Unit

19

Practical
When
When anan electric
electric current
current flows
flows
through
through a a circuit,
circuit, it
it may
may give
give rise
rise
to
to heating
heating effects
effects (as
(as in
in an
an electric
electric
motor)
motor) or
or chemical
chemical effects(as
effects(as in
in

Electricity electrolysis).
electrolysis). We can make use of
these effects
kinds
kinds of
We
to
can make
construct
of electrical
use of
different
these effects to construct different
electrical appliances.
appliances.
 contents

ƒ Electric Power and Energy

ƒ Dangers of Electricity

ƒ Safe Use of Electricity in the Home

ƒ Chapter Review
Electric power and energy
Heating elements
ƒ found in electric irons, kettles, cookers and immersion
heaters
ƒ contains heating elements usually made of nichrome
wire (which has a high resistance and high melting
point) coiled round an insulating fire-proof material
(e.g.fire-clay, silica or mica). Nichrome heats up when
current flows through the wire.
 electric power and energy
a. electric iron
thermostat
ƒ heat produced must be control

spread evenly over a large

metal base surface
ƒ contains a thermostat
which switches the current
off when the iron is too
hot and on again when
the iron cools below the chromium-
temperature selected plated metal
base
heating
element
 electric power and energy
b. electric kettle
ƒ when a current flows
through the heating
element, water
around the element is
heated first by
conduction

earth pin
ƒ heat is spread
through the water by
convection

contact insulated heating

pins element enclosed
 electric power and energy
c. electric cookers
ƒ two types of heating elements used on electric cookers:

heating element set inside heating element wound

the body of the hotplate inside tubular spirals

flat hotplate heating element wound

inside tubular spirals
 electric power and energy
other common electrical appliances
ƒ common electrical appliances with heating elements of
different shapes:
heating heating
heating element element
element

immersion
heater
soldering
iron
hair dryer

heating
element

toaster
 Unit 19.1: Uses of Electricity
d. Electrical lighting:
Filament lamp
• The filament is made of tungsten
because of its high resistivity and
melting point.
• The filament is very thin, giving it a
higher resistance than the rest of the
Figure 19.5 A filament lamp
circuit (R=ρl ⁄A)
• When an electric current flows
through the filament, the tungsten gets
extremely hot (2500 oC) and generates
light.
 Unit 19.1: Uses of Electricity
Electrical lighting: Fluorescent lamp
• The fluorescent lamp uses electrodes to
produce light.
• When electric charges are passed
between the two electrodes, the mercury
vapour in the glass tube emits
ultraviolet light together with visible
light. Figure 19.6 A fluorescent
lamp
• The ultraviolet light is converted to
visible light by the fluorescent powder
coated on the inside of the glass tube.
 Unit 19.1: Uses of Electricity
Comparison of the filament lamp to the fluorescent lamp
Type Advantages Disadvantages
Filament They are used in homes to Only a small percentage of the
lamp give a cosy and relaxed electrical energy supplied is
atmosphere. converted to light. The majority of
the energy is converted to thermal
energy. This explains why a
filament lamp feels warm when
touched.
Fluorescent They are energy efficient. They cost more than filament
lamp Thus, they are widely lamps. As the mercury vapour in
used in offices and fluorescent lamps is toxic, the
schools for lighting. lamps must be handled carefully.

Table 19.1
 Unit 19.1: Uses of Electricity
Electric motors
• They convert electrical energy into rotational kinetic
energy.
• They are used in household appliances like the fan,
food mixers, electric drills and even in hard disks and
DVD drives.
• They work on the principles of the magnetic effects of
a current (Unit 21: Electromagnetism).
 Unit 19.1: Uses of Electricity
Key Ideas
1. Electric kettles, ovens and heaters make use of the
heating effect of electricity to function.

2. An electric current is passed through the heating element

(nichrome) in the appliance, causing thermal energy to be
generated.
 Unit 19.1: Uses of Electricity

Test Yourself 19.1

1. Give two examples of household appliances that use the
heating effect of a current.

Answer:

Electric kettle and electric iron

 Unit 19.1: Uses of Electricity
Test Yourself 19.1
2. What other types of lamps have you encountered other than filament
and fluorescent lamps? Do you know which type is more efficient in
converting electrical energy to light energy?
Answer:
Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are efficient light sources.

