Ohm’s

Law
Ohm’s Law
In scientific units: Volts = Amperes x Ohms

Alessandro Volta Andre-Marie Ampere Georg Simon Ohm

1745 - 1827 1775 - 1836 17889 - 1854
What is the current?
What is the current?
How much voltage gives 5
amps of current through
a 3 Ω light bulb?

I = V/R
V = (5A)  (3Ω)
V = 15V
 Suppose a wire has twice the resistance

in wi re tance Doubling the resistance of

e ee current resis
Electromotive the
- - - Force
wire VOLTAGE circuit wire will mean twice
the
electromotive force
(voltage)
required to drive the same
current through the circuit.
ir e
t in w
rr en
cu
The greater the electrical resistance,
e ee e
-
- wir the greater the applied voltage V
- needs to be
to drive the same current I
Increasing the resistance,
decreases the flow of
current…
 Measuring Current
• Current is measured in unit amps (A)

2A 2A 2A 2A

1A
2A
1A

In a series circuit, In a parallel circuit,

current is the same current is shared
at all the points between all the points
- The parallel circuit splits into each routes;
- Example:

- This means the current also splits into 3 equal

amounts. Therefore, 9/3 = 3Amps
What is the current?
How much current flows in a
circuit with a 1.5 volt battery
and three 1 ohm resistances
(bulbs) in series?

I = V/R

I = (1.5V) / (3Ω)

I = 0.5A
What is the current?

3A 3A
4A
1A

4A
1A
4A

1A

SERIES CIRCUIT PARALLEL CIRCUIT

 Measuring Voltage
• Voltage – the electrical push that a
cell/battery gives to the current

• Voltage is also known as Potential

Difference

• Voltage is measured in unit volts (V)

 Measuring Voltage
3V

3V
3V

1.5V 1.5V 3V

In a series circuit, In a parallel circuit,

voltage is shared voltage is the same at
between all the points all the points
- The parallel circuit splits into each routes;
- Example:

- The voltage will be the same everywhere

What is the current and voltage?

6V
4A 4A
A

3V
V 3V
V

4A
A

Current Voltage
Series Same Shared
Parallel Shared Same
What is the current and voltage?

6V
4A A
4A

V
6V
2A
A

6V
V
2A
A
 Questions:
• The label on the
 
 
 
battery says 6V. If we
connected a voltmeter
across each lamp,
what would the
readings be?

• At lamp 1 - _______ V
• At lamp 2- ________V
• At lamp 3- ________V
 Questions:
9V

• What type of circuit is

this?
L1

• What voltage will load 1, 2

and 3 have ? L2

L3
• What current will Load 1,
2 and 3 have?
 Measuring Resistance
• Resistance – slows down current, adding
components to a circuit increases resistance

• Resistance is measured in unit ohms (Ω)

• More resistance = Less current = Less light

In a series circuit, add all resistors to get total