Ohm's Law and Circuits

2. Conductance, Insulators and Resistance

A. A conductor in electricity is a material that allows electrons to flow

through it easily. Metals, in general, are good conductors. Why?

The property of conductance (which measures how easily

electrons are allowed to flow through) ,G, can be quantified. It is
measured in Siemens (S).

B. An insulator is a material that is a poor conductor of electricity.

Examples include plastic, wood, ceramic and glass.
What makes them poor conductors?

C. Resistance is the inverse of conductance. It measures how difficult it

is for electrons to flow through a material. In plain English, an insulator, like
ceramic, has high resistance and poor conductance. A metal has low resistance
and high conductance.

R = 1/G.

Resistance is measured in ohms, Ω.

Something with high resistance wastes the energy of electrons and generates heat.

Example 1: If the conductance of a material is 0.20 S, what is its resistance?

Example 2: If the resistance of a ceramic resistor is 50 Ω, what is its

conductance?

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 Electricity, Energy and Magnetism

D. Factors Affecting Resistance

(1) The nature of the material

(2) The thickness of the wire

(3) The length of the wire

(4) The temperature

Example 1 How would you lower the resistance of the following wire?

Al at 38 oC

Example 2 Two wires, both made of brand new copper, did not have the same
conductance, even though the wires were of identical length, thickness and
at the same temperature. What could have been different, leading to
different measurements, assuming that the same quality equipment was
used to measure conductance?

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 Ohm's Law and Circuits

Exercises

1. A substance used in the manufacture of wire that will transport electrical energy should
have two of the following properties:

1. Good resistance to corrosion

2. Poor resistance to corrosion
3. Good ductility
4. Poor ductility
Which two properties are they?

2. Porcelain is used to support electrical wires on poles. Which two properties of porcelain
make it desirable for this use?

1. Is a good insulator
2. Is non-ductile
3. Does not rust
4. Breaks easily

3. Name 4 factors that influence the resistance of a metal conductor.

4. There are six electrical wires made of the same substance and having the same length :
three have a diameter of 1.5 mm while the other three have a diameter of 3.0 mm.

They are placed either end to end to increase the length of the wire or parallel to one
another to increase the surface area of the wire.

Which three-wire arrangement offers the least resistance to the flow of electric current?

5. A device consists of a power supply, a fan and two connectors. You are to insert a piece
of wire between these connectors.

Four nichrome wires are illustrated below. You insert each of these wires in turn. They
are the same temperature, but of different sizes. These wires are not drawn to scale.

With which wire will the fan rotate the fastest?

(see next page for rest of multiple choice) Wire

A)
2 mm
4 cm

10
 Electricity, Energy and Magnetism

B)
20 mm

4 cm

C)
2 mm
8 cm

D)

20 mm

8 cm

6. Note the following substances:

1. Rubber
2. Plastic
3. Aluminum
4. Copper
5. Steel

Which of these substances are insulators?

7. Which of the following substances best conducts electricity?

A) Copper C) Nichrome

B) Water D) Plastic

8. Which of the following would increase the electrical conductivity of a circuit?

1- A thicker wire
2- A longer wire
3- A decrease in the temperature of the wire
4- The use of porcelain wire

A) 1 and 2 C) 2 and 4

B) 1 and 3 D) 3 and 4

11
 Ohm's Law and Circuits

9. What could be done to the temperature of a circuit in order to improve

conductance?

10. Why does a wider wire conduct electricity better than a narrower one?

11. a. Of the following, which two metals are the best conductors?

Fe Cu Ag Au

b. Which of the above 4 is the worst?

12. In general, why do metals conduct electricity (Think of atomic structure.)

13. What is the unit of resistance? Give both word and the symbol.

14. What is the unit of conductance? Again, give both word and the symbol.

15. Convert the following. (Show your work)

a. 50 S = _____Ω.
b. 0.100 Ω = ______________S.
c. If G = 1/R, then R = ___________.
d. R = 12 V/0.5 A. (don't worry about the units until we study Ohm's law)
G = ___________S

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 Electricity, Energy and Magnetism

3. Ohm's Law

A. Deriving the Formula

Suppose you had the following circuit. If

you started with a low voltage and gradually
increased it (by changing the battery or
turning the button on a power source), what
would happen to the current?

Georg Simon Ohm

Example 1 What is the short hand way of drawing the above (1789 - 1854)
circuit? How would you measure the voltage of the
battery?

Example 2 Graph the following data.

Voltage (Volts) 0.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0

Current Intensity 0.0 2.0 2.7 3.3 4.0
(Amps)

The slope on a current(y) versus voltage(x) graph is known as conductance, G, which is

measured in Siemens (S)

13
 Ohm's Law and Circuits

The electrical property more commonly used than conductance is resistance, which is
measured in ohms ( Ω ). Resistance is a measurement of how difficult it is for electrons to
get through a substance. Resistance converts electrical energy into heat.

