Medical physics course

Chapter 17
Current and Resistance

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 Chapter Outline

17.1 Electric Current

17.3 Current and Voltage Measurements in Circuits
17.4 Resistance, Resistivity, and Ohm’s Law
17.5 Temperature Variation of Resistance
17.6 Electrical Energy and Power

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 17.1 Electric Current

 The current is the rate at which the charge flows through

a surface.
 Look at the charges flowing perpendicularly through a
surface of area

 The SI unit of current is Ampere (A)

1 A = 1 C/s

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 Electric Current

 The instantaneous current is the limit of the average

current as the time interval goes to zero:

 If there is a steady current, the average and

instantaneous currents will be the same.

 SI unit: A

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 Electric Current

 The direction of the current is the

direction positive charge would
flow.
 This is known as conventional
current direction.
 In a common conductor, such as
copper, the current is due to the
motion of the negatively charged
electrons.

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 Example

 The amount of charge that passes through the filament of

a certain lightbulb in 2.00s is 1.67 C. Find
 the average current in the lightbulb.
 the number of electrons that pass through the filament in
5.00 s.
 Solution

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 17.3 Current and Voltage
Measurements In Circuits

 A circuit is a closed path of some sort around which

current circulates.
 A circuit diagram can be used to represent the circuit.
 Quantities of interest are generally current and potential
difference.

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 Current and Voltage
Measurements In Circuits

 We can measure the current, voltage and resistance by

using a device called Multimeter.
 Multimeter can be used as Ammeter to measure the
current.
 Multimeter can be used as Voltmeter to measure the
voltage the bulb.

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 17.4 Resistance, Resistivity and Ohms Law

 Georg Simon Ohm 1787

 1854 Formulated the concept of
resistance
 Discovered the proportionality
between current and voltages

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 Resistance, Resistivity and Ohms Law

Resistance and Ohms Law

 The current in the conductor is directly proportional to the
applied voltage:
I α ΔV
 The proportionality constant is known as the resistance R:
ΔV=IR
 The resistance remains constant over a wide range of
applied voltages or currents. (Ohms Law)

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 Resistance, Resistivity and Ohms Law

 The ratio of the voltage across the conductor to the current

it carries is known as the resistance:

R=ΔV/I
in SI unit of ohm (Ω)

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 Resistance, Resistivity and Ohms Law

Ohmic and Non-Ohmic materials

 Ohmic materials have a linear
current-voltage relationship over a
large range of applied voltages:

 Non-ohmic materials have a

nonlinear current-voltage relationship
such as Diods, Transistors.

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 Resistance, Resistivity and Ohms Law

Resistivity
 The resistance of an ohmic
conductor is proportional to its
length, L, and inversely proportional
to its cross-sectional area, A.

 ρ is the constant of proportionality

and is called the resistivity of the
material.
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 Resistance, Resistivity and Ohms Law

Resistivity

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 17.5 Temperature variation of resistance

 Temperature Variation of Resistivity

For most metals, resistivity increases
with increasing temperature.
 With a higher temperature, the
metal’s constituent atoms vibrate with
increasing amplitude.
 The electrons find it more difficult to
pass through the atoms

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 Temperature variation of resistance

 For most metals, resistivity increases approximately

linearly with temperature over a limited temperature
range.

 ρ is the resistivity at some temperature T

 ρo is the resistivity at some reference temperature To

 To is usually taken to be 20° C

 α is the temperature coefficient of resistivity

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 Temperature variation of resistance

 Since the resistance of a conductor with uniform cross

sectional area is proportional to the resistivity, you can
find the effect of temperature on resistance by:

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 17.6 Electrical Energy and Power

 Chemical energy of the battery transformed to kinetic

energy of the charge carriers causing an increase in the
temperature of the conductor.
 Chemical energy transformed to thermal energy.
 The power representing the rate at which the energy is
delivered to the resistor is:
(watt)

only for ohmic materials

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 17.6 Electrical Energy and Power

 One kilowatt-hour (1kWh) is the energy converted or

consumed in 1h.
E=Pt
 1kWh= (103 W)(3600 s)=3.6x106 Joul

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 Example

A circuit provides a maximum current of 20.0 A at an operating

voltage of 1.20 X 102 V.
a) How many 75 W bulbs can operate with this voltage source?
b) At $0.120 per kilowatt-hour, how much does it cost to operate
these bulbs for 8.00 h?
Solution

b
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