POGIL: Voltage and Resistance Electric Potential It is very difficult to measure the total electrical potential energy of a circuit

because the charges are continuously moving through the circuit as an electric current. However, we can measure the electrical potential energy per charge much more easily. We define the electric potential V at any point in a circuit as V= PE , q

where PE is electrical potential energy and q is charge. In other words, electric potential can tell us the number of Joules of electrical potential energy held by each Coulomb of charge at a point in a circuit. The units of electric potential are Joules per Coulomb, abbreviated J/C. We call this unit a Volt. 1. Imagine 2 C of charge approaching a light bulb in a circuit. The electrical potential energy at this point is 15 J. What is the electric potential at this point in the circuit?

2. Suppose one end of a wire in a circuit has a potential of 5 V. (a) If 1 C of charge resides at this part of the wire, what is its electrical potential energy?

(b) If 1 C of charge resides at this part of the wire, what is its electrical potential energy?

(c) If an electron resides at this part of the wire, what is its electrical potential energy?

Electric Current and Voltage

The circuit above shows a battery, some wires, and a light bulb. The purpose of a battery (or any other power source) in a circuit is to create a difference in potential (also called voltage) across the circuit. The cause of electric current in a circuit is a potential difference between two points; without this difference in potential, there will be no current. The difference in electric potential motivates the electrons in the wires to move away from the negative terminal toward the positive terminal of the

battery or power source. The greater the potential difference, the greater the amount of current that flows. The voltage marked on a battery is the potential difference between the positive and negative terminals. If a 1.5 V battery is powering a circuit, this means that each Coulomb of charge at the positive terminal has 1.5 Joules more energy than each Coulomb of charge at the negative terminal. 3. In the circuit shown below, the terminals of a battery are connected to a light bulb. Suppose both terminals are at an electric potential of 3 V. Why does no current flow in the circuit?

3V

3V

4. Now suppose the circuit has a battery with a voltage (i.e. a potential difference) of 5 V. A current of 2 A flows through the wires. (a) What is the difference in electrical potential energy between 1 C of charge at the positive terminal and 1 C of charge at the negative terminal?

(b) What is the difference in electrical potential energy between 2 C of charge at the positive terminal and 2 C of charge at the negative terminal?

(c) What is the difference in electrical potential energy between 20 C of charge at the positive terminal and 20 C of charge at the negative terminal?

(d) How much charge passes through the wires in 1 s?

(e) How much charge passes through the wires in 2 s?

(f) How much charge passes through the wires in 10 s?

(g) Use your answers to parts (c) and (f) to find how much potential energy is lost each second by the charges flowing through the circuit.

Electrical Resistance The resistance of a wire is a measure of how difficult it is for current to flow through it. The higher the resistance, the greater the difficulty of getting charges to flow. Resistance of a wire is dependent on three things: the conductivity of the material the wire is made from: Elements such as gold, silver, and copper are some of the best conductors of electricity, and therefore wires made from these materials will have low resistances relative to other elements such as iron or nickel. the length of the wire: The longer the wire, the more difficult it is for charge to flow through it. The resistance of a wire is directly proportional to the length. the cross-sectional area of the wire: The greater the wires cross-sectional area, the easier it is to move charge through it. The resistance of a wire is inversely proportional to its cross-sectional area. The statements above can be summed up in the relationship resistance= length . conductivity crosssectional area

The unit of resistance is called the Ohm, abbreviated (Greek letter omega). Critical Thinking Questions, part 2 5. Rank the following wires from lowest resistance to highest resistance. Explain how you arrived at your answer. A B C D

6. Rank the following wires from lowest resistance to highest resistance. Explain how you arrived at your answer. A B C

7. The resistance of a copper wire is 5 . If we double the length of the wire, what is its new resistance?

8. The resistance of a copper wire is 5 . If we double the radius of its cross-section, what is its new resistance?

9. Suppose we have two identical pieces of copper wire with a resistance of 10 . If we place the wires side by side and use them as a single wire, what is their combined resistance?