R = 1/G

Based on this, what is the relationship between V, I and R ?

Ohm’s Law

Examples

1. A resistance of 10 Ω is placed across a 9 V battery. What current flows through

the battery?

2. a. A resistor has a conductance of 0.100 S. What is its resistance?

b. What voltage is needed to cause a 500 mA current to flow through the
circuit?

3. What is the overall resistance of a CD portable player if it is operated by a 3 V

battery and 0.75 A flow through its circuitry?

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 Electricity, Energy and Magnetism

Exercises

1. What current flows between a potential difference of 120 V through a resistance of

30 Ω?
Ω
2. A motor with an operating resistance of 30 Ω is connected to a voltage source. 4.0 A
of current flow in the circuit. What is the voltage of the source?
3. If the conductance of a circuit is 0.25 S, and the current is 2.0 A, what is the overall
voltage?
4. a. An ammeter measures current. What will the ammeter read when it is connected
to a 90 V source and a 60 Ω resistor?
b. Draw a diagram to illustrate this circuit. The symbol for an ammeter is the letter
“A” within a circle.
5. A. Draw a circuit diagram that includes a 16 Ω resistor, a battery and an ammeter
that reads 1.75 A.
B. What will the voltmeter read when it is attached to the battery in the above
circuit?
6. A. Draw a graph for the following and measure its slope.

Current Intensity (Amps) 0.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 4.0

Voltage (Volts) 0.0 1.0 1.3 1.6 3.0

b. What does the slope represent?

15
 Ohm's Law and Circuits

4. Series Circuits

Imagine the current leaving a battery. If the resistors are

connected in such a way that the current must entirely flow
through every resistor before returning to the battery, then
the circuit is a series circuit.

A1 and A2 represent two

separate measurements
of current intensity at
two different points in
the circuit. V1 and V2
represent two separate
measurements of voltage
or potential difference.
Note how we connect the
voltmeter: one
connection at each end
of the resistor.

For series circuits:

Vt = V1 + V2

As the electrons flow through each resistor they lose their potential
energy in sequence, in a similar way that skiers gradually lose
potential energy on the way down a ski hill. When they take the lift
back up, they are re-energized.

I1 = I2 = constant.

The current is constant. The same number of electrons flows

through the circuit per second.
If we divide each voltage by the constant current, according to
Ohm’s Law we will obtain resistance:

Rt = R1 + R2

If there are more resistors in the circuit, then the same rules apply:
Vt = V1 + V2+ V3 + ….
I1 = I2 = I3 = constant
Rt = R1 + R2+ R3 + …

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 Electricity, Energy and Magnetism

Example 1

a. What is the total

resistance of the circuit?

b. What current would

be measured in between the two resistors?

c. What voltage (V1) would be measured across R1? Across R2?

Example 2

a. Find the missing resistance in

the circuit shown, which consists of a
12 V battery hooked to two resistors.

b. If the two resistors represented two light bulbs, and one of the light bulbs was off,
would you be able to turn the other bulb on?

17
 Ohm's Law and Circuits

Example 3

a. Find the value of R1 in the circuit shown.

b. What is the voltage of the battery?

Additional Examples

18
 Electricity, Energy and Magnetism

Exercises

1. Three 20 Ω resistors are connected in series across a 120 V generator. What

current flows through the circuit?

2. Ten Xmas lights gave equal resistances. When connected to a 120 V outlet, a
current of 0.50 A flows through each bulb. What is the resistance of one bulb?

3. A lamp with a resistance of 10 Ω is connected across a 12 V battery. What

resistance must be connected to the lamp to create a current of 0.50 A?

4. A 20 Ω resistor and a 30 Ω resistor are connected in series and placed across

potential difference of 100 V. Find the voltage drop across each resistor.

5. Find the voltage across each resistor, as well as the total

voltage.

a.
30 Ω A 0.10 A

50 Ω

b.
10 Ω A 0.10 A

40Ω 20 Ω

6. Find the current as well as the voltage across each resistor.

a.
30 Ω A
80 V

50 Ω

19
 Ohm's Law and Circuits

b.
100 Ω A
120 V

150 Ω

c.
60V 100 Ω A

80Ω 20 Ω

7. a. Draw a circuit consistent with the following information:

• V1 = 5.0 V and R1 is an unknown resistor

• There is a 2.0 A current measured by the ammeter next to the power source
• R2 = 2.0 Ω.

b. Calculate R1
c. Find the voltage of the power source.

8. Three known resistances are connected in series to the terminals of a power

source. The potential difference at the terminals of the 3.0 Ω resistance is 12 V.

