What is Electricity?
Any appliances that we use in our daily lives
such as household appliances, office equipments
and industrial equipments, almost all of those
things take electricity.
Therefore, we should understand electricity.
The first question that we will find out the
answer is "where does electricity come from?"
All matters are made up of atoms.
Then ask the next question, "What are atoms?"
Atoms are the smallest part of an element.
They are composed of nucleus and electrons,
electrons surround nucleus.
Elements are identified by the number of electrons
in orbit around nucleus of atoms and by the
number of protons in nucleus.
Nucleus is made up of protons and neutrons,
and the number of protons and neutrons are
are balanced.
Neutrons have no electric charge, protons
have positive charges (+) and electrons have
negative charges (-). A positive charge of
proton equals a negative charge of electron.
Electrons are bound in their orbit by attraction
of protons, but electrons in the outer band
can become free of their orbit by some external
forces.
These are referred to as free electrons, which
move from one atom to the next, electron flows
are produced.
These are the basis of electricity.
Materials that allow many electrons to move
freely are called conductors and materials
that allow few free electrons to move are
called insulators.
"Static electricity" represents a situation
that all things are made up of electric charges.
For example, the rubbing of material against
another can cause the static electricity.
Free electrons of one material move forcefully
till they are freed of their orbits around
nucleus and move to another.
Electrons of one material decrease, it presents
positive charges.
At the same time, electrons of another increase,
it has negative charges.
________________________________________
Current, Voltage and Resistance
What is Current?
An electrical phenomenon is caused by flow
of free electrons from one atom to another.
The characteristics of current electricity
are opposite to those of static electricity.
Wires are made up of conductors such as copper
or aluminum.
Atoms of metal are made up of free electrons,
which freely move from one atom to the next.
If an electron is added in wire, a free electron
is attracted to a proton to be neutral.
Forcing electrons out of their orbits can
cause a lack of electrons.
Electrons, which continuously move in wire,
are called Electric Current.
For solid conductors, electric current refers
to directional negative-to-positive electrons
from one atom to the next.
Liquid conductors and gas conductors, electric
current refers to electrons and protons flow
in the opposite direction.
Current is flow of electrons, but current
and electron flow in the opposite direction.
Current flows from positive to negative and
electron flows from negative to positive.
Current is determined by the number of electrons
passing through a cross-section of a conductor
in one second.
Current is measured in amperes, which is abbreviated
"amps".
The symbol for amps is a letter "A". current of one amp means that current pass
through a cross-section of two conductors,
which are placed in parallel 1 meter apart
with 2x10-7 Newton per meter force occur in
each conductor.
It can also mean charges of one coulomb (or
6.24x1018 electrons) passing through a cross-section
of a conductor in one second.
What is voltage?
Electric current is flow of electrons in a
conductor.
The force required to make current flow through
a conductor is called voltage and potential
is the other term of voltage.
For example, the first element has more positive
charges, so it has higher potential.
On the other hand, the second element has
charges that are more negative so it has lower
potential.
The difference between two points is called
potential difference.
Electromotive force means the force which
makes current continuously flows through a conductor.
This force can be generated from power generator,
battery, flashlight battery and fuel cell, etc.
Volt, abbreviated "V", is the unit of measurement
used interchangeably for voltage, potential,
and electromotive force.
One volt means a force which makes current
of one amp move through a resistance of one ohm.
What is resistance?
Electrons move through a conductor when electric
current flows.
All materials impede flow of electric current
to some extent.
This characteristic is called resistance.
Resistance increases with an increase of length
or decrease of cross-section of a material.
The unit of measurement for resistance is
ohms and its symbol is the Greek letter omega (Ω).
The resistance of one ohm means a conductor
allows a current of one amp to flow with a
voltage of one volt.
All materials are difference in allowing electrons
 to flow.
Materials that allow many electrons to flow
freely are called conductors such as copper,
silver, aluminium, hydrochloric solution,
sulphuric acid and saltwater.
In contrast, materials which allow few electrons
to flow are called insulators such as plastic,
rubber, glass and dry paper.
Another type of materials, semiconductors
have characteristics of both conductors and insulators.
They allow electrons to move while being able
to control flow of electrons and examples
are carbon, silicon and germanium, etc.
The resistance of conductor depends on two
main factors as the followings:
1. Types of material
2. Temperature of material
How to measure current?
The instrument used to measure current is
called ampere meter or ammeter.
• Steps for current measurement Connect
a small light bulb to a dry cell.
Measure current that passes through light
bulb by connecting positive terminal (+) of
ammeter to negative terminal (-) of a dry
cell (see figure)
• Safety instructions for current measurement;
1. Estimate current that required measuring then
choose a suitable ammeter, since each ammeter
has different limit of current measurement.
2. Be sure that the connection to positive terminal
(+) and negative terminal (-) of ammeter are correct.
3. Do not directly connect ammeter terminals
to dry cell terminals.
