Basic Theories

Edgardo Rapalo
CCSN
651-4692

Objectives
Explain the theories and laws of electricity
Describe the difference between
insulators, conductors, and
semiconductors
Define voltage, current, and resistance
Define and use Ohms law correctly
Explain the basic concepts of capacitance

Objectives (contd)
Explain the difference between AC and
DC currents
Define and illustrate series, parallel, and
series-parallel circuits and the electrical
laws that govern them
Explain the theory of electromagnetism
Explain the principles of induction

Conductors
A conductor supports
the flow of electricity
through it
Examples of good
conductors:

Copper
Gold
Aluminum
Steel

Insulators
An insulator is not capable of supporting
the flow of electricity
Examples of good insulators
Rubber
Wood
Ceramics
Most plastics

Semiconductors
A semiconductor is neither a good
conductor nor a good insulator
Examples of semiconductors
Silicon
Germanium
Carbon

Electrical Definitions
Electricity
The flow of electrons
through a conductor

Electron theory
Defines the flow of
electrons from negative
to positive

Conventional theory
States that current flows
from a positive point to
a less positive point

Voltage
It is the electrical
pressure that causes
electron movement in
a circuit
It is referred to as
electromotive force
(EMF)
It is measured in volts
An (E) or (V) is used to
designate voltage

Current
It is defined as the rate of
flow of electrons
It is the measurement of
the number of electrons
passing a given point in a
circuit in one second
It is measured in amperes
(amps)
An (A) or (I) is used to
designate amperage

Laws That Regulate Current Flow

Electrons repel each other

Like charges repel each other
Unlike charges attract each other
Electrons flow in a conductor only when
affected by electromotive force
A voltage difference is created in the
conductor when EMF is acting on a
conductor

Laws That Regulate Current Flow

(contd)
Electrons flow only when a voltage
difference exists between two points in a
conductor
Current flows to ground in an electrical
circuit
Ground is defined as the common
negative connection of the electrical
system and is the point of lowest voltage

Resistance
It is defined as the opposition to electron
flow
It is measured in ohms
An (R) or () is used to designate
resistance

The Five Basic Characteristics That

Determine Resistance
1. The atomic structure of the material
2. The length of the conductor
3. The diameter of the conductor
4. Temperature
5. The physical condition of the conductor

The Impact of Resistance

on a Circuit
Voltage always drops as current flows
through the resistance
An increase in resistance causes a
decrease in current
All resistances change the electrical
energy into heat energy to some extent

Voltage Drop

Ohms Law Formula

1 Volt = 1 Ampere x 1 Ohm
The formula can be
expressed as
E (volts) = I (amps) x R (resistance)
R (resistance) = E (volts) / I (amps)
I (amps) = E (volts) / R (resistance)

Watts Law Formula

1 Watt = 1 Volt x 1 Ampere
The formula can be
expressed as
P (power) = E (volts) x I (amps)
E (volts) = P (power) / I (amps)
I (amps) = P (power) / E (volts)

Watts is a measurement of
power

Types of Current
Direct Current (DC)
Is produced by a battery
Current flows in one
direction

Alternating Current (AC)

Is produced any time a
conductor moves through a
magnetic field
Current changes directions
from positive to negative

Components of an
Electrical Circuit
Battery
Power source

Wires
Conductors

Load
Light, motor, etc.

Characteristics of a Series Circuit

The total resistance is equal to the sum of
all the resistances
The current is the same at all points of the
circuit
The voltage drop across each resistor will
be different if the resistor values are
different
The sum of the voltage drop of each
resistor equals the source voltage

Characteristics of a Series Circuit

Characteristics of a Parallel Circuit

The voltage applied to each leg is the
same
The voltage drop across each parallel leg
will be the same
The total resistance will always be less
than the smallest resistor

Characteristics of a Parallel Circuit

(contd)
The current flow through each leg will be
different if the resistances are different
The sum of the current in each leg equals
the total current of the parallel circuit

Characteristics of a Parallel Circuit

(contd)

Characteristics of a Series-Parallel Circuit

The total resistance is the sum of the
resistance value of the parallel portion and
the series resistance
The voltage drop over the parallel branch
resistance is determined by the resistance
value of the series resistor

Characteristics of a Series-Parallel
Circuit (contd)
The total amperage is the sum of the
current flow through each parallel branch
The total amperage of each parallel
branch is determined by the resistance in
the branch

Characteristics of a Series-Parallel
Circuit (contd)

Capacitors
Uses the theory of
capacitance to
temporarily store
electrical energy
Common uses
Control voltage spikes
Reduce radio noise
Store reserve energy

Electricity and Magnetism

When current flows
through a conductor,
a magnetic field is
formed around the
conductor
When a conductor is
passed through a
magnetic field,
electrons will flow in
the conductor

Factors Affecting the Strength of an

Electromagnetic Coil
The amount of current
flowing through the wire
The number of windings
or turns
The size, length, and type
of core material
The direction of the
magnetic field at which
the lines of force are cut

Methods Used to Suppress

Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)
Adding resistance to the conductors
Connecting a capacitor in parallel and a
choke coil in series with the circuit
Shielding the component with metal

Methods Used to Suppress

Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)
(contd)
Increasing the number of paths to ground
by using designated ground circuits
Adding a clamping diode in parallel to the
component
Adding an isolation diode in series with the
component