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ABOUT
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To
understand the Electricity
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Current, Voltage and Resistance
What is Current?
An electrical phenomenon is caused by flow of free electrons
from one atom to another. The characteristics of current
electricity are opposite to those of static electricity.
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Wires are made up of conductors such as copper or aluminum.
Atoms of metal are made up of free electrons, which freely
move from one atom to the next. If an electron is added
in the wire, a free electron is attracted to a proton to
be neutral. Forcing electrons out of their orbits can cause
a lack of electrons. The electrons, which continuously move
in wire, are called Electric Current.
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For solid conductors, electric current refers to
directional negative-to-positive electrons from one atom
to the next. Liquid conductors and gas conductors, electric
current refers to the electrons and protons flows in the
opposite direction.
Current is the flow of electrons, but the current and electron
flow in the opposite direction. The current flows from positive
to negative, and the electron flows from negative to positive.
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Current is determined by the number of electrons passing
through a cross-section of a conductor in one second. Current
is measured in amperes, which is abbreviated "amps".
The symbol for amps is a letter "A".
A current of one amp means that current pass through a cross-section
of two conductors, which are placed in parallel 1 meter
apart, with 2x10-7 newton per meter force occur
in each conductor. It can also mean the charges of one coulomb
(or 6.24x1018 electrons) passing through a cross-section
of a conductor in one second.
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What is voltage?
Electric current is the flow of electrons in a conductor.
The force required to make current flow through a conductor
is called voltage.
Potential is the other term that is similar to the
voltage. For example, the first element has more positive
charges, so it has higher potential. On the other hand,
the second element has charges that are more negative so
it has lower potential. This difference between two points
is called potential difference.
Electromotive force means the force which makes the
current continuously flows through a conductor. This force
can be generated from power generator, battery, flashlight
battery, fuel cell, etc.
Volt, abbreviated "V", is the unit of measurement
used interchangeably for voltage, potential, and electromotive
force.
One volt means a force which makes the current of one amp
move through a resistance of one ohm. |
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What is resistance?
Electrons move through a conductor when electric current flows.
All materials impede the flow of electric current to some
extend. This characteristic is called resistance. Resistance
increases with an increase of length or decrease of cross-section
of a material.
The unit of measurement for resistance is ohms and
its symbol is the Greek letter omega (Ω).
The resistance of one ohm means a conductor allows a current
of one amp to flow with a voltage of one volt.
All materials are difference in allowing electrons flow. Materials
that allow many electrons to flow freely are called conductors
such as copper, silver, aluminium, hydrochloric solution,
sulphuric acid and saltwater. In contrast, materials which
allow few electrons to flow are called insulators such
as plastic, rubber, glass and dry paper. Another type of materials,
semiconductors have characteristics of both conductors
and insulators. They allow electrons to move while being able
to control the flow of electrons. For example, carbon, silicon
and germanium, etc.
The resistance of conductor depends on two main factors:
- Types of the material
- Temperature of the material
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