Since it can damage the meter.
How to measure voltage?
The instrument used to measure voltage, difference
potential or electromotive force is called voltmeter.
• Steps for voltage measurement
Connect a small light bulb to a dry cell.
A voltmeter is wired in parallel with the
light bulb to measure voltage across the light bulb.
Connect positive terminal (+) of voltmeter
to positive terminal (+) of a dry cell and
connect negative terminal (-) of voltmeter
to negative terminal (-) of a dry cell (see figure).
• Safety instructions for measuring voltage;
1. Estimate voltage that required measuring then
choose
a suitable voltmeter, since each voltmeter
is designed with the limit of voltage measurement.
2. Be sure that the connecting of positive terminal
(+) and negative terminal (-) of voltmeter are correct.
How to measure resistance?
The instrument used to measure resistance
is called test meter or multimeter.
The multimeter or test meter is used to make
various electrical measurements such as current,
voltage and resistance.
It combines the functions of ammeter, voltmeter
and ohmmeter.
• Steps for resistance measurement
Turn the face dial to a position for required
measuring, resistance, then touch both of
terminals of multimeter (see figure 1) and
adjust the meter range to 0 Ω.
Touch both of terminals of meter to a resistance
and take the reading (see figure 2).
How Electricity works?
Electric current is the ability to do work.
Electric current can be converted to heat,
power and magnetism, to name a few.
Electric current is classified by its functions
and three primary types are:
1. Heat and power
2. Electrochemistry
3. Magnetism
1. Heat and power is used to make heat and power.
For example, current-carrying nichrom wire
that nichrom wire has a high resistance and creates heat.
This is applied to be component of electric
ovens, toasters, electric irons and light bulbs, etc.
Experiment is made by measuring heat quantity
of water by calorimeter.
Increase voltage across wire by the variac
and connect ammeter and voltmeter to measure current and voltage.
Set the variac scale to adjust voltage and
current value of nichrom wire and current
is passed through periodically and measure
heat quantity from nichrom wire.
There are any indications of voltage and current.
If voltage, current and time increase, heat
quantity will also increase.
They are expressed by the relation as below.
This is called Joule's law.
Heat quantity depends on voltage time current
and interval of time.
From Ohm's law, V (Voltage) = I (Current)
x R (Resistance) therefore
Heat 
quantity depends on current squared times resistance and interval of time.
When current is passed through nichrom wire
in water, current is converted to heat and temperature rises.
Work is done by heat generated in an electrical
circuit, which is called Electric power.
Electric power is measured in Watts-hour (Wh)
and heat quantity is measured in calories (Cal).
Work is done by heat generated in an electrical
circuit is written in power, which it means
that the rate work is done in a circuit when
1 Amp flows with 1 Volt applied and its unit of measurement 
is Watt. Conclusion
2. Electrochemistry
For example, when current is passed through
sodium chloride (NaCl) solution, a chemical
reaction called electrolysis occurs.
This is applied to produce electrolysis, galvanizing
and battery, etc.
Experiment is made by soaking two platinum
(Pt) plates in molten salt.
Connect batteries to two platinum plates,
current is passed through molten salt and
produces chlorine bubbles around positive
plate (+) and hydrogen bubbles around negative
plate (-) since sodium chloride composes of
sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl).
When sodium chloride melts in water, the elements
are separated.
Sodium has positive charges (+), while chlorine
has negative charges (-) and these charges
are called ions.
The molten salt has both positive charges,
called anodes, and negative charges called cathodes.
The state of separated elements is called
ionization.
If salt is melted by water, solution is available
ions, called electrolyte solution.
And if current is passed through electrolyte
solution, a chemical reaction known as electrolysis occurs.
3. Magnetism
The example of this electric work is a current-carrying wire, magnetic lines of flux occur.
This is applied to produce electric motors,
electric transformers and tape recorders, etc.
Understanding meaning of magnetism:
What is magnetism?
The compound formula of magnet is Fe3O4.
All magnets have two characteristics.
First, they attract and hold iron.
Secondary, if free to move like the compass
needle, they will assume a north-south position.
Any materials have these characteristics,
they are called magnet.
The characteristics of magnet are
• Every magnet has two poles, one north pole and one south pole.
• Opposite poles attract each other, while
like poles repel each other.
Electricity and magnetic field
When magnetic needle is placed near electric
wire, which current is passed through, magnetic
needle turns on the direction of current flow (see figure 1 and 2).
Therefore, electric current flow also produces
an associated magnetic force or it is said
that electricity is able to produce magnetic
field.
When a current-carrying wire coil is placed
near iron bar, the iron bar move slightly (see figure 1).
If core is placed in a wire coil, the iron
bar is attracted strongly (see figure 2).
Because core is a soft iron, which conducts
magnetic lines of force, when current is passed
through wire coil around core, the core becomes
magnetized with high power that is called electromagnets.
This function is widely applied for using
in industries.
