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Ch 20-23 Electricity

Updated 5/26/03
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OBJECTIVE:  IDENTIFY STATIC AND CURRENT ELECTRICITY.

ELECTRIC FIELD--THE AREA AROUND AN ELECTRIC CHARGE WHERE ITS ELECTRIC FORCE CAN BE FELT BY OTHER CHARGES.

COULOMB--THE UNIT OF ELECTRIC CHARGE = 6.28 1018 electrons

POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE--THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE POTENTIAL ENERGY OF TWO POINTS IN AN ELECTRIC FIELD.  THE GROUND WILL ABSORB ANY CHARGE AND HAS A POTENTIAL ENERGY OF ZERO.

VOLTAGE--THE DIFFERENCE IN POTENTIAL ENERGY THAT CAUSES A CURRENT TO FLOW.

conductor:  substances which permit electrons to pass through it.
ex:  copper, aluminum, silver (best)

insulators:  substances that do not permit electrons to pass through them.  ex:  glass, plastic, rubber, wood.

electric charges
an electric charge occurs when an object gains or looses electrons.
ATOMS CAN LOSE ELECTRONS BY FRICTION.
if an object gains electrons it has a negative charge.
if it loses electrons it has a positive charge.
LIKE CHARGES REPEL; UNLIKE CHARGES ATTRACT.

there are two types of electricity         static - and - current
                                    NOT CONDUCTED - AND - CONDUCTED
                                       NON-MOVING - AND - MOVING

static [NON-MOVING] electricity: 
WITHOUT A CONDUCTOR THE CHARGE, CREATED by friction, WILL NOT MOVE BUT WILL builD up in one place.
static discharge occurs when a charged object TOUCHES ANOTHER OBJECT AT LOWER POTENTIAL ENERGY. 
IF THE POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO OBJECTS IS LARGE SPARKS MAY JUMP THE GAP.  ex:  lightning rod.

OBJTV:  LIST THE PROPERTIES OF DIRECT AND ALTERNATING CURRENT ELECTRICITY.

current electricity
electric current is the movement of electrons through a conductor.
THERE ARE 2 TYPES OF CURRENT ELECTRICITY--DIRECT AND ALTERNATING CURRENT.
1     direct CURRENT (dc):  electrons flow in one direction ONLY
      POWER SOURCE--BATTERY
2      alternating current (ac):  electron FLOW REVERSES DIRECTION--60
      TIMES [cycles] per second.
      POWER SOURCE--GENERATOR

CIRCUITS

Updated 5/26/03
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OBJECTIVE:  DIAGRAM PARALLEL AND SERIES CIRCUITS; PREDICT WHICH BULBS WILL GO OUT IF THE CIRCUIT IS BROKEN IN DIFFERENT PLACES.

circuit--a complete path through which an electric current can pass.[DIAGRAM]

to diagram a circuit use the following symbols for:  resistance, light, switch, battery, generator, ground, connection, no connection.

3 types of circuits are series, parallel, & complex.

series:  one LOOP--[DIAGRAM]
break the circuit in one place and no electricity flows in the whole branch.
voltages and resistances connected in series add, current does not change
ex:  3 voltages + 3 resistances total volts =, total resistance = ?

parallel:  two or more LOOPS--[DIAGRAM]
break the circuit in one place and electricity flows through the other branch[s]
THE VOLTAGE DROP IS THE SAME IN BOTH BRANCHES;
THE TOTAL RESISTANCE IS LESS THAN THE LARGEST RESISTANCE;
THE CURRENT DIVIDES IN EACH BRANCH;
TOTAL CURRENT = CURRENT FOR THE WHOLE CIRCUIT

COMPLEX:  SERIES & PARALLEL CIRCUITS CONNECTED. [DIAGRAM]
EACH SECTION IS ANALYZED INDIVIDUALLY.

grounding is done to provide a path for overload CURRENT.  THIS protectS against electrocution and fires.

birds can perch safely on power lines because no part of them offers the current a path to the ground

in a short circuit, the current flows over an unintended path that has very low resistance--usually uninsulated or exposed wire.  a large current flows.  the result is rapid overheating and possibly fire.  when this happens a fuse or circuit breaker should act to shut off the current.

stu dent needs a 12 v battery to start his car.  stu should connect the d batteries in (series or parallel).  he should connect ___ d batteries to get 12 v.

Ohm's Law

Updated 5/26/03
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ohm's law:
1      resistance (ohms - r):  how difficult it is to move electrons
      through a conductor.
2      voltage (volts - v):  pressure pushING the current through a wire
3      current (ampere - I):  the volume or number of electrons flowing in
      a conductor per second

               voltage             V                   VOLTS
resistance  =  --------       R = ---           OHMS = -----
               current             I                   AMPS

                        Ohm's Law
                  water       electric current

volume            water flow      electron flow
                  LITERS/min      amperes (6.28 1018 electrons/SEC)

resistance      length &           length & diameter of wire
                  diameter          ohm:  one ampere of current
                  of pipe        to flow at one volt

pressure          NEWTONS/CM2 volts:  pressure needed to
                                    force a current of 1 amp
                                    through a resistance of 1 ohm

Chemical reactions occur faster in liquids than in solids.  
T
hus wet cell batteries can deliver more electricity per minute than dry cells. 
That is you can draw greater current or  amperage.

A fuse is a thin wire that will break if it gets too hot.

AAA, AA, A, C, and D batteries all have 1.5 volt difference between their terminals.  their seize difference indicates a difference in the total energy available


Conductor Size

Updated 5/26/03
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The size of the conductor to be used to carry a given current may be determined by any one of the following 3 factors:
      1] Permissible temp rise
      2] Permissible voltage drop in the conductor.
      3] An economic balance between the value of the power [I2R] loss in the conductor and the capital charges against the conductor.

1]  V = IR = CONSTANT===> R = V/I
2]  R = k/A2
3]  FOR A TUNGSTEN FILAMENT THE REQUIRED TEMP AND THEREFORE HEAT, IS A CONSTANT:  H = I2R ===> R = H/I2

Eq #1 & #2:  V/I = H/I2 ===> V = H/I===>
4]  I = H/V
Eq #1 & #4:  H/V = V/R===>
5] R = V2/H
Eq 2 & 5:  k/A2 = V2/H ===>
A = sqrt(kH)/V
piD2/4 = sqrt(kH)/V===>
D = 2 sqrt[sqrt(kH)/Vpi]

A 10% voltage drop in a tungsten resistor will change the amount of light emitted drastically.  IF A TUNGSTEN FILAMENT IS TOO SMALL IT BURNS OUT AND IF IT IS TOO LARGE IT DOESN'T GLOW.  A BALANCE MUST BE STRUCK TO FIND THE OPTIMAL DIAMETER.

EXAMPLE:      60 WATT BULB IN A 120 V CIRCUIT
1]  V = IR = CONSTANT===> I = V/R
2]  FOR A TUNGSTEN FILAMENT THE REQUIRED TEMP AND THEREFORE HEATING RATE, IS A CONSTANT.  SINCE THE HEATING RATE AND THE POWER ARE EQUAL:
P = VI ===> I = P/V

SETTING THESE 2 EQUATIONS EQUAL: 
I = V/R = P/V ====> R = V2/P = 120*120/60 = 240 OHMS

3] SUBSTITUTING k/A2 FOR R:  k/A2 = V2/P ===> A = SQRT(kP)/V

piD2/4 = sqrt(kP)/V===>
D = 2 sqrt[sqrt(kP)/Vpi] = 2 sqrt[sqrt(k60)/120*3.14]

D = 0.287(k)1/4

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