OHM’S LAW:
HOW VOLTAGE, CURRENT, AND
RESISTANCE RELATE
LESSON 3
3RD QUARTER
ELECTRONICS AND ROBOTICS
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Explain what Ohm’s Law is
• Discuss the relationship of electric current, resistance , and voltage
• Apply Ohm’s Law in solving numerical problems
OHM’S LAW: AN INTRODUCTION
There are certain formulas in
Physics that are so powerful and so
pervasive that they reach the state of
popular knowledge. A student of Physics
has written such formulas down so many
times that they have memorized it without
trying to. Certainly to the professionals
in the field, such formulas are so central
that they become engraved in their minds.
In the field of Modern Physics, there is E
= m • c2. In the field of Newtonian
Mechanics, there is Fnet = m • a. In the
field of Wave Mechanics, there is v = f
• λ. And in the field of current
electricity, there is ΔV = I • R.
OHM’S LAW: AN INTRODUCTION
The predominant equation which pervades the
study of electric circuits is the equation
ΔV = I • R
In words, the electric potential difference
between two points on a circuit (ΔV) is
equivalent to the product of the current between
those two points (I) and the total resistance of
all electrical devices present between those two
points (R). This equation will become the most
common equation which we see. Often referred to
as the Ohm’s Law equation, this equation is a
powerful predictor of the relationship between
potential difference, current and resistance.
VOLTAGE, CURRENT, AND RESISTANCE
An electric circuit is formed when a conductive
path is created to allow electric charge to
continuously move. This continuous movement of
electric charge through the conductors of a circuit
is called a current, and it is often referred to in
terms of “flow,” just like the flow of a liquid
through a hollow pipe.
The force motivating charge carriers to “flow” in
a circuit is called voltage. Voltage is a specific
measure of potential energy that is always relative
between two points.
When we speak of a certain amount of voltage
being present in a circuit, we are referring to the
measurement of how much potential energy exists to
move charge carriers from one particular point in
that circuit to another particular point. Without
reference to two particular points, the term
“voltage” has no meaning.
VOLTAGE, CURRENT, AND RESISTANCE
Current tends to move through the conductors
with some degree of friction, or opposition to
motion. This opposition to motion is more
properly called resistance. The amount of
current in a circuit depends on the amount of
voltage and the amount of resistance in the
circuit to oppose current flow.
Just like voltage, resistance is a quantity
relative between two points. For this reason,
the quantities of voltage and resistance are
often stated as being “between” or “across” two
points in a circuit.
UNITS OF MEASUREMENT: VOLT, AMP, AND OHM
To be able to make meaningful statements about
these quantities in circuits, we need to be able to
describe their quantities in the same way that we
might quantify mass, temperature, volume, length, or
any other kind of physical quantity. For mass we
might use the units of “kilogram” or “gram.” For
temperature, we might use degrees Fahrenheit or
degrees Celsius.
Here are the standard units of measurement for
electrical current, voltage, and resistance:
UNITS OF MEASUREMENT: VOLT, AMP, AND OHM
The “symbol” given for each quantity is the
standard alphabetical letter used to represent that
quantity in an algebraic equation. Standardized
letters like these are common in the disciplines of
physics and engineering and are internationally
recognized.
The “unit abbreviation” for each quantity
represents the alphabetical symbol used as a
shorthand notation for its particular unit of
measurement. And the symbol is the capital Greek
letter Ω.
Each unit of measurement is named after a
famous experimenter in electricity: The amp after
the Frenchman Andre M. Ampere, the volt after the
Italian Alessandro Volta, and the ohm after the
German Georg Simon Ohm.
UNITS OF MEASUREMENT: VOLT, AMP, AND OHM
The Ohm's law equation is often explored in
physics labs using a resistor, a battery pack, an
ammeter, and a voltmeter. An ammeter is a device used
to measure the current at a given location. A
voltmeter is a device equipped with probes that can
be touched to two locations on a circuit to determine
the electric potential difference across those
locations. By altering the number of cells in the
battery pack, the electric potential difference
across the external circuit can be varied. The
voltmeter can be used to determine this potential
difference and the ammeter can be used to determine
the current associated with this ΔV. A battery can be
added to the battery pack and the process can be
repeated several times to yield a set of I-ΔV data. A
plot of I versus ΔV will yield a line with a slope
that is equivalent to the reciprocal of the
resistance of the resistor. This can be compared to
the manufacturers stated value to determine the
accuracy of the lab data and the validity of the
Ohm's law equation.
PRACTICE EXERCISES:
1. An alarm clock draws 0.5 A of current when connected to a 120
volt circuit. Calculate its resistance.
2. A subwoofer needs a household voltage of 110 V to push a current
of 5.5 A through its coil. What is the resistance of the
subwoofer?
3. A 12 Volt car battery pushes charge through the headlight circuit
resistance of 10 ohms. How much current is passing through the
circuit?
4. How much voltage would be necessary to generate 10 amps of
current in a circuit that has 5 ohms of resistance?
THANK YOU!
KRIS CRISTHOPHER C. DELA CRUZ
[email protected]
