = 276 Wh

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U = 0.276 KWh

Cost = 0.276 X 0.075 = 0.021 $

Example (11)
If a 100 W light bulb is on for two hours each day and energy
costs 0.1 pond (10 piaster) per 1 Kw.h. how much does it cost to
run the bulb for a month.

Solution

𝑈 = 0.1 𝐾𝑊ℎ
𝑈𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 = 0.1 × 2 × 30 = 6 𝐾𝑤 (Per month)

𝐶𝑜𝑠𝑡 = 6 × 0.1 = 0.6 𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑑 = 60 𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟

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