A torch and the traffic lights use group of LEDs

instead of filament bulbs.
 electric power and energy
2. Heating effect of an electric current

higher
potential
gain in chemical
potential energy
energy loss in heat
potential energy
energy

kinetic energy, etc

ƒ in a closed electrical circuit, chemical energy in a cell

generates electrical charge at a higher potential
ƒ when electric charge flows from a higher to a lower
potential, energy is released in the form of heat
through a resistor
 electric power and energy
3. Calculation of electrical energy
ƒ a volt is defined as the potential difference across a
component such that one joule of work is done in taking
one coulomb of charge from one point to the other
ƒ one joule of energy is released is one coulomb of electric
charge flows through a potential difference of one volt

From J Q
Q== It
It
V=
previous C
topic:

V2
E
E== VIt
VIt E
E== II22Rt
Rt E
E== tt
R
 Unit 19.2: Measuring Electrical Energy

Eg 1

A flashlight bulb is connected to a 3.0 V battery of negligible

internal resistance. The ammeter shows a reading of 0.70 A.
What is the electrical power used by the bulb?
Solution:
Given V = 3.0 V, I = 0.70 A.
Then the power P of the lamp is P = VI
= 3.0 × 0.70
= 2.1 W
Hence, electrical power used is 2.1 W.
Eg. 2
Calculate the electrical energy consumed by a
i. 2.5 V, 0.02 A bulb for 100s,
ii. 60 W, 240 V electric iron for 20 minutes,
iii. 4 kΩ immersion electric heater of current 2.3 A
for 3 hours.

Solution:

i. E = VIt
E = 2.5 x 0.02 x 100
E = 5J
Eg. 2
Calculate the electrical energy consumed by a
i. 2.5 V, 0.02 A bulb for 100s,
ii. 60 W, 240 V electric iron for 20 minutes,
iii. 4 kΩ immersion electric heater of current 2.3 A
for 3 hours.
Solution:
ii. E = VIt seconds
E = Pt
E = 60 x (20 x 60)
E = 72 kJ.
Eg. 2
Calculate the electrical energy consumed by a
i. 2.5 V, 0.02 A bulb for 100s,
ii. 60 W, 240 V electric iron for 20 minutes,
iii. 0.1 kΩ immersion electric heater of current
2.4 A for 3 hours.
seconds
Solution:

iii. E = I2Rt
E = (2.4)2 x 100 x (3 x 60 x 60)
E = 6.22 MJ
 electric power and energy
4. Electrical power
ƒ is the rate at which energy is released
E V2
PP =
= PP =
= VI
VI PP =
= II22R
R PP =
=
t R

ƒ has a SI
SI unit
unit of
of watt
watt (W)
(W) or
or joule
joule per
per second
second (J -1)
(J ss-1
ƒ other commonly used units include the milliwatt, kilowatt
and megawatt
ƒ all electrical appliances should indicate the correct working
voltage and power consumption needed to use it.
ƒ One unit of
of electrical
electrical energy
energy =
=11 kWh
kWh
= 1 kW x 1 hour
= 1000 x 3600s
= 3,600,000 J
 electric power and energy
measuring electricity consumption
ƒ has a unit of kilowatt-hour (kWh)
ƒ 1 kWh is the energy used by 1 kW electrical appliance in
an hour
ƒ Cost of electrical energy = units of electricity used x cost
per unit

electric meter
Eg. 3
An electric fire is labelled 5 kW, 240 V. Calculate
i. the current in the heater,
ii. the resistance of the heater,
iii. the cost of using the electric fire for 4 hours if the
electricity costs 15 cents per unit.

Solution:

i. P = VI
5000 = 240 x I
I = 20.8 A
Eg. 3
An electric fire is labelled 5 kW, 240 V. Calculate
i. the current in the heater,
ii. the resistance of the heater,
iii. the cost of using the electric fire for 4 hours if the
electricity costs 15 cents per unit.

Solution:

ii. V = RI
240 = R x 20.8
R = 11.5 Ω
 Eg. 3
An electric fire is labelled 5 kW, 240 V. Calculate
i. the current in the heater,
ii. the resistance of the heater,
iii. the cost of using the electric fire for 4 hours if the
electricity costs 15 cents per unit.

