Basic Electrical Circuits: Voltage, Current, Resistance, and Ohm's Law

Study Notes

Basic Electrical: Voltage, Resistance, Current, and Circuits

Voltage

Voltage, also known as potential difference, is a measure of electrical force that drives a current through a circuit. It is defined as the difference in charge between two points in a circuit. The symbol for voltage is "V". A common analogy for understanding voltage is to imagine a water tank: voltage is like the pressure in the tank, pushing the water out.

Current

Current is the rate at which electric charges flow through a circuit. It is measured in amperes (amps). The analogy for current is the water flow in a hose: more pressure in the tank (voltage) leads to more water flowing (current).

Resistance

Resistance is the opposition to the flow of electric charge through a circuit. It is a measure of how difficult it is for current to flow through a conductor. The symbol for resistance is "Ω". This is similar to the resistance of a hose to the flow of water: the narrower the hose, the more resistance it offers to the water flowing through it.

Circuits

An electric circuit is a closed loop that allows electric charge to move from one place to another. Components in a circuit allow us to control and use the electric charge to do work. A circuit can be as simple as a battery, a light bulb, and a switch, or as complex as a computer's motherboard.

Ohm's Law

Ohm's Law is a fundamental principle that relates voltage, current, and resistance in a circuit. It states that the current through a conductor is directly proportional to the voltage across the conductor and inversely proportional to the resistance of the conductor. Mathematically, Ohm's Law can be expressed as V = I × R, where V is the voltage, I is the current, and R is the resistance.