PHYS 1010 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Electrical Resistance And Conductance, Electric Potential, Voltage Source

• School: University of Virginia
• Department: Physics
• Course: PHYS 1010
• Professor: Neu Christopher

Document Summary

Conduction electrons are charge carriers that are free to move through atomic lattice. Protons are bound within the nuclei of atoms. Positive ions and electrons constitute electric charge flow. Measured in ampere (1 coulomb of charge per second) Speed of electrons (drift speed) through a wire is slow because of continuous bumping of electrons in wire. Electrons oscillate to and fro around fixed positions. Movement is produced by a generator or an alternator that switches the signs of charge periodically. Commercial ac circuits are used in most residential circuits throughout the world and can be stepped up to high voltage for transmission over great distances with small heat losses, or stepped down where energy is consumed. Conductor: any material having free charged particles that easily flow through it when an electric force acts on them. Charges in a conductor flow from higher potential to lower potential. Flow of charge persists until both ends of the conductor reach the same potential.