Solution:

iii. Cost of Energy = VIt x cost per unit

= 5 x 4 x 0.15
= $3.00
Eg. 4
A filament lamp, rated as 60 W, 240 V, is connected to a
240 V power supply. Find
(a) the current flowing through the lamp,
(b) the resistance of the filament, and
(c) the energy produced by the lamp when it is switched
on for 8 hours.
 Eg. 4
Solution:
Given P = 60 W and V = 240 V,
(a) The current I is I = P/V = 60/240 = 0.25 A
(b) The resistance R of the filament is P = V2/R
i.e. R = V2/P = 2402/60 = 960 Ω
Or R can be calculated from R = V/I = 240/0.25 = 960 Ω
(c) Converting time t of 8 hours into seconds gives
8 × 60 × 60 = 2.88 × 104 s
Hence the electrical energy E used up when the lamp is
switched on for 8 hours is
E = P × t = 60 × 2.88 × 104 = 1.73 × 106 J = 1.73 MJ
 Calculating the cost of electricity consumption
• The cost of electricity consumed is calculated based on the
number of kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electrical energy used.

• One kilowatt-hour (kWh) is the amount of electrical energy

used by 1 kW device in one hour.

Copyright © 2006-2011 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. 5 April 2011
Eg.5
A 1.5 kW electrical heated is used to heat a large
container of water for 2 hours. Calculate the amount
of electrical energy used by the heater in (a) kWh,
(b) J.
Solution:
Given P = 1.5 kW, t = 2 hrs
(a) Energy used E (in kWh) = P × t
= 1.5 × 2 = 3.0 kWh
(b) E (in J) = P × t
= 1500 × (2 × 60 × 60) = 1.08 × 107 J
Electrical bill…
Eg. 6
Figure shows a utilities bill of a household for one month. How is
the cost of electricity shown in the bill derived?
Solution:
From Figure 19.12, under the heading ‘Electricity Services’, the
number of units of electricity consumed is 112 kWh at a rate of
$0.1957 (or 19.57 cents per kWh).

Therefore, the cost of electricity consumption is

112 × $0.1957 = $21.92
which is correctly indicated in the last column of the bill.
 Test Yourself 19.2
1. (a) A 240 V mains power supply delivers a current of 9.0 A through
an air-conditioner. Find the power supplied in watts.
(b) An air-conditioner is used for 1.5 hours each day. Using the
answer in (a), given that the electricity tariff is $0.18 per kWh,
calculate the cost of using the air-conditioner in a month (30 days).
Answer:
(a) P = VI
= 240×9.0
= 2.16 kW
(b) Total cost = 2.16 × 1.5 × 0.18 × 30
= $17.50

Copyright © 2006-2011 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. 5 April 2011
5. Dangers of electricity
Two major dangers when using electricity
ƒ risk of an electric shock
ƒ risk of fire
Dangers are caused by
ƒ the use of electrical wires with damaged insulation
ƒ the overheating of cables
ƒ touching electrical appliances with wet hands
 dangers of electricity
a. damaged insulation
The insulation of a wire protects us because:
ƒ an exposed live
wire can
electrocute
someone who
accidentally
touches it
ƒ live and neutral
wires may come
into contact in a
short circuit,
causing a large
current to flow
and ignite a fire
exposed electrical wire
 dangers of electricity
b. overheating of cables
ƒ as resistance is inversely
proportional to the cross-sectional
area, a thin wire possesses high
resistance
ƒ thin wires produce more heat which
heat up the wires faster
ƒ thin wires damage the wire
insulations and may cause a fire
ƒ thin wires are used for electrical
appliances which need low power
e.g. lamps and radios
ƒ thick wires are used for appliances
which require high power e.g.
electric irons and kettles
 dangers of electricity
c. Overheating of cables
ƒ if too many electrical
appliances were used at the
same time, the total power
drawn by them through the
electric cable from the
mains supply may be very
large
ƒ cable
cable becomes
becomes overloaded
overloaded
and overheated, which may
result in a fire
 dangers of electricity
d. Damp conditions
ƒ dry skin has a resistance of 100 000 Ω or more
ƒ size of current which flows through a human body depends
on the voltage and the electrical resistance of the body
ƒ wet skin lowers resistance of human body
ƒ water especially with sweat, contains salts of good
conductibility may cause resistance to fall to a few hundred
ohms

