Chapter 27

Current and Resistance

Outline

27.1 Electric Current

27.2 Resistance and Ohm’s Law

27.3 Resistance and Temperature

27.6 Electrical Energy and Power

 27.1 Electric Current

Whenever there is a net flow of charge through

some region, an electric current is said to exist.

The current is the rate at which charge

flows through this surface.

Q
I ave Average Current
t
dq Io's
I Instantaneous Current
i
dt
 27.1 Electric Current

1C
The SI unit of current is the ampere (A): 1 A
1s
1 A of current is equivalent to 1 C of charge passing
through the surface area in 1 s.

It is conventional to assign to the current the same

direction as the flow of positive charge

The direction of the current is opposite the direction of flow of

electrons.

Moving charge (positive or negative) are commonly named as

a mobile charge carrier. For example, the mobile charge carriers in
a metal are electrons.
 27.1 Electric Current

Microscopic Model of Current:

ΔQ = number of carriers in section x charge per carrier

ΔQ = (n A Δ x)q

ΔQ = (nA vd Δ t) q

Q
I ave nA q v d A
t

The speed of the charge carriers vd is an average

speed called the drift speed.
 27.1 Electric Current

Microscopic Model of Current:

When a potential difference is applied across the conductor

(for example, by means of a battery), an electric field is set up
in the conductor; this field exerts an electric force on
the electrons, producing a current.

However, the electrons do not move in straight lines along the

conductor. Instead, they collide repeatedly with the metal atoms,
and their resultant motion is complicated and zigzag
drift speed
b
C
27.1 Electric Current

Quick Quiz 27.1

I
27.1 Electric Current

u Avagadf yI atomizes
Example 27.1 gig

A copper wire in a typical residential building has a cross

I i
sectional area of 3.31x 10-6 m2. If it carries a current of 10.0

A, what is the drift speed of the electrons? Assume that each

I atom I ele
copper atom contributes one free electron to the current. The

density of copper is 8.95 g/cm3. (Atomic mass of cupper is

F
NAIT
63.5 g/mol.
e I nAqVd Vd

n 8.49 188ein
 g eggcups 7.09 am
27.2 Resistance and Ohm’s Law

Consider a conductor of cross-sectional area A carrying a

current I.

The current density J in the conductor is

I ave nq v d A
I 2
J nq v d (A / m )
A
The current density J is a vector quantity and is in the direction of
charge motion for positive charge carriers and opposite the direction
of motion for negative charge carriers

J and E are established in a conductor whenever a potential

difference is maintained across the conductor
 27.2 Resistance and Ohm’s Law

Ohm’s law:

For many materials (including most metals), the ratio of the

current density to the electric field is a constant σ that is
independent of the electric field producing the current.

J E
σ is called the conductivity of the conductor. oW
am own a
Materials that obey Ohm’s law said to be ohmic,

Materials that do not obey Ohm’s law

are said to be non-ohmic Fonzie

27.2 Resistance and Ohm’s Law

Ohm’s law:

V E
V
J E

V J I
A

V
R Unit of Resistance R:
A I
 27.2 Resistance and Ohm’s Law

Resistivity and Conductivity :

Resistance of a uniform material along the length l

Important Notes:

Resistivity is property of a substance

Resistance is a property of an object

Thi
 NU g I W A
27.2 Resistance and Ohm’s Law

E H o

cc
III 4.6
0,41 I II

The negative values of

resistivity indicates that the
resistivity of these materials
decreases with increasing
temperature (
Semiconductors)
27.2 Resistance and Ohm’s Law

Example 27.2

R
Calculate the resistance of an aluminum cylinder that
T.io
has a length of 10.0 cm and a cross-sectional area of R.SIA
A
2.00x10-4 m2 R C2Serano's 1.41 15 s
Repeat the calculation for a cylinder of the same dimensions and

made of glass having a resistivity of 3.00x1010 Ω.m

c3Mo8 7 i silo
R SPLA g
27.2 Resistance and Ohm’s Law
Je r s BL a

Example 27.3

Rk
A) Calculate the resistance per unit length of a 22-gauge

Nichrome wire, which has a radius of 0.321mm

R p I
A
I TIE
A IF
fig a6
I Lo 34 15312 3.24 15
B) If a potential difference of 10V is maintained across a
T
1.0-m length of the Nichrome wire, what is the current in

the wire?
a V s IR
I f T 2.2A
27.4 Resistance and Temperature

The resistivity of a conductor varies approximately linearly with

temperature as:

