Electric current

In the hydraulic circuit the different height of the water in the tanks was important to determine the current. In the electric circuit the potential difference between the poles of the generator will play the same role with regard to the electric current.

The voltmeter is the device which measures the potential difference between two points in the circuit in volts.

Notice that the voltmeter is inserted into the circuit in parallel. In the rest of the unit we will assume that the intensity of the current which is diverted through the volmeter is negligible.

We have also seen that in the hydraulic circuit and also in the electric circuit the rate of flow (or current) changes according to the cross sectional area of the pipe (or the conductor).

Click on next to see how the conductor also influences the electric flow (current) in other ways.

	The hydraulic simile
	Elements in the circuit
	Characteristic magnitudes
	Conclusions

	Ohm's law
	Power and energy in the circuit
	The generalization of the laws
	Conclusions

	The arrangement of resistances
	The arrangement of generators
	A combined circuit
	Conclusions