CHAPTER 3: CURRENT

ELECTRICITY
1. ELECTRICAL ENERGY
2. ELECTRICAL POWER
3. EMF AND POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE OF A CELL
4. INTERNAL RESISTANCE OF A CELL
5. SERIES COMBINATION OF CELLS
6. PARALLEL COMBINATION OF CELLS
 ELECTRICAL ENERGY
• If charges were moving freely through the conductor under the action of
electric field, their kinetic energy would increase as they move.
• But on the average, charge carriers move with a steady drift velocity. This is
because of the collisions with ions and atoms during transit.
• During collisions, the energy gained by the charges is shared with the
atoms. The atoms vibrate more vigorously, i.e., the conductor heats up.
• Thus, in an actual conductor, an amount of energy dissipated as heat in the
conductor during the time interval ∆t is,
∆W = I V∆t
W = H (or) Q
= Ivt
= v2 (for parallel combination of resistances)

Rt
H = I2Rt (for series combination of resistances)
Commercial Unit of Electric Energy is kWh or B.O.T.U.
1 kWh = 3.6 x 106 Joule
 Joule’s Law:
When an electric current is passed through a
conducting wire, the electrical energy is converted into
heat energy. This effect is called ‘heating effect of
electric current’.
It is also called ‘Joule Heat’.
According to Joule’s Law :

Q = I2 R t Q is in joule, I in A, R in ohm and t in s

I2 R t
Q=
J Q is in calorie, I in A, R in ohm and t in s
 ELECTRICAL POWER
The energy dissipated per unit time is the power dissipated, i.e,
P = ∆W/∆t
Substituting ∆W = I V∆t , we have,
P=IV
Using Ohm’s law V = IR, we get
P = I2R (for series combination of resistances)
= V2/R (for parallel combination of resistances)
‘P’ is the power loss (“ohmic loss”) in a conductor of resistance R carrying a
current I. It is this power which heats up, for example, the coil of an electric
bulb to incandescence, radiating out heat and light .
SI unit of power is ‘watt’(W)
Other units are ‘kW’ and ‘hp’
1 kW = 1000 W 1 hp = 746 W
 ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION
• Electrical power is transmitted from power stations to homes and factories via
transmission cables.
• But the resulting power loss in the transmission cables connecting the power stations to
homes and factories has to be minimised.

R
• Consider a device R, to which a power P is to be delivered via transmission cables
having a resistance Rc to be dissipated by it finally.
• If V is the voltage across R and I the current through it, then
P=VI
The connecting wires from the power station to the device has a finite resistance Rc.
The power dissipated in the connecting wires, which is wasted is Pc
Pc = I2 Rc
= P2 Rc
V2
The power wasted in the connecting wires is inversely proportional to V2 . Hence power
transmission is done at high voltages to minimise power loss.
 E.M.F & TERMINAL P.D
• The electro motive force is the maximum potential difference between
the two electrodes of the cell when no current is drawn from the cell.
• Comparison between EMF and P.D
EMF Potential Difference
1 EMF is the maximum potential P.D is the difference of potentials
difference between the two between any two points in a closed
electrodes of the cell when no circuit.
current is drawn from the cell i.e.
when the circuit is open.

2 It is independent of the It is proportional to the resistance

resistance of the circuit. between the given points.

3 The term ‘emf’ is used only for It is measured between any two
the source of emf. points of the circuit.

4 It is greater than the potential However, p.d. is greater than emf

difference between any two when the cell is being charged.
points in a circuit.
 Internal Resistance of a cell
The opposition offered by the electrolyte of the cell to the flow of electric
charges through it is called the internal resistance of the cell.

Factors affecting Internal Resistance of a cell:

i) Larger the separation between the electrodes of the cell, more the length of the
electrolyte through which current has to flow and consequently a higher value of
internal resistance.
ii) Greater the conductivity of the electrolyte, lesser is the internal resistance of the
cell. i.e. internal resistance depends on the nature of the electrolyte.
iii) The internal resistance of a cell is inversely proportional to the common area of the
electrodes dipping in the electrolyte.
iv) The internal resistance of a cell depends on the nature of the electrodes .

Terminal p.d V = E – v
E r
IR = E - Ir
v
E = I (R + r) I I
I = E / (R + r) R
This relation is called circuit equation.
V
Internal Resistance of a cell in terms of E,V and R:

E =V+v E r
= V + Ir
Ir = E - V v
I I
Dividing by IR = V, R

Ir E–V E V
= r =( - 1)
IR V R
V
Determination of Internal Resistance of a cell by voltmeter method:
V V
+ +

r r

I I
R.B (R) R.B (R)
K K
Open circuit (No current is drawn) Closed circuit (Current is drawn)
EMF (E) is measured Terminal p.d (V) is measured
CELLS CONNECTED IN SERIES
Cells in Series combination:
Cells are connected in series when they are joined end to end so that the
same quantity of electricity must flow through each cell.
NOTE:
E r E r E r
1. The emf of the battery is the
sum of the individual emfs
I I
2. The current in each cell is the
same and is identical with the R
current in the entire
arrangement.
V
3. The total internal resistance of
the battery is the sum of the
individual internal resistances.

Total emf of the battery = nE (for n no. of identical cells)

Total Internal resistance of the battery = nr
Total resistance of the circuit = nr + R

(i) If R << nr, then I = E / r (ii) If nr << R, then I = n (E / R)

nE
Current I = Conclusion: When internal resistance is negligible in
nr + R comparison to the external resistance, then the cells are
connected in series to get maximum current.
CELLS CONNECTED IN PARALLEL
Cells in Parallel combination:
Cells are said to be connected in parallel when they are joined positive to
positive and negative to negative such that current is divided between the cells.
E r
NOTE:
1. The emf of the battery is the same as that of a
single cell.
E r
2. The current in the external circuit is divided equally
among the cells.
3. The reciprocal of the total internal resistance is the E r
sum of the reciprocals of the individual internal I I
resistances.

Total emf of the battery = E R

Total Internal resistance of the battery = r / n V

Total resistance of the circuit = (r / n) + R

(i) If R << r/n, then I = n(E / r) (ii) If r/n << R, then I = E / R

nE
Current I = Conclusion: When external resistance is negligible in
nR + r comparison to the internal resistance, then the cells are
connected in parallel to get maximum current.