Chapter 2 Current Electricity: Black Brown Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Violet Gray White
Chapter 2 Current Electricity: Black Brown Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Violet Gray White
Chapter 2 Current Electricity: Black Brown Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Violet Gray White
• Electric current is defined as the amount of charge flowing through any cross section of the
conductor in unit time. The rate of flow of chrge through the conductor is called electric current. I
= Q/t. SI Unit Ampere (A).
• The electric current flowing through the conductor is said to be one ampere when one coulomb
charge flows through it in one second.
• Current density |J| = I/A.
• Ohm’s law: The electric current passing through a conductor is directly proportional to the
potential difference applied across it provided the physical conditions such as temperature,
pressure etc., remain constant. V α I i.e. V = IR, Where R is the resistance of the conductor.
Resistance R is the ratio of V & I
• The device which opposes the flow of electric current through it is called resistor. Resistance is
the characteristic property of the conductor which offers opposition for the flow of electric current.
• Resistance R = ρl/A= ml/ne2 τAwhere ρ is the resistivity of the material of the conductor- length
and A area of cross section of the conductor. If l is increased n times, new resistance becomes n
• Resistivity ρ = m/ne2 τ, Where m, n, e are mass, number density and charge of electron
respectively, τ-relaxation time of electrons. ρ is independent of geometric dimensions.
• Relaxation time is the average time interval between two successive collisions
• Conductance of the material G =1/R and conductivity σ=1/ρ
• Drift velocity is the average velocity of all electrons in the conductor which drift in opposite
direction to the applied electric field. Drift velocity Vd = (eE/m)τ also I = neAvd
• Mobility (μ) of a charge carrier is the ratio of its drift velocity to the applied electric field
• Effect of temperature on resistance: Resistance of a conductor increase with the increase of
temperature of conductor RT = Ro (1+aT) , where α is the temperature coefficient of resistance of
the conductor. α is slightly positive for metal and conductor, negative for semiconductors and
insulators and highly positive for alloys.
• Colour coding :
Black Brown Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Violet Gray White
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Tolerance (i) Gold 5% (ii) Silver 10% (iii) No Color 20%
Example:- if colour code of carbon resistor is Red Yellow and Orange with tolerance colour as
• Grouping of cells :
ii) In parallel grouping circuit, current is given by where n, m are number of cells in
series and parallel connection respectively.
• Kirchhoff’s Rule:
Wheatstone Bridge.
• Wheatstone bridge is most sensitive when the resistance in the four arms are of the same order
• In the balanced condition of the bridge on interchanging the positions of galvanometer and
battery if there is no effect on the balancing length of the bridge.
• The principle of Metre Bridge:
The resistance of the wire of uniform cross section and composition is directly proportional to its
length.
• Slide Wire Bridge or Metre Bridge is based on Wheatstone bridge and is used to measure
• Expression for comparison of e.m.f of two cells by using potentiometer, Where 1 l is the
balancing length of potentiometer wire orresponding to e.m.f of the cell, l 2 that of terminal
potential difference of the cell when a resistance R is connected in series with the cell whose
internal resistance is to be determined
(iii) time for which the current is passed. Heat produced is given by the relation H=I2 Rt
• Electric power: It is defined as the rate at which work is done by the source in maintaining the
current in electric circuit. P =VI = I2 R =V2 /R. Power P is the product of V & I
• Electrical energy: The total work done by the source in maintaining the current in an electrical