2.0 Ω 3.0 Ω 4.0 Ω

a. What is the potential difference of the power source?

b. What is the voltage drop across the 4.0 Ω resistor?
c. What is the voltage drop across the 2.0 Ω resistor?

20
 Electricity, Energy and Magnetism

9. Use the diagram to your right, where V1 = 12 V; V2 = 5.0 V.

V
3
a. What is the reading on voltmeter V3?

b. If the current flowing out of the battery was 125 mA,

what would be the value of R2?

10. Flashback V
2

In an electric circuit, the potential difference across the

terminals of a resistor was set at different levels and the
resulting current intensity was measured. The measurements
are recorded in the table below.

Potential Difference Current Intensity V1

V (V) I (A)
0 0
5 1.0
20 4.1
35 7.1
40 8.1

Draw a graph using the above data and then use the graph to determine the
resistance of this resistor.

21
 Ohm's Law and Circuits

5. Parallel Circuits

Imagine an electric current leaving a battery. If the resistors are connected in such
a way that part of the current can go through one resistor and the rest of the
current can go through another resistor, then the circuit is a parallel circuit.

IT is the total current of the parallel

circuit. You would measure this current
anywhere before or after the three-way
split leading to the three resistors. In
between the junction and R1, you
would measure I1. Between the junction
and R2, you would measure I2 etc.

Since the total current, IT, splits up into

three different groups of electrons, each
traveling their route,

IT = I1 + I2 + I3 +….

In parallel circuits, all resistors, regardless of their resistances, experience the same
voltage drop or potential difference because they all have the same entry and exit points
(junctions).

VT = V1 = V2 = V3 =Vn
If we divide the current formula by the voltage relationship we obtain:

IT I I I
= 1 + 2 + 3 + ...
VT V1 V2 V3
1 1 1 1
= + + + ...
RT R1 R2 R3

or RT = [R1-1 + R2-1 + R3-1 + …]-1

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 Electricity, Energy and Magnetism

Example 1

a. What is the total resistance of the circuit?

b. What is the total current?

c. What voltage (V1) would be measured

across each individual resistor?

c. What current is drawn out by each resistor?

Example 2

The drawing seems confusing, but note that it is a parallel circuit because the electrons
have a “choice”. At the junction (shown by the red dot) the electrons either follow the
green route or the orange route.
Use I1 = 1A; I2 = 0.5 A; R1 =
Ω.
10Ω

a. Find V2.

b. Find R2.

c. Use two methods to arrive at RT.

23
 Ohm's Law and Circuits

Example 3

In a parallel circuit, what effect does adding more resistors have on total current?

Exercises

1. Find the total resistance in each case.

a. 21 Ω

21 Ω

21 Ω

b. 5Ω

10 Ω

20 Ω

24
 Electricity, Energy and Magnetism

c. 100 Ω

50 Ω

100 Ω

(answer: 25 Ω.)

2. Find the current passing through each resistor.

a. 12 Ω

12 Ω

12 Ω

120V

25
 Ohm's Law and Circuits

b. 50 Ω

100 Ω

150 Ω

6V

3. Find the missing reading for each meter. R1 = 20 Ω and R2 = 40 Ω.

12V - A1 A2
V2

A3

4. The electric circuit shown below consists of an ammeter A, a power supply, and
resistors R1 and R2 connected in parallel.

20 V 40 Ω 40 Ω
R1 R2

What is the current intensity (I) flowing through the ammeter?

26
 Electricity, Energy and Magnetism

5. The following diagram shows a parallel circuit consisting of three resistors.

R
1
R2

R
3
+

R1 = 3 W R2 = 6 W R3 = ?
I1 = 4 A I2 = 2 A I3 = 6 A

What is the value of resistor R3?

6. An electrical circuit consists of a power source, two switches (S1 and S2) and two
light bulbs (L1 and L2). The following table shows what happens to both light
bulbs:

Switch Light Bulb

S1 S2 L1 L2
open open out out
closed open bright out

Which of the following circuit diagrams illustrates the results shown in the table above?
A) C)

B) D)

27
 Ohm's Law and Circuits

Exercises (parallel and series)

1. Find the total resistance and the voltmeter reading at each resistor:

a.
50 Ω A 0.50 A

40Ω 30 Ω

b. 10 Ω

10 Ω

40 Ω

100 V

2. Two resistors are connected in parallel. Each draws 2.0 A of current. If the total
voltage is 12 V, find R1 and R2.

3. Two resistors are connected in series. The total current is 0.500 A. The potential
difference at the resistors is 2 V and 5V, respectively. Find R1 and R2.

4. Find the missing voltage and resistance.

12V

??? Ω A 3.0 A
??? V

2Ω

28
 Electricity, Energy and Magnetism

5. Find the missing voltage.

10 Ω

10 Ω

40 Ω A 2.0 Α

???? V

6. Find the missing resistance, the total current, and the missing voltage

10 Ω 1.0 Α
A

A 2.0 A
????

