Revision: Electricity Science SSLC (English Medium) Class 10 Tamil Nadu Board of Secondary Education

Current is defined as the rate of flow of charge.

The movement of the positive charge is called conventional current.

The unit of electric current is ampere (A). When 1 C of charge flows through a conductor in 1 s, it called 1 ampere (A) current.
I = `Q/t`

The resistivity of a material is the resistance of a wire of that material of unit length and unit area of cross-section.

A continuous and closed path of an electric current is called an electric circuit.

Substances whose resistance decreases tremendously with decreasing temperature and reaches nearly zero near absolute zero are called superconductors; e.g., lead, tin, etc.

 Semiconductors: Substances whose resistance decreases with the increase in temperature are named as semiconductors. E.g. manganin, constantan etc.

An electric current is measured by the amount of electric charge moving per unit time at any point in the circuit.

The magnitude of an electric current is the number of electric charges flowing through a conductor in one second.

Electromotive force: When no current is drawn from a cell, when the cell is in open circuit, the potential difference between the terminals of the cell is called its electromotive force (or e.m.f.).

 Potential difference: The potential difference between two points may be defined as the work done in moving a unit positive charge from one point to the other.

The potential difference (p.d.) between two points is equal to the work done per unit charge in moving a positive test charge from one point to the other.

OR

The work done per unit positive charge in moving a charge from one point to another in an electric field, is called potential difference between those two points.

The potential at a point is defined as the amount of work done per unit charge in bringing a positive test charge from infinity to that point.

Electric potential is a measure of work done on the unit's positive charge to bring it to that point against all electrical forces. It is represented as ‘V’.

Current density is a vector quantity, often known as an area vector or cross-sectional area vector, whose value is equal to the electric current flowing per unit area.

J = `"I"/"A"`

S.I unit is A/m².

One coulomb is the amount of electric charge transferred by a current of one ampere in one second.

One ohm is the resistance of a component when the potential difference of one volt applied across the component drives a current of one ampere through it.

The temperature coefficient is defined as the ratio of the increase in resistivity per degree rise in temperature to its resistivity at T₀.

The reciprocal of resistance is called conductllnce. It is denoted by the letter G. 

The obstruction offered to the flow of current by the conductor (or wire) is called its resistance.

A variable resistor has a resistance that can be varied. It is used to vary the amount of current flowing in a circuit.

Resistance is the obstacle that the wire presents to the current flow.

A fixed resistor has a resistance of a fixed value. Common types of fixed resistors include carbon film resistors and wire-wound resistors.

The reciprocal of specific resistance is known as conductivity.

Specific resistance of a material is the resistance of a wire of that material of unit length and unit area of cross section.

Electric fuse is a safety device which is used in household wiring and in many appliances.

When a resistor is connected in an electrical circuit, heat is produced in it due to the current. This is known as the heating effect of current.

The solution through which the electricity passes is called an electrolyte.

In an electrical circuit, electric power is defined as the rate at which electrical energy is supplied by the source.

Electric power (P) is the rate at which electrical energy is transferred or consumed in an electrical circuit.

V = \[\frac {W}{Q}\]

or

W = QV

The mathematical expression of Joule’s Law of heating is: H = I² Rt

Where,

H = Produced Heat 
I = Current flowing through the device
t = Time taken
r = Resistance of the appliance

Electric Power P = \[\frac {W}{t}\] = VI = \[\frac {V^2}{R}\] = I²R

According to Ohm’s law, the current flowing in a conductor is directly proportional to the potential difference across its ends, provided the physical conditions and temperature of the conductor remain constant.
No, it is not always true. E.g., Diode valve, junction diode, etc., do not obey Ohm’s law.

Statement: Ohm’s Law

"The electric current flowing through a conductor is directly proportional to the potential difference across its ends, provided the temperature and other physical conditions of the conductor remain constant."

Mathematically,

I ∝ V or V = I R

where:

• V = Potential difference (in volts)
• I = Current (in amperes)
• R = Resistance of the conductor (in ohms, Ω)

Explanation:

When two conductors at different electric potentials are joined by a metallic wire, electrons flow from the conductor at a lower potential (excess electrons) to the one at a higher potential (deficit of electrons). This movement of electrons results in an electric current.

• The current continues to flow until both conductors reach the same potential.
• For continuous current flow, a constant potential difference must be maintained across the ends of the conductor (e.g., using a battery or power supply).

Derivation / Mathematical Proof:

From Ohm’s Law:

I ∝ V ⇒ \[\frac {V}{I}\] = constant

This constant is defined as the resistance (R) of the conductor. Therefore,

V = I R   ---(1)

This is the mathematical form of Ohm’s Law.

Special Case:

If the current I = 1 A, then:

V = R

This implies that the resistance of a conductor is numerically equal to the potential difference across it when 1 ampere of current flows through it.

Conclusion:

Ohm's Law provides a fundamental relationship between voltage, current, and resistance in an electric circuit. It is widely used in the design and analysis of electrical and electronic systems.

The heat produced in the resistor is H = W = VQ

We know that the relation between the charge and current is Q = It.

Using this, we get H = VIt

From Ohm’s Law, V = IR. Hence, we have H = I²Rt

This is known as Joule’s law of heating.

Joule’s law of heating states that the heat produced in any resistor is:

1. Directly proportional to the square of the current passing through the resistor. H = VIt
2. Directly proportional to the resistance of the resistor. V = IR
3. Directly proportional to the time for which the current is passing through the resistor. H = I²Rt.

• Electricity is a convenient and controllable form of energy widely used in homes, industries, schools, and hospitals.
• Electric current is produced when electric charges flow through a conductor, and it flows only through a closed, continuous electric circuit.
• A switch completes or breaks the circuit; when the circuit is broken, current stops flowing, and devices like bulbs do not glow.
• Electric current is the rate of flow of charge, given by the relation I = Q / t, where Q is charge and t is time.
• In metallic wires, electrons are the charge carriers, but by convention, current flows from the positive to the negative terminal, in the opposite direction to electron flow.

• Free electrons in a metal move randomly; without a potential difference, there is no net flow of current.
• When a potential difference is applied, electrons drift towards the positive terminal, but collide with fixed positive ions, losing energy.
• These collisions cause resistance, and the number of collisions determines the amount of resistance in the conductor.

• Specific resistance is a characteristic property of a substance and differs among metals, semiconductors, and insulators.
• Specific resistance depends on temperature: it increases with temperature for metals and decreases with temperature for semiconductors, while it remains nearly constant for some alloys.
• Specific resistance does not depend on the shape and size of the conductor and remains unchanged when a wire is stretched or doubled.

• In a parallel combination, the potential difference across each resistor is the same as that across the terminals of the battery.
• The total current in a parallel circuit is equal to the sum of the currents in the individual branches, and the equivalent resistance is less than the smallest resistance connected.

• Electrical power represents the rate at which electrical energy is supplied by the source in an electric circuit.
• The S.I. unit of electrical power is a watt (W), and larger units such as kilowatt, megawatt, and gigawatt are used for measuring higher power.