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Chapter 19

Electric Current and Resistance

Book Version 3
By Boundless
Boundless Physics
Physics
by Boundless
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Section 1
Overview
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Overview of Electric Current

Electric current is the flow of electric charge and resistance is the opposition to that flow.

Section 2
Electric Current
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The Battery

A battery is a device that converts chemical energy directly to electrical energy.

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Current and Voltage Measurements in Circuits

The electrical current is directly proportional to the voltage applied and inversely related to the resistance in a circuit.

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A Microscopic View: Drift Speed

The drift velocity is the average velocity that a particle achieves due to an electric field.

Section 3
Resistance and Resistors
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Ohm's Law

Ohm's Law states that current is proportional to voltage; circuits are ohmic if they obey the relation V=IR.

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Temperature and Superconductivity

Superconductivity is a phenomenon of zero electrical resistance and expulsion of magnetic fields in certain materials below a critical temp.

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Resistance and Resistivity

Resistance and resistivity describe the extent to which an object or material impedes the flow of electric current.

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Dependence of Resistance on Temperature

Resistivity and resistance depend on temperature with the dependence being linear for small temperature changes and nonlinear for large.

Section 4
Electric Power and Energy
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Energy Usage

The energy used is the time integral of the electric power.

Section 5
Alternating Currents
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Phasors

Phasors are used to analyze electrical systems in sinusoidal steady state and with a uniform angular frequency.

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Root Mean Square Values

The root mean square (RMS) voltage or current is the time-averaged voltage or current in an AC system.

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Safety Precautions in the Household

Electrical safety systems and devices are designed and widely used to reduce the risks of thermal and shock hazards.

Section 6
Electricity in the World
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Humans and Electric Hazards

The hazards from electricity can be categorized into thermal and shock hazards.

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Nerve Conduction and Electrocardiograms

Voltage pulses along a cell membrane, called action potentials, allow us to sense the world, control parts of our body, and think.

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Electric Activity in the Heart

Electric energy stimulating the heart occurs in the sinoatrial node, the heart's pacemaker, and is transmitted partially by Perkinje fibers.

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Boundless Physics by Boundless
Previous Chapter
Chapter 18
Electric Potential and Electric Field
  • Overview
  • Equipotential Surfaces and Lines
  • Point Charge
  • Capacitors and Dielectrics
  • Applications
Current Chapter
Chapter 19
Electric Current and Resistance
  • Overview
  • Electric Current
  • Resistance and Resistors
  • Electric Power and Energy
  • Alternating Currents
and 1 more sections...
Next Chapter
Chapter 20
Circuits and Direct Currents
  • Overview
  • Resistors in Series and Parallel
  • Kirchhoff's Rules
  • Voltmeters and Ammeters
  • RC Circuits
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