General Physics II

Electrical Quantities & Units

Prepared by:

SASHA ANN MARIE D. TRINIDAD

SHS Teacher III
 Electrical Quantities & Units
Electric Current
• An electric current is a flow of charge.
• - is the movement of charged particles in a specific
direction.
• -the charged particle may be an electron, a
positive ion or a negative ion.
• In metals, current is the movement of negative
charge, i.e. electrons
 CURRENT AND VOLTAGE
• I – current
• Because early scientists thought about the
intensity of electricity in a wire.
• Named after the French physicist Andre
Marie Ampere

V is for Voltage
 Unit of Current
• Coulomb per second (C/s) or Ampere
• Two Types of current:
• DC or direct current – where current
continues to flow in the same direction
through the conducting wire all the time.
• Example: the current we get from
flashlight cells and batteries
AC or alternating current
• Periodically reverses the direction
in which it is moving
• Example: the current we have in
our home and in school.
• The unit of voltage is Volts or
Joule per coulomb.
 Electric Current
• Current is the rate at which charge is flowing in a circuit. It is the amount of charges that pass through any point of the circuit per unit time.
• i.e. I = Q / t

• Current is measured in ampere, A, where 1 A = 1 C s-1.

 Conventional current
• Scientist first thought that positive charges flow from the
positive terminal of a cell to the negative terminal. This is
called the conventional current direction.
• However, it was found that a current in a metal wire is in
fact a flow of negatively-charged electrons in the
opposite direction. Nevertheless, the conventional
current is still used.
+ –
electron flow
convention
current
 Example 1:
• How much current is flowing
when 15C pass a specified point
in 5s?
• Solution:
• I=Q/t
• I= 15C/5s
• I= 3 C/s or A
Example 2:
A hair dryer draws a current of 3 A. If it is
switched on for 5 minutes,
(a) how much charge, and
(b) how many electrons have passed
through it?
• Solution:
(a) By I = Q / t
3 = Q / (5 x 60)
Q = 900 C
(b) charge of 1 electron = 1.6 x 10-19 C
no. of electron = 900 / (1.6 x 10-19) = 5.625 x 1021
 Voltage/Electromotive Force
(e.m.f.)

• The electromotive force or e.m.f. of a battery is the

energy transferred to unit charge from chemical
energy of the battery when the charge passes through
the battery.
• Unit : volts (V) Equation: V= W/q
• The e.m.f. of a battery is 1.5 V if 1.5 J of electrical
energy is transferred to each coulomb of charge
 Reflection
• “Enthusiasm is the electricity of
life. How do you get it? You act
enthusiastic until you make it a
habit”
- Gordon
Parks
 QUIZ (10 points)
• I. Direction. Read each statement with comprehension and
choose the letter of the correct answer.
• 1. What do you call a closed, continuous path through
which electrons can flow?
• a. circuit c. voltage
• B. charge d. resistor
• 2. What is the device used to measure current?
• a. ammeter c. galvanometer
• B. voltmeter d. none of the above
• 3. What will happen to the voltage when current
increases?
• a. the voltage stays the same c. the voltage increases
• B. the voltage decreases d. the voltage will be doubled
• 4. What is the other term for unit of current?
• a. Ampere c. Coulomb per second
• B. Joules d. Joules per second
• 5. what do you call when positive charges flow from
the positive terminal of a cell to the negative terminal?
• a. Conventional unit
• B. Conventional current
• C. conventional charges
• D. Unconventional unit
II. Solve the following problem completely.

• 1. How much current is flowing when

29.3C of charge pass a point in 7.84
seconds?

• 2. A charge of 5.0C moves through a

circuit in 0.50 second. How much current
is flowing through the circuit?
 Assignment:

• MAKE A SIMPLE DIAGRAM OF

CURRENT AND VOLTAGE AND
LABEL IT USING LONG COUPON
BOND.