ENGINEERING

UTILITIES
 Electric Current
A flow of electric charge through a conductor
is an electrical current or, simply current.
A conductor carries electrical current without providing too much
resistance to current flow. Some materials convey electricity better than
others and are good conductors of electricity.

Insulators are materials that resist the flow of electricity.

They have electrons that tend to retain electrons on their original atoms,
making it difficult for electrons to move and conduct electricity.
Semiconductors are materials that are neither good conductors nor
good insulators. They behave like good conductors at high temperature
and insulators at low temperature. (Heat has the opposite effect on
conductors.)
At room temperature, the conductivity of some semiconductors falls
somewhere between that of a good conductor and an insulator.
Semiconductors are solid-state devices such as diodes, transistors, and
integrated circuits, which are used in most electronic devices such as
computers and sound systems.
 UNITS OF ELECTRICITY
Voltage
Voltage or electromotive force (E or EMF) This is the
driving
force behind current flow.

Voltage Drop
Amount of voltage loss that occurs
through all or part of a circuit due to
impedance.

Amperage
Amperage or Inductive Flow
(I) The rate of current flow in a
closed electrical system is
measured in a unit called the
ampere, frequently called the
amp.
Resistance
Resistance (R) The length of a conductor (wire), the diameter
of the conductor, type of conductor material, and temperature
of the conductor affect the resistance to flow of current. The unit
used to measure electrical resistance is the ohm (Ω).

Ohm’s Law
Current flow is caused by electromotive force or voltage. Amperage is the
rate of current flow and may be referred to as in ductive flow. Resistance
(R) refers to the ability of a conductor
to resist current flow and is measured in ohms. Voltage (E), amperage (I),
and resistance (Ω) in an active electrical circuit are
related through Ohm’s Law:
E = IR
Power
Power is the rate at which work is accomplished; it is work or
energy released divided by time. The unit of power measurement that
most individuals are likely familiar with is horsepower.
One horsepower is equivalent to 33 000 foot-pounds (ft-lb) of work per
minute (550 ft-lb/s).
The electrical unit of power is the watt. In theory, the watt
can be related to other measures of power:

1 horsepower (hp) =746 watts

1 watt (W) =3.413 Btu/hr
1 kilowatt (kW) =1000 W
1 megawatt (MW) =1 000 000 W
On a direct current circuit, voltage (E) and amperage (I)
are related to wattage through the DC power equation, also
known as Joule’s Law:

P= EI
ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS

The Basic Electrical Circuit

 An electric circuit is a continuous path along which an electric
current can flow. A simple circuit is composed of a
power source;
the load, an electrical component or group of components that consume
electricity;
and a set of conductors that carry current
from the source to the load.
Closed Circuit
To keep current flowing in an electrical conductor, there must
be a difference in charge between the ends of the conductor. A
closed circuit is an uninterrupted path that allows a continuous
flow of current through an electrical circuit.
Open Circuit

If the path of current flow is interrupted such as if the switch in

a circuit is opened (turned off), an open circuit results.

Short Circuit

If an inadvertent shortcut develops

in a circuit that permits current flow
through an unintentional path,
a short circuit is created.
Series Circuits

A series circuit is connected so that current passes through each

component in the circuit without branching off to individual components in
the circuit.

Itotal = I1 + I2 + I3 + I4 + ... In

Rtotal = R1 + R2 + R3 + R4 + ... Rn

Etotal = E1 + E2 + E3 + E4 + ... En
  
•Parallel Circuits

In a parallel circuit, current branches off to individual components in the

circuit.

Itotal = I1 + I2 + I3 + I4 + ... + In

= + + + ... +

Etotal = E1 = E2 = E3 = E4 = ... = En