• For example, if a hair dryer with the main power

switched on happened to fall into a bathtub while a
person is bathing, the person may get electrocuted.
• The water provides a conducting path for a large
current to flow.
 Unit 19.3: Dangers of Electricity
Test Yourself 19.3
1. State the danger caused by the following conditions:
(a) Damaged insulation
(b) Overheating of cables
(c) Using electrical devices in damp conditions.
Answer:
(a) Damaged insulation may cause the live wire to be exposed and when
touched, can cause severe electric shock to the user and may lead to severe
injuries or even death.
(b) Overheating of cables may damage the insulation and may cause a fire.
(c) Water provides a conducting path for current to flow and thus a person can
get electrocuted.
 safe use of electricity in the home
6a. Electricity in the home
Electricity is supplied to the house through the mains cable
which consists
consists of live wire and a neutral wire
of aa live
ƒ the mains cable is consumer unit
connected to a mains
fuse, an electricity meter
and consumer unit
ƒ a live wire allows current
to flow through; has a main
certain potential switch

ƒ a neutral wire is at zero

potential electric
meter

mains
fuse
circuit showing how electricity
is supplied to the home live neutral
 Unit 19.4: Safe Use of Electricity at Home

Figure 19.18 Typical home circuitry pp 383

Copyright © 2006-2011 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. 5 April 2011
Safety features installed at home for safe use of electricity:
a. Circuit breakers
b. Fuses
c. Correct placement of switch in the circuit
d. Three-pin plug
e. Earth wire
f. Double insulation of certain appliances
 Unit 19.4: Safe Use of Electricity at Home

a. Circuit breakers
• These are safety devices that can switch off the electrical
supply when there is excessive current in the circuit.

Figure 19.19 Circuit breaker

Copyright © 2006-2011 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. 5 April 2011
 Unit 19.4: Safe Use of Electricity at Home

a. Circuit breakers
• Two circuit breakers that can be found near the front door
of a house:
(a)The Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB)
(b)The Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker (ELCB) or the
Residual Current Detector (RCD)
• The MCB prevents excessive current flow through the
circuit by tripping or breaking it.
• The ELCB monitors the amount of current flowing from
the live wire. The ELCB detects small current leakages
from the live wire to the earth wire. When this happens,
the current in the live wire will be greater than the neutral
wire, causing the ELCB to ‘trip’.
b. Fuses
A fuse is a short, thin piece of wire that heats up and melts when
EXCESSIVE current flowing through it, i.e. higher than its rating.
Fuses protect the house circuits (electrical appliances) from damage due
to too large a current or overloading.
Fuses come in 1A, 2A, 5A , 10A and 13A.

Figure 19.20 A glass

cartridge fuse contains a
thin metal wire which melts
when excessive current
flows through it.
 safe use of electricity in the home
fuse
ƒ protects electrical appliances from damage when excessive
current flows through
ƒ fuse ratings: choose a fuse which can take a current
slightly larger than the maximum current that can pass
through the electrical appliance before it overheats ..

ceramic metal contacts

insulator

ceramic
5A fuse
plastic tube
wire
base
fuse wire
soldered
to ends

fuse wire in a fuse cartridge fuse

ƒFor example a 5 A fuse is used for a lighting circuit that uses 4 A.

 Unit 19.4: Safe Use of Electricity at Home

b. Fuses
• A fuse should be connected to the live wire so that the
appliance will not become charged after the fuse has
melted due to an overflow of current.
• Before you change a fuse, always switch off the mains
power supply.
 Unit 19.4: Safe Use of Electricity at Home

Eg. 7
A hot water heated is rated 2880 W, 240 V. Calculate the
operating current and suggest a suitable rating for a fuse to
protect the heater from overheating.
Solution:
Given: Power of heater P = 2880 W, voltage V = 240 V
Let the operating current be I.
P = VI, then I = P/V = 2880/240 = 12 A
The current I in the water heater is 12 A. A suitable fuse is
one with a fuse rating that is slightly higher than the current
flowing through the device. Thus a 13 A fuse would be
suitable for the water heater.
 safe use of electricity in the home
c. switches
ƒ are used to turn electrical appliances on or off

wire to electrical
live wire appliance

earth wire

electric contact
knob
cam
springy metal

wall switch
 safe use of electricity in the home
switches
ƒ two way switches can be used to control a single lamp

lamp

neutral

240 V supply

live fuse
electric
contact
two-way switches
springy
metal
 Unit 19.4: Safe Use of Electricity at Home
c. Switches
• Switches break or complete and electrical circuit.
• If the switch is fitted onto the neutral wire, the appliance
will be ‘live’ even if the switch if ‘off’.