DT
27.4 Resistance and Temperature

Because resistance is proportional to resistivity

R Ro 1 T T0

Quick Quiz 27.6

V IR
When does a lightbulb carry more current:
I Ip
1) just after it is turned on and the glow of the metal filament is
increasing

2) after it has been on for a few milliseconds and the glow is

steady
 27.4 Resistance and Temperature

Example 27.6

A resistance thermometer, which measures temperature by measuring

the change in resistance of a conductor, is made from platinum

and has a resistance of 50.0BR

Cat 20.0°C. When immersed in
e

0
a vessel containing melting indium, its resistance increases to

76.8 Ω Calculate the melting point of the indium

se
r rori.xi toa
7 156.7 a 1570
27.4 Resistance and Temperature

Resistivity versus temperature for a metal

e o
as
of
27.6 Electrical Power

Battery Conductor Electric current transformation of chemical

energy in the battery to kinetic energy of the electrons Internal
energy in the conductor increase in the temperature of the conductor

Imagine following a positive quantity of charge Q that is moving

clockwise around the circuit.

As the charge moves from d to c through the battery the system loses

this electric potential energy during collisions of electrons with atoms

in the resistor.
27.6 Electrical Power

No loss in energy occurs for paths bc and da (resistance of the

connecting wires is neglected)

Power : The rate at which energy is delivered to the resistor

The SI unit of power is the watt

 27.6 Electrical Power

Quick Quiz 27.7

The same potential difference is applied to the two lightbulbs shown in

the figure below. Which one of the following statements is true?

I Pg Ipo o s A
(a) The 30-W bulb carries the greater current
and has the higher resistance. r
3
P Is V I In o ZSA
(b) The 30-W bulb carries the greater
current, but the 60-W bulb has the higher
R 480 A
resistance.
IIto
0 Cho R
R
(c) The 30-W bulb has the higher
resistance, but the 60-W bulb
carries the greater current.

(d) The 60-W bulb carries the greater current

and has the higher resistance.
 27.6 Electrical Power

Example 27.7

An electric heater is constructed by applying a potential difference

DV R
of 120V to a Nichrome wire that has a total resistance of 8.00 Ω.
i
Find the current carried by the wire and the power rating of the heater
Vs IR I 15 A p Ior
f
What if the heater were accidentally connected to a
15 120 1800
240-V supply?
BV 120 240
I double e I RI
Ps 4 times e Ps I
R
 Chapter Problems

Problem 1 page 852

In a particular cathode ray tube, the measured beam current is

I How many H t
30.0µA.
I
electrons strike the tube Screen every 40.0s

Problem 12 page 852 µ Is 0 Q's Imogen Konik

7Sao's
Calculate the current density in a gold wire at 20°C, if an electric
field of 0.740V/m exists in the wire?
J GE o
f
Problem 33 page 853 I
IE s g.IE io.s
What is the fractional change in the resistance of an iron
s.q 3m.ait

To
filament when its temperature changes from 25.0°C to
oof
Tf
50.0°C? DR at
3 12 S
change I 2
Chapter Problems
Problem 54 page 854
R V R
One light bulb is marked “25W 120 V” and the other is marked “100W
N
120V”. This means that each bulb converts its respective power to heat
DD
and light when plugged into a constant 120V potential difference.
P Rios 576A
a. What is the resistance of each bulb? Ps
Q R 144 R
b. How long does it take for 2.20 Coulomb to pass through the 25WD
bulb?
I 0 1 lo 42
s t
IIF I 1 so 21A 0.2
c. How long does it take for 1.80 Joule to pass through the 100W bulb?
0
to t o018
D. What is the cost of running the 25W bulb continuously for 30 days if
the electric company sells electricity at $0.07/kWhr?

cost AU fb es Eso au

18 Kuhr
cost 18 0.07 1.26