Electric Resistance and OHM's Law
ICSE · Class 12 · Physics
Summary of Electric Resistance and OHM's Law for ICSE Class 12 Physics. Key concepts, important points, and chapter overview.
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Current electricity deals with the motion of electric charge in conductors. Electric current is the rate of flow of charge, given by I = Q/t, and its instantaneous form is I = dQ/dt. In metallic conductors, current is carried by free electrons, which drift slowly under an applied electric field whil
Key Concepts
Electric current is the rate
Electric current is the rate of flow of charge: I = Q/t. One ampere means one coulomb of charge flows per second. Since one electron carries 1.6×10^-1
Current density is the current per
Current density is the current per unit cross-sectional area at a point: j = I/A. It is a vector quantity and its direction is the direction of motion
In metals
In metals, outer electrons become free electrons and move randomly with thermal speed of about 10^5 m/s. Under an electric field they acquire a small
Relaxation time is the average time
Relaxation time is the average time interval between two successive collisions of a free electron with metal ions, and it is of the order of 10^-14 s.
Ohm's law states
Ohm's law states that, for a metallic conductor kept under constant physical conditions, potential difference is directly proportional to current. Thu
Learning Objectives
- Define electric current and current density with correct units and vector nature.
- Explain free electrons, drift velocity, relaxation time, mean free path, and mobility.
- State and apply Ohm's law for metallic conductors and distinguish it from the definition of resistance.
- Relate current to drift velocity and current density in microscopic form.
- Understand resistance, resistivity, conductivity, and conductance and their dimensional formulas.
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