Current Electricity

GRADE 10
PHYSICAL SCIENCE
Robyn Basson
CAPS
 What is current
electricity?
• The flow of moving charge, usually carried by
moving electrons in a wire.
 Circuits
• A path in which charges continually move through a complete loop,
returning to their original position and cycling through again.

• The following conditions are necessary for an electric current to flow:

• A source of energy
• Conductors in a circuit
• A closed circuit

• A closed circuit allows an electric current to flow, as there are no

gaps/spaces in the circuit
• If the switch is not closed or if there are any spaces/breakages, the
current will not flow. This is called an open circuit.
TB pg. 113
Components of a circuit

Conductor

TB pg. 113
Components of a circuit

Resistor

TB pg. 113
Components of a circuit

Light Bulb

TB pg. 113
Components of a circuit
+
-
Battery /
Cell
Direction of conventional current?
From positive to negative
TB pg. 113
Components of a circuit

Variable
resistor/
rheostat

TB pg. 113
Components of a circuit

Open
switch

TB pg. 113
Components of a circuit

Closed
switch

TB pg. 113
Components of a circuit

Voltmeter

TB pg. 113
Components of a circuit

Ammeter

TB pg. 113
Components of a circuit

Can be used
Multimeter as an
ammeter and
a voltmeter

TB pg. 113
 Connection of
components
Components can be connected in two ways:

Series Parallel
Only one path for More than one
the current to path for the
flow current to flow

TB pg. 114
 Circuit Diagrams
Use the symbols of components to draw representing diagrams

Description?

TB pg. 113
 Activity:
Drawing Electrical Circuits
PG. 115-116
Potential Differenc

In
Inaan
gravitational
electric field,
field,
theyou
have
electrons
the potential
have theto fall,
thus
potential
you posses
to move, thus
they posses electrical
gravitational potential
energy.
potential energy.

TB pg. 116
 Potential Differenc
• Potential difference means that there is a
difference in potential energy between two points.

• Charge moves from where it has a high potential

energy to where it has a lower potential energy.
TB pg. 117
• This difference in potential energy between the 2
points is used to do work. The work can be in the form
of light, heat or other types of energy.

• If the resistance between the two points increases,

the potential difference increases.
TB pg. 117
 Potential Differenc
• Definition: The difference in the electric potential energy
per unit charge between any two points in a circuit.

• Also called voltage.

• Electrical potential difference

across the poles of a battery
• when no current is flowing is known as emf
• when a current is flowing is called the potential
difference or voltage.
TB pg. 117
 Potential Difference
• There are chemicals inside a battery. The chemical
reaction provides chemical energy, which is converted
into electrical energy. This allows the charges to move.

• The battery gets hot? The battery

also offers some resistance to the
flow of charge and so it converts
some potential energy to heat
energy inside the battery.

• Unit for EMF and voltage (V).

TB pg. 117
 Write this down:
The difference between EMF and potential difference

• The voltage measured across the terminals of a battery

when NO CURRENT is flowing through the battery is
called EMF.
• The voltage measured across the terminals of a battery
when CURRENT IS FLOWING is called terminal
potential difference.
• EMF and potential difference are both measured in volts.
(V)
Formula sheet
 Potential Difference
Calculations

V= voltage V
W
W= work/energy J
V Q Q= charge C

TB pg. 117
 Calculations
Example 1
120J of work is done in lighting a bulb when a charge of 20C
flows through it. What will the potential difference be across
the bulb?

W
V Q
TB pg. 117
 Calculations
Example 2
How much energy is transferred when a 60V source allows a
6C charge to flow through a conductor?

W
V Q
TB pg. 118
 Potential Difference in series and
parallel
• Potential difference is measured with
a voltmeter.

• Voltmeters are always connected in

parallel so that it can measure the
difference in potential energy
between 2 points in a circuit. A
voltmeter has a high resistance so
that almost no current flows through
it.

TB pg. 118
• The positive terminal of the voltmeter is always
connected to the side of the circuit that is closest to
the positive terminal of the battery.
- +

- +
• The negative terminal of the voltmeter is connected
to the side of the circuit that is closest to the negative
terminal of the battery.
TB pg. 118
Diagrams page 119-120
Homework
Exercise 11 pg. 121-123
 Current Strength
• A source of electrical energy is needed for electric current to
flow.

• The charges collect energy from the source and deliver it to

various components of the circuit

• The rate at which electric charges flow in a circuit.

• Electric “current” cannot be used up. It is not the amount of

charge but rather how fast or slow the charges move around
the circuit.

TB pg. 123
• Current is measured with an ammeter. The positive
terminal of the ammeter is connected so that it is
closest to the positive terminal of the battery.

• Ammeter is always connected in series.

• Low resistance

TB pg. 118
Formula sheet
 Current Strength
Calculations

I = current A
Q
Q= charge C
I ∆t ∆𝑡 = time s
 Calculations
Example 1
How much current is flowing through when 10C of charge
moves past a point in 5s?

