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CHOONG HAN JUN (COPYRIGHTED) ©

SYSTEMS:
Electrical Systems
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CHAPTER ANALYSIS
8 KEY CONCEPTS
• Draw and interpret circuit diagrams and set up circuits containing electrical sources, switches, lamps, resistors, ammeters,
voltmeters

• Explain what is meant by current, potential difference and resistance of an electrical system, and state their units

• Explain how the series or parallel arrangement of components in an electrical system affects the outputs of the system

• Investigate the effect of varying resistance on the current in the circuit using fixed or variable resistors

• Explain qualitatively the chemical, heating, and magnetic effects of an electric current and list some applications

• Explain what is meant by power and state its SI unit

• State how damage to an electrical system can cause some electrical hazards

• State some precautionary measures to ensure the safe use of electricity in the home

1 ADVANCED CONCEPTS
• Solve simple problems on the cost of using electrical appliances, using kilowatt-hour as a unit of electrical energy
consumption
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KEY CONCEPT

ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS
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ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS
Electricity flows in a circuit when there is:
• A source of electrical energy
• A closed circuit

Representation

Symbols

ELECTRICAL
CIRCUITS
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ELECTRICAL CURRENT
Definition: The flow of electrons in one direction in a circuit (flow of electricity)

• Conventional current flows from +ve to –ve

• Electron flow in a circuit flows fom –ve to +ve

Measurement
Instrument: Ammeter
SI unit: Ampere (A)

Ammeters are only connected in series in a circuit

POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE
Definition: The potential difference (p.d) between two points is a measure of the
amount of potential energy that is changed into other forms of energy when a
unit change passes between these two points

Measurement
Instrument: Voltmeter
SI unit: Volt (V)

Voltmeters are only connected in parallel in a circuit

CURRENT &
POTENTIAL
DIFFERENCE
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RESISTANCE
Definition: Resistance is a measure of the opposition to current flow in
an electrical circuit

The greater the resistance in a circuit, the lower the current.

SI unit: ohm (Ω)

Resistors
Resistors are used to control the amount of current in a circuit.

Fixed resistors Variable resistors (rheostat)

• Has fixed resistance • Used to vary resistance in a
circuit
• As resistance increases, current
decreases (vice versa)

Uses of rheostats
• Light dimmers
• Volume control on a music player

RESISTANCE • Speed control of a model train

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KEY CONCEPT

ARRANGEMENT OF CIRCUITS
Circuits can either be arranged in series or parallel arrangement.
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Series circuit Parallel circuit

• The current that flows through • The current from the battery
each of the components is the divides and flows through each
same branch
• If one bulb is removed/broken, no • If one bulb is removed/broken,
current flows (circuit is open) the other bulbs remain lit (circuit
is closed)

Resistors in series and parallel

If two or more resistors are joined in series, the total resistance is the sum
of the individual resistance of each resistor.
Since the higher the resistance the lower the current, the bulb is dimmer

If two or more resistors are joined in parallel, the total resistance is less

SERIES &
than the resistance of the individual resistors.
Since the lower the resistance the higher the current, the bulb is brighter

PARALLEL
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KEY CONCEPT

EFFECTS OF AN
ELECTRIC CURRENT
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HEATING EFFECT
Electrical energy -> heat energy

For the same amount of current, the greater the resistance of the wire, the
greater the amount of heat produced.

Applications
• Copper wires have low resistance -> does not get very hot
• Used as connecting wires
• Nichrome wires have high resistance -> get very hot
• Used as a heating element in kettles

MAGNETIC EFFECT
A coil of wire wound around a piece of iron is called an electromagnet. When
a current flows through the coil, the coil acts like a bar magnet.

Applications
• Magnetic cranes to lift iron and steel objects
• Electric bells (fire bells)
• Electric motors in trains and vacuum cleaners

CHEMICAL EFFECT
The decomposition of a compound by an electric current is called electrolysis,
which are important in electroplating and extraction of metals.

Electroplating
In electroplating, a metallic object is covered with a thin layer of another

EFFECTS
metal (eg. Gold plating)

Extraction of metals
Reactive metals like sodium and aluminum are obtained by electrolysis
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KEY CONCEPT

POWER
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POWER
Definition: The power of an electrical appliance is the amount of electrical
current it converts to other forms of energy in one second

SI unit: Watt (W)

Cost of using energy

SI unit: joule (J)

• A larger unit of kilowatt-hour (kWh) is used to measure energy use in
home appliances

Energy consumed (kWh) = Power (kW) x Time (hours)

Example: Calculate how much energy an air conditioner that has a power
rating of 1000W consumes in 6 hours

Power = 1000W = 1kW

Time = 6 hr

POWER Energy consumed = 1kW x 6hr = 6kWh (answer)

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KEY CONCEPT

SAFETY
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Electrical dangers

Frayed and • When the insulation around a wire is damaged or worn out
damaged • Dangerous if a person touches a bare wire (current flows
wires through the body resulting in electric shock)
Wet • Water is an electrical conductor
conditions • Touching a damaged wire or appliance with wet hands can
result in electric shock
Overloading • Occurs when many appliances are connected to the mains
socket via an electrical adaptor
• A large current flows in the house wiring, causing the wires
to become hot
• If the current is too large, it can cause a fire in the house
wiring or adaptor
Short • A short circuit is a path of very low resistance between two
circuits points in a circuit
• Occurs when a broken or bare wire touches another wire in
the circuit
• Results in a large current flowing through the circuit, causing
wires to become hot
• May cause a fire in the wires/appliance

Safety precautions
• Never overload a circuit
• Do not use electrical appliances with old or frayed wires

SAFETY • Never use electrical appliances in wet places

• Do not push anything into sockets or electrical appliances
• Call an electrician rather than trying to fix things yourself
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