MEMO

Subject: To: From: Date: Writing extended definitions to solve problems for audiences Ariadne Rooney Tiras Newman 9/29/2013

This memo describes a technical definition and description designed to familiarize readers with concepts that aid in understanding Ohms Law. Ohms Law is fundamental to the study of electric circuits. It describes the relationship between resistance, current and voltage. A definition is attached to this memo followed by a technical description.

Audience
Many students of engineering, physics, mathematics and science will study fundamentals of electricity. The technical definition and description attached are aimed at students with limited knowledge of concepts of electricity.

Purpose
Students having limited previous exposure to college level introductory electrical principals ought to form an understanding of voltage, resistance, and current. The following technical description and definition illuminates three basic electrical properties. Ohms Law points out the relationship of these properties to one-another.

Problems
Engineers and scientists who work with electricity would compromise the integrity of their projects by lacking an understanding of Ohms law. Students therefore risk their future careers, as well as public safety, by their unfamiliarity with basic electrical phenomena.

Placement
This definition and description could be contained in informational pamphlets for students to recognize the importance of the principles contained therein.

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Definition
Ohms Law is the mathematical relationship between three fundamental properties of electrical systems. These properties are: Voltage (V) Electric current (I) Electric resistance (R)

The law states that voltage is equal to the product of current and resistance (V=IxR).

Voltage
Voltage is the measure of electric potential between two points in a circuit. That is, voltage describes the amount of work a charge must exert to move between two points. Voltage can only exist if it takes less work for a charge to move at one point in reference to another. A common analogy is that of a garden hose. Water flows through a hose from the high pressure of a pump to the lower pressure of the atmosphere. Voltage can be thought of as the pressure difference between the atmosphere at one end of the hose and the pump at the other. Figure 1 For the battery in figure 1, voltage is the electric potential difference between the positive and negative terminals.

Current
Electric current is a measure of the flow of electrons past a given point. Using the garden hose analogy, current is the amount of water that flows from the open end of the hose during some period of time.
Figure 2

Note that water flow is measured in gallons per minute (GPM) while current is measured in amps. One amp is equal to one coulomb per second where one Coulomb represents 6.2 x 1018 electrons.

Resistance
Resistance is the obstruction to flow of electrical current. The causes of electrical resistance are beyond the scope of this discussion but can be affected by a number of things, including: Counter Electro-motive Force Intrinsic conductor material properties Size of electrical conductor Frequency of applied voltage (in frequency dependent elements)

Keeping the garden hose analogy, resistance can be thought of as a pinch in the hose. A pinch slows down the flow of water just as resistance slows the flow Figure 3 of electricity. Resistance is always a consideration as it affects the amount of usable power that is output from an electrical circuit.

The Law
Again using the analogous garden hose, to get water flow from a pinched hose equal to that of a less pinched hose, the pressure must be increased at the pump feeding the pinched hose. Ohms Law states that for a given voltage, an increased resistance results in decreased current. Voltage, then, must be increased to maintain current flow as resistance is increased.

Conclusion
Ohms law is fundamental to electric circuits. Engineers, inventors and designers would not understand electricity without it. Phones, lights, modern vehicles, and computers are just a few of the conveniences that the world couldnt enjoy without the understanding of Ohms Law.
Figure 4

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Introduction
Students of science and engineering must demonstrate circuit analysis techniques to satisfy the requirements of various courses. Ohms law is the foundation of circuit analysis. As such, students will need to be familiar with it. This report introduces students to Ohms Law by describing its elements, a history of Georg Ohm, and modern applications of Ohms Law.

Background
Voltage (V) is the difference of electric potential between two points in a circuit. An area of a circuit in which a charge requires greater force to move (relative to another area) is said to have a higher voltage and vice versa. Voltage is often thought of metaphorically as the pressure required to push electricity.

Figure 11

Current (I) is the measure of electrons which move passed a point in one second. The amount of current flowing through a device dictates the power that it uses for a particular input voltage. Resistance (R) describes opposition to flow of electrical current. Resistance is analogous to friction or drag which opposes movement of an object. Ohms Law states that voltage is a product of current and resistance or V=IxR.

Georg Ohm
German born Georg Ohm (1789-1854) published his fundamental relationships between voltage, current and resistance in 1827. After studying electrochemical cells, Ohm deduced that the voltage between two parts of a circuit was a product of the amount of current and resistance in the circuit. Ohms publication was not received well until it was formally recognized in 1841 2. Interestingly, Ohms focus was largely mathematics and he never published any books strictly about electricity.

Figure 2 2

Modern applications
Engineers utilize Ohms law to design electrical devices and power systems. For example, to understand the current that is flowing along a power line, one needs to divide voltage on the line by the lines resistance. To put numbers to this idea, if the LCDs in a computer screen are rated for 2A from a standard 120V outlet, an electrical engineer might use Ohms Law to find the proper resistor as follows:

. A device would fail to function properly, burn up, or become inefficient should its designer lack an understanding of Ohms Law. A miscalculation of Ohms law could ruin gadgets, cause electrical fires, or endanger life as the devices protecting people and animals from electric shock are governed by Ohms law.

Works Cited
1.

How Electricity Works. Ohm's Law Clearly Explained. 2000. Private Collection. Google. Web. 23 Sept. 2013. <http://www.sengpielaudio.com/calculator-ohmslaw.htm>.

2.

O'Connor, J J., and E F. Robertson. http://www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/. University of St Andrews, 2000. Web. 23 Sept. 2013. <http://www-history.mcs.stand.ac.uk/Biographies/Ohm.html>.