40 Ω 0.25 Α A??????
A

???? V

7. a. In a series circuit, what measurement is constant at each resistor?

b. In a parallel circuit, what measurement is constant at each resistor?

29
 Ohm's Law and Circuits

6. Combination Circuits

Combination circuits combine the features of parallel circuits with those of series
circuits. The key to surviving these is to keep in mind the distinctive features of
those circuits in mind.

Example 1

a. What is the overall resistance of this

circuit?

b. What is the potential difference measured from a to b?

c. What currents would be measured within the parallel branch? (see diagram for I1
and I2)

Example 2

a. Find the total

current in the
following:

First, we’ll
redraw the circuit
to make sure we
realized that the 5
and 8 Ω resistor
are in series, but
they in turn are in

30
 Electricity, Energy and Magnetism

parallel to the 10 Ω resistor. The parallel branch is then series with both the 3 and 2 Ω
resistors.

b. What is the voltage drop across the 8 Ω resistor?

Example 3 Connect four 5Ω resistors in such a way that their total resistance is 5 Ω.

Exercises

1. An electric circuit is illustrated below.

R
1 R1 = 4Ù
R2 = 6Ù
+
_ R R R
2 3 4 R3 = 6Ù

R4 = 6Ù

What is the equivalent resistance of this circuit?

31
 Ohm's Law and Circuits

2. An electric circuit is illustrated below.

R1 = 15Ù
R
1
I1=2A
+ R2 R3
_
I 2 = 1.5 A
V2 = 90 V

What is the value of resistor R3?

3. A series-parallel electric circuit is illustrated below.

10 Ω

R1
R2 15 Ω R3 20 Ω
R5 R4

10 Ω 10 Ω

Find RT

4. A series-parallel electric circuit is illustrated below.

R2 5Ω
Vs 12 V R1 30 Ω
R4 R3 10 Ω

20 Ω

What is the potential difference across the terminal of resistor R1?

32
 Electricity, Energy and Magnetism

5. A series-parallel electric is illustrated below.

75 W
R
1 A 0.5 A
R R
Vs 2 75 W 3 100 W
R
4
50 W

What is the intensity of the current flowing from the power source, Is?

6. The following electric circuit consists of a power supply, five resistors (R1, R2, R3,
R and R ) and an ammeter A .
4 5

20 Ù 40 Ù 40 Ù
R1 R2 R4
30 Ù 120 Ù
A
I = 0.25 A R3 R5
Vt

The ammeter reads 0.25 A.

a. What is the potential difference (voltage), Vt, across the terminals of the
power supply?
b. What is the potential difference across R3?
c. What is the potential difference across R1?
d. What current flows through R5?

33
 Ohm's Law and Circuits

7. An electric circuit is illustrated below.

R4
R1
10 Ù
3Ù 7Ù
7Ù
R2 R3

Vt = 6 V

What is the current intensity, I, in resistors R2 and R3?

8. The following electric circuit consists of a power source, five resistors (R1, R2, R3,
R and R ) and two ammeters A4 and At .
4 5

R2 R3

R1 R5
10 Ù

5Ù 20 Ù
A4
I4 = 0.75 A R4

At
It = 1.5 A

What is the potential difference (voltage) across the terminals of resistors R3?

34
 Electricity, Energy and Magnetism

9. The following circuit consists of a power source, two ammeters A t and A3 , a

voltmeter V1 and three resistors (R , R and R ).
1 2 3

V1 = 5 V
V1
R1 R2
It = 20 A
At 5Ù
R3
A3
I3 = 12 A

The total current intensity It is 20 A. Current intensity I3 is 12 A. The potential

difference (voltage) V1 across the terminals of resistor R1 is 5 V.

What is the resistance of resistor R3?

10. A source with a potential difference of 30 V is connected to the circuit shown

below.
R1

I1 R3 = 10 Ω

I2 = 1 A R = 10 Ω
2

I
What is the current intensity I across the circuit?

35
 Ohm's Law and Circuits

11. The following electrical circuit consists of a power source, four resistors (R1, R2,
R3 and R4) and a voltmeter V4 (Vs = Vtotal).

R1= 20 W

R2= 10 W R3= 30 W

Vs = 100 V

R4 = 20 W

V4
V4 = 60 V

What is the current intensity (I3) through R3?

12. How can one 25 Ω and two 100 Ω resistors be connected so that their total
resistance is 75 Ω?

13. How can four 1.0 Ω resistors and one 2.0 Ω resistor be connected to give a
combined resistance of 1.5 Ω?

14. Four identical resistors are connected as shown. If the total voltage is 12V, find
the voltage across each resistor.

36