Basic of Electrical System

Structure of an Atom
Atoms = Nucleus [protons(+ve) & neutron] + electrons(-ve)

Nucleus (protons + neutrons)

Electron The forces in the atom are repulsions between electrons and attraction between electrons and protons Atom is electrically neutral Electrons that occupy the outermost filled orbit the valence electrons responsible for bonding The valence electron is slightly attracted to the nucleus so it tends to fly out of orbit and attach to other atoms. Therefore it is called free electron Various characteristics of materials are caused by the free electrons

Types of Electricity Static Electricity Produced when a non-conductive material e.g. glass rod is rubbed with a silk cloth, one surface becomes positively charged and the other negatively charged. Unless the two materials touched the charges will remain in the glass rod and the silk cloth. It does not move so it is called static electricity.

Page 1 of 20

Dynamic Electricity Refers to a state in which there is a flow of free electrons. When the free electrons are moving in constant direction direct current (DC). When the direction of motion and the size of current vary periodically with time alternating current (AC)

Electric Current (I)

Electric current is the flow of electrons It is measured in amps (short for Amperes), A The amp is a measure of flow rate / how much electricity is flowing per second 1 amp = 6.240 x 1024 electrons per second When current flows in a conductor or electrolyte, it can bring about three actions: Heat generation When current runs through a conductor, it produces heat e.g. headlights, fuses Chemical action When chemical activity occurs in an electrolyte, it causes current to flow e.g. battery Magnetic action When current flows in a wire or coil, it produces a magnetic field in the immediate environment e.g. ignition coil, alternator, starter motor

In automotive, magnetic and chemical action are used

Ammeter is used to measure current To measure the current flowing through a component in a circuit, the ammeter must be connected in series with the rest of the circuit

Page 2 of 20

 For an electric current to flow, we need two things: A battery or a generator to make the electricity flow A complete circuit

Voltage (V) and Electromotive Force (EMF)

When a lamp is connected to a battery by a wire, current will flow from the battery to the lamp and the lamp will light up. This is because there is abundant of free electrons at the battery negative terminal and a shortage of free electrons at battery positive terminal. This difference creates a pressure and this electrical pressure causes current to flow through the wire, lighting the lamp

Voltage is a measure of electrical pressure between two parts of a circuit It is measured in volts, V 1 volt refers to the voltage that can cause 1 ampere of current to flow in a conductor having a resistance of 1 ohm In automotive, the electrical pressure can be provided by a battery or it can be produced by a generator Voltmeter is used to measure voltage
Page 3 of 20

 To measure the voltage across a component in a circuit, the voltmeter must connected in parallel with the rest of the circuit

Electrical Resistance(R)
In terms of resistance to the flow of current, materials may be grouped into three categories: Conductor Conductors are materials which permit electrons to flow freely from atom to atom e.g. gold, copper, aluminum, silver Insulator Insulators are materials which impede the free flow of electrons from atom to atom e.g. glass, rubber, plastics Semiconductor A material that act as conductor or insulator depending on electrical condition Resistance is the opposition of a circuit to the flow of electric current It is measured in ohm () 1 ohm refers to the electrical resistance which is encountered when 1 ampere of electric current flows at a voltage of 1 volt Factors that affect resistance value are material, temperature, cross-sectional area, length and duration of usage length, resistance cross-sectional, resistance
Page 4 of 20

l A

= resistivity (.m) l = length of a conductor (m) A = cross-sectional area of conductor (m2) Resistance increases as the temperature rises Contact resistance The resistance causes by incomplete contact e.g. when a wire is not connected firmly to the battery or load, or when a switch connecting two parts is corroded, electricity flows less easily and heat is generated. The heat promotes further corrosion and as a result, contact resistance becomes even greater. Contact resistance can be reduced by tightening the connection or cleaning the contacting area.

Page 5 of 20

Insulation resistance A phenomenon in which electricity can flow between conductors through an insulator under certain condition. Such conditions include breakage of the insulator, which allows a leak current to flow through the insulator, and flashover, involving dirt, water and other materials adhering to the surface of the insulator.

Electrical Circuits
When the electrons flow back to where they started from, it is called a circuit In electrical circuits, current flows from the ___________ terminal of the supply to the __________ terminal Any device that consumes electricity is called load. In electrical circuit, all loads are regarded as resistance Automotive Electrical Circuits In an automotive electrical circuit, one end of the wire from each load returning to the battery is connected to the vehicle body or frame; acting as a conductor, allowing current to flow through the body and back to the battery. The body or frame is then referred to as the body ground (or earth) of the circuit

Page 6 of 20

Ohms Law Current flow is directly proportional to the voltage and inversely proportional to the resistance

I=V R
I = current V = voltage R = resistance

V=IR

Simple circuit A simple circuit consists of power supply (battery, alternator, generator which supply electricity to the circuit), load (electrical device that uses electricity to produce work) and conductor (wires or car metal parts that carry current between power source and load) Switch is an optional component to facilitate the control of the circuit Types of Circuit Primary Circuits The first part of a two-part circuit The switch that control the circuit must be closed before any of the other components in the circuit will work Open circuit Continuity fault in the circuit e.g. broken wire, load or fuse; faulty switch No output from the load

Page 7 of 20

Close circuit Perfect, correct functioning circuit in which the switch is closed Output is achieved from the load It is normal/working condition

Series Circuits In a series circuit, the components (switches, bulbs, fuses etc.) are all connected so that the current flows first through one and then through the next There are no branches; the current doesnt split into more than one route Disadvantages If one component fail, the system will revert to open circuit Unable to control the operation of load separately Each load receive different voltage due to voltage drop Parallel Circuits In parallel circuit, the different components are connected on different wires therefore the current can move through any of several paths

Page 8 of 20

Electrical Circuits: Basic Theory Series Connection

Page 9 of 20

Page 10 of 20

Voltage Drop

Page 11 of 20

Page 12 of 20

Parallel Connection

Page 13 of 20

Page 14 of 20

Page 15 of 20

Series-Parallel Connection

Page 16 of 20

Page 17 of 20

Page 18 of 20

Basics of electromagnetism
Magnetism A phenomenon by which materials assert an attractive/repulsive force or influence on other materials Magnetic flux travels from N to S

A magnetic field can be made by a wire with current passing through it Electromagnetism A phenomenon by which magnetism properties are strengthened by an electric current Right-hand rule When current flows in the direction of the travel of a right-hand screw as it is being screwed in, a magnetic flux is generated in the direction of the force that turns the screw

Page 19 of 20

 What happen to the magnetic flux when we have a circular wire rather than a straight wire??? When a straight wire is bent, it becomes a circular coil and creates a much larger, more powerful flux. When current flows in a coil, the direction of the magnetic flux is such that N and S poles are created in the coil

When a conductor is wound in a tubular-shaped coil, it is called solenoid. S pole is created under the solenoid and N pole above it.

The number of magnetic lines of force increases as the number of turns of the coil increases When current flows in a solenoid, the number of magnetic lines of force increases in proportion to the strength of the current

Page 20 of 20