Topic 1

ELECTRON THEORY AND METHODS OF

PRODUCING ELECTRICITY

By
ALAMIGA GERALD JOB
Email: alamigageraldjob33@gmail.com
Tel No. 0761137824
Topic content
• Composition of matter (atoms, molecules, charged
particles, protons, electrons, ions).
• Types of materials (conductors, semi-conductors,
insulators), explain electric potential, explain the types
of electric current: D.C. and A.C
• Methods of producing electricity;static, chemical,
thermo, photo, pressure, induced,
• Effects of electric current (thermo, light, magnetic,
chemical, physiological),
• Electrical safety.
Matter
• Matter is anything that takes up space and has mass.
Matter exists in three states namely;
• Solid
• Liquid
• Gas

• All matter is made of atoms. Atoms are the building

blocks of matter.
Atom
• An atom is a smallest fundamental unit of matter.
Atoms organize all kinds of matter.
• An atom is made up of three small subatomic particles:
neutrons, protons, electrons.
Molecules
• A Molecule is a group of two or more atoms that are bond together
by attractive forces or by chemical bond.
• H2O (water)
• N2 (nitrogen)
• O3 (ozone)
Atomic sub-particles
• The protons and neutrons are contained inside the
nucleus of the atom and electrons revolve around the
nucleus.
• Protons
• Are positively charged particles.
• The total number of protons in the atoms of an
element is always equal to the atomic number of the
element.
• Neutrons
• They are electrically neutral particles and do not
carry any charge.
• Electrons
Ions
• An ion is an atom with a charge (positive or negative).
• To form an ion, an element must gain or lose an electron.
• Gaining electrons or losing electrons creates an ion.
• If an atom gains an electron, it has more electrons than
protons, creating an overall negatively charged atom of an
element.
• If an atom loses an electron, it becomes positively
charged because it has more electrons than protons.
• Ions such as H+ and Cl- are free to move in aqueous
medium and thus conduct electricity.
Conductors
• A conductor is a material that always allows the
movement of electrons and ions through them.
• Common good conductors include copper, silver, gold,
aluminum, etc.
• Properties
• The flow of electrons and ions in a conductor is always possible.
• A conductor's electric field is zero, allowing electrons to move
freely within it.
• A conductor's charge density is zero.
• Free charges exist only on the conductor's surface.
• A conductor's points all have the same potential.
Insulators
• Are substances which do not allow the flow of current
through them.
• Common good insulators include rubber, plastic, wood,
etc
• Properties
• A very poor electrical conductivity i.e. a very high
electrical resistivity
• Resistance to deterioration on heating
• Very low thermal expansion
• Non-Inflammable
• Chemical Stability at high temperature
• High mechanical strength.
Semi-Conductors
• Semi-conductors are the elements whose conductivity
is in middle of the conductors and the insulators.
Because semiconductors are not as good at conducting
electricity as conductors, they have applications by
adding some impurity to them. Germanium (Ge) and
Silicon (Si) are examples of such semiconductors.
Electric potential
• This is the amount of work needed to move a unit
charge from a reference point to a specific point
against an electric field.
• Typically, the reference point is Earth, although any
point beyond the influence of the electric field charge
can be used.
Illustration
Explanation
• The diagram above shows the forces acting on a
positive charge q located between between two plates,
A and B, of an electric field E.
• The electric force F exerted by the field on the positive
charge is F = qE; to move the charge from plate A to
plate B, an equal and opposite force (F′ = −qE) must
then be applied.
• The work W done in moving the positive charge
through a distance d is W = F′d = −qEd.
• The potential energy for a positive charge increases
when it moves against an electric field and decreases
when it moves with the electric field; the opposite is
true for a negative charge.
• Unless the unit charge crosses a changing magnetic
field, its potential at any given point does not depend
on the path taken.
• Although the concept of electric potential is useful in
understanding electrical phenomena, only differences
in potential energy are measurable.
• If an electric field is defined as the force per unit
charge, then by analogy an electric potential can be
thought of as the potential energy per unit charge.
• Therefore, the work done in moving a unit charge from
one point to another (e.g., within an electric circuit) is
equal to the difference in potential energies at each
point.
• Electric potential is expressed in units of joules per
coulomb i.e., volts
Types of electric current
• There two types of electric current;
• Direct Current (D.C)
• Alternating Current (A.C)
Direct current
• In direct current, the current only flows in one
direction and has constant magnitude.
• Voltage sources that produce direct current include
batteries.
• Because batteries have contact potential difference
between the terminals, they produce direct current.
• Examples of devices that use DC: Flashlights ,Cell
phones, Laptops
Alternating current
• Current that flow into opposite direction alternately.
This means that the direction of current flowing in a
circuit is constantly being reversed back and forth.
• In an AC generator, every time the coil passes the
vertical/upright position, the direction of the output
current reverses.
• The current obtained from the generator is Alternating
Current.
• At high voltages like as over 110kV, less energy is lost
in electrical power transmission. Higher voltages mean
lower currents, and lower currents mean less heat
generated in the power line due to resistance.
Electricity
• Electricity is a form of energy resulting from the
existence of charged particles (such as electrons or
protons), either statically as an accumulation of charge
or dynamically as a current.
Methods of producing electricity
• Electricity can be produced in various ways such as
statically, by pressure, thermally, by light, induction
and chemically.
• Statically
• Static electricity can be produced by;
• contact
• Friction
Contact
• This is the static buildup that occurs when two objects
come into contact with each other and electrons are
transferred from one object to the other.
• The transition of this charge is almost complete the
instant contact is made.
• Contact static buildup is the main cause of static
electricity generated by contact and detachment.
By friction
• Electric charge by rubbing: some bodies can be charged after being
rubbed against each other, producing a transfer of electrons. This way,
one object is electronegatively charged, and the other is
electropositive.
• Some materials that build up static electricity easily are flannel, silk,
rayon, amber, hard rubber, and glass
Chemical generation of electricity
• Electricity can be created when two different metals are
placed in sodium chloride solution. Simple batteries can be
made this way.