I
Q ∆t
Diagrams page 124-125
In a series circuit, the
current is the same at
all points.

In a parallel circuit, the

current is divided. The
current is equal to the
sum of the ammeter
readings in parallel.
What influences current strength?
What annoys you the most when you go shopping on a
Saturday?

Queue of people = current

Till = resistors

If the queue is the current, and the tills are

the resistors then the people in the queue
(current) would be able to move forward
faster if another till opens up. (another path
for the current to flow)
What has an effect on the current
strength?
RESISITORS
• When more resistors are connected in series, there is a greater
obstruction to the flow of charge. Therefore the total resistance
increases.
• As a result of this increase, the current flowing through the
battery decreases.

TB pg. 125
What has an effect on the current
strength?
• When more resistors are added in parallel, there are
some more paths opening for the current to flow
through, causing greater ease of current flow.
Therefore, the total resistance in the circuit increases.

• As a result of this, the total current through the battery

increases.

TB pg. 125
The difference between conventional
current and electron flow
• Conventional Current = The direction in which positive
charges would flow if they could. It is from the positive
to the negative pole of a battery.
• Electron flow = The direction in which electrons move in
a circuit. This is from the negative to the positive pole of
a battery.

• In circuit diagrams, we indicate the direction of

CONVENTIONAL CURRENT.
WRITE DOWN
Homework
Exercise 12 PG. 128
RESISTANCE

TB pg. 129
 • Metals are used in electric circuits as the are good
conductors of electricity. (Delocalised electrons)

• When these electrons flow through the resistor, the

electrons bump into the particles of the conductor.

• Kinetic energy is transferred and the particles of the

conductor start to vibrate more quickly. The
conductor becomes hot and the flow of current
decreases, as the electrons find it harder to move
through the vibrating particles.

• Resistors are components in a circuit that resists the

flow of charge in the circuit.

• A resistor is a conductor of electricity but a bad one.

• A resistor converts electrical energy into other types of

energy e.g. heat or light.
TB pg. 129
 Resistors in series Resistors in Parallel
• There is only one route for the
• There is alternative routes for
the flow of current.
flow of current.
• Total resistance of circuit –
• Total resistance of circuit –

• Calculated by taking the sum of

• Calculated using the inverse
of the resistor strength.
individual resistors.
• 𝑅𝑠 = 𝑅1 + 𝑅2 + 𝑅3 • 1
𝑅𝑝
=
1
𝑅1
+
1
𝑅2
+
1
𝑅3

• Increases as more resistors are • Decreases as more resistors

added. are added.
• The greater the number of • The greater the number of
resistors in series, the smaller the resistors connected in
total current. parallel, the greater the
• Potential dividers (V). Total total current.
potential difference of the • Current dividers (A). Total
battery is divided between the current is divided between
resistors. the resistors.
TB pg. 129
This describes the relationship between current and resistance.

TB pg. 130-131
• The potential difference over a resistor is directly proportional
to the current flowing through the resistor, provided the
temperature of the resistor remains constant.

𝑉 = 𝐼𝑅
Conductors that obey Ohms law are known as Ohmic
conductors. Here, the ratio of V to I remains constant.

Non-Ohmic conductors are those that do not obey

Ohms Law. They tend to get hot and their resistance
increases so much that the ratio of V to I does not
remain constant.
TB pg. 131 & 133
Formula sheet
 Ohms Law
Calculations

R= resistance Ω
V
V= voltage V
R I I = current A
 Example 1
The following series circuit consists of a 12V battery, two resistors
𝑹𝟏 = 𝟒𝜴 and 𝑹𝟐 = 𝟐𝜴 and an ammeter. Voltmeters 𝑉𝑇 , 𝑉1 and 𝑉2 are
connected across the battery and the resistors.

1.1 Calculate the total

resistance of the circuit.

1.2 Calculate the current

through the ammeter.

1.3 Calculate the reading on

𝑉1 .

1.4 Calculate the reading on

𝑉2

TB pg. 132
 Example 2
The following circuit consists of a source of 6V and three resistors
𝑹𝟏 = 𝟔𝜴, 𝑹𝟐 = 𝟐𝜴 and 𝑹𝟑 = 𝟑𝜴 connected in parallel with each other.
Voltmeter 𝑉𝑝 is connected over the parallel resistors and 𝑉1 over 𝑅1 .
2.1 Calculate the resistance of
the parallel arrangement.
2.2 Calculate the current
through the ammeter.
2.3 What is the reading on 𝑉𝑝 ?
2.4 What is the reading on 𝑉1 ?
2.5 Calculate the current
through the 6Ω resistor.
2.6 Calculate the current
through 𝑅2 .
2.7 Calculate the current
TB pg. 132-133 through 𝑅3 .
Homework
Exercise 13 PG. 134-138
 Diagrams from Exercise 13

Question 2
 Diagrams from Exercise 13

Question 3
 Diagrams from Exercise 13

Question 4
 Diagrams from Exercise 13

Question 5
ELECTROMOTIVE FORCE