Topics to be Discussed
Electric Current.
Types of Electric Current.
Defining a Current.
Voltage or Potential.
Energy.
Passive Sign Convention.
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Electric Current
Free electrons in a conductor move in a haphazard, zig-zag, or
random way.
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There is no flow of electric current due to random motion of electrons.
At any instant, the number n1 of electrons crossing from left to right is
the same as the number n2 of electrons crossing from right to left.
When a voltage is applied, in addition to the random movement, the
electrons drift towards positive terminal.
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• Instead of going straight from A to B, the
electron takes a curved path and reaches B’.
•This drift of charge carriers (here, electrons)
results in an electric current, called drift
current.
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The average velocity of the charge carriers moving under the influence
of an applied electric field is called drift velocity (vd).
It is of the order of mm/s.
Then, how is it that when you switch on a light, it glows almost instantly
?
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Types of Electric Current
Unidirectional current.
(a) DC current. (b) Pulsating current.
Alternating current.
(a) Sinusoidal ac current. (b) Square-wave ac current.
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•Note that the abbreviations ‘dc’ for ‘direct
current’ and ‘ac’ for ‘alternating current’
have been taken as adjectives.
•Hence, it is perfectly alright to say, ‘ac
current’ or ‘dc voltage’, etc.
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Defining a Current
Two methods of representation for
the same current.
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Voltage or Potential
Mostly, we are interested in potential difference (pd) also called voltage,
and not in absolute potential.
1 volt (V) = 1 joule / 1 coulomb = 1 J/C.
The notation VAB denotes the voltage of point A with respect to point B.
It is simply the voltage rise from B to A.
It is same thing as the voltage drop from A to B.
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What is the voltage VAB in following three
cases ?
(a) (b)
(c)
Answer: Click
(a) Voltage VAB = 4 V.
(b) Voltage VAB = - 4 V.
(c) Voltage VAB = -(- 4) V = 4 V
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Energy
(a) The element is absorbing energy
(a passive element)
(b) The element is delivering energy.
(an active element)
Passive Sign Convention says that the current
must enter the plus-marked terminal of the
element.
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Unit of energy is joule (J).
Unit of power is watt (W).
1 hp =746 W.
Electrical energy is measured in kW h.
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Flemiing’s Right-hand
Left-hnad Rules
Mnemonics
First finger → Field Flux
Central finger → Current
thuMb → Motion of
the conductor
Review
Electric Current.
Types of Electric Current.
Defining a Current.
Voltage or Potential.
Energy.
Passive Sign Convention.
Flemings Right- and Left Hand Rule.
Next