• The voltage created is due to ionic chemistry – when a

metal is placed into an electrolyte (sodium chloride solution
in this case) positive metal ions are formed on its surface.
• These ions pass into the solution making the electrode
progressively more negative.
• If another metal is set up in the same electrolyte, one
electrode will become charged to a greater extent than
the other because of their different reactivity.
• This creates a voltage difference between the
electrodes which we measure as electrical power
Thermal generation of electricity
• This involves the burning of fuels such as oil, coal and
LNG (liquefied natural gas) fires a boiler to generate
high-temperature, high-pressure steam. This steam is
used to drive a steam turbine. A generator attached to
the steam turbine generates electricity.
Electricity generation by light
• This is the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic cells (PV
cells) are used as sources of EMF to generate
electricity.
• Basically, when light strikes the cell, a certain portion
of it is absorbed within the semiconductor material.
• This means that the energy of the absorbed light is
transferred to the semiconductor.
• The energy knocks electrons loose, allowing them to
flow freely.
Generation of electricity by
Induction
• Electrostatic induction is the production of an
unbalanced electric charge on an uncharged metallic
body as a result of a charged body being brought near
it without touching it.
• If the charged body is positively charged, electrons in
the uncharged body will be attracted toward it; if the
opposite end of the body is then grounded, electrons
will flow onto it to replace those drawn to the other
end, the body thus acquiring a negative charge after
the ground connection is broken.
• A similar procedure can be used to produce a positive
charge on the uncharged body when a negatively
Electricity generation by
pressure
• Piezoelectricity is the electric charge that accumulates
in certain solid materials in response to applied
mechanical stress. The word piezoelectricity means
electricity resulting from pressure.
• When pressure is applied to some objects, the pressure
displaces the positive and negative charges in an
otherwise neutral object making them move freely
hence having the capability to generate electricity.
Effects of electric current
• Physiological effect.
• When an electric current passes through a living organism it
dissipates a certain quantity of energy that can have two
effects:–
• A temporary modification of the physiology of an organ or
the whole organism, in the form of an inhibition or an
excitation.
• A thermal effect, which may include burns.
Thermal effects
• The thermal effects of electric current are Joule heating
and resistive heating.
• Joule heating is the result of the electric current
flowing through the resistance of the material. The
heat energy is converted into thermal energy, which
increases the temperature of the material.
• Resistive heating is the result of the electric current
flowing through the resistance of the wire. The heat
energy is converted into thermal energy, which
increases the temperature of the wire.
Chemical effect
• The chemical effects of electric current are corrosion
and electrolysis.
• Corrosion is the chemical reaction of the material
with the electric current. The material is eaten away
by the reaction and the electric current is carried
away by the reaction.
• Electrolysis is the chemical reaction of the material
with the electric current. The material is broken
down into its component parts by the reaction.
Magnetic effect
• When electric current is passed through a coil of
insulated wire coiled around a soft iron bar, the iron
bar behaves as a magnet. This is called magnetic effect
of electric current.
• Magnetic effect disappear as current stops to flow.
Light effect
When electric current flows through the conductor of
high resistance, first it becomes very hot and then glows
to emit light. This is called the lighting effect of electric
current.
• Electric bulbs such as filament lamp (also called
incandescent lamp) and fluorescent lamp are the
important application of lighting effect of electric
current.
Practical application of electric
current
• Heating effect: cookers, water heaters, electric fires,
irons, furnaces, kettle and soldering iron.
• Chemical effect: primary and secondary cells and
electroplating.
• Magnetic effect: bells,motors, relays
Causes of electrical hazards
• Improper Grounding
• Exposed Electrical Parts
• Inadequate Wiring
• Damaged Insulation
• Overloaded Circuits
• Damaged Tools & Equipment
• Wet Conditions
• Overhead Power Lines
Electrical safety precautions
• Sign boards/ Warning Indications should be placed
wherever necessary.
• Locating or enclosing electric equipment to make sure
workers do not accidentally come into contact with its
live parts .
• Correct selection, inspection and use of tools and
equipments.
• All electrical equipment before use.
• Isolate, lock out, tag and test procedure
• Worker competence
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements for
installing insulation around or near electrical cabling,
 End.
Practice makes perfect