Figure 19.23 Incorrect: The switch is fitted on the neutral wire

 Unit 19.4: Safe Use of Electricity at Home

c. Switches
• Switches must be fitted onto the live wire so that
switching off disconnects the high voltage from an
appliance.

Figure 19.24 Correct: The switch is fitted on the live wire

 safe use of electricity in the home
c. Switches and fuses in a circuit
Switches and fuses must always be wired into the ‘live’ wire
of the household circuit.
When the switch is off
or fuse has ‘blown’, the
exposed ‘live’ wire of
the socket can be
safely touched because switch
lamp
the flow of current has
been cut off.
live
fuse

neutral
 safe use of electricity in the home
switches and fuses in a circuit

neutral
live live neutral
(off)
(on)

correct incorrect
d. 3- pin plugs

Underline:
Live Brown
Neutral Blue
Earth Yellow with green stripes
 Unit 19.4: Safe Use of Electricity at Home

d. Plugs and sockets

• A fused plug is used to connect appliances to the mains supply
via the power socket.

Figure 19.26 A fused (safety) plug

• Inside the plug, there is a cartridge fuse that blows and breaks
the circuit when excessive current flows in the appliance.
 safe use of electricity in the home
d. Three-pin plugs
The power circuits
circuits join
join all
all the
the sockets
sockets around
around the
the walls
walls of
of aa
house to the mains supply through a wiring system called a
ring circuit. In this circuit, there are two possible paths
through which the current can flow.

earth
neutral
live
 safe use of electricity in the home
wiring a 3-pin plug
ƒ live wire: brown neutral

ƒ neutral wire: blue

ƒ earth wire: yellow and green
(or just green)
ƒ coloured wires should be
connected correctly to their
earth live
respective pins
ƒ ensure that a fuse of the
correct value is fitted
 safe use of electricity in the home
e. Earthing metal cases
ƒ an earth wire serves as
a safety device
incorporated in the
power circuit to prevent
electric shocks
ƒ joined to the earthing
case (metal case or through an error, the
chassis of an appliance) metal case of the
kettle is not earthed

if someone happens
to touch the kettle,
current can flow
through his body to
the earth, giving him
an electric shock
 safe use of electricity in the home
earthing metal cases

fault causes live wire to

be in electrical contact
with the metal case

fuse

heating
element
 Unit 19.4: Safe Use of Electricity at Home

e. Earthing
• The earth wire (green and yellow) is a low-resistance wire
and is usually connected to the metal casing of the
appliance.
• Earthing prevents users from getting an electric shock if the
live wire is not properly connected and touches the metal
casing of the appliance.

5 April 2011
 safe use of electricity in the home
e. Why is earthing not required?
Inside a house, there are a few lighting circuits and power
circuits. Each circuit has its own fuse in the consumer unit.
Lighting circuits
ƒ have their own fuse in the consumer unit
ƒ seldom carry more than 1A of current; little heat
produced, therefore thin cables are used.
ƒ There is no metal parts exposed. (Insulation?)
 safe use of electricity in the home
f. Double insulation
Some electrical appliances (e.g.hair dryers, electric shavers
and television sets) connected to power circuits are not
earthed by having only a 2-pin plug (live and neutral wires).
ƒ double insulation is used
ƒ live electrical components
are carefully shielded and
isolated from the user
ƒ accessible metal parts
cannot become live unless
two independent layers of
insulation fail

symbol for double insulation

 Unit 19.4: Safe Use of Electricity at Home

f. Double insulation
• This is a safety feature in an electrical
appliance that can substitute the earth
wire.
• Devices that have double insulation
normally use a two-pin plug as only the
live and neutral wires are required.
• The electric cable is insulated from the
internal components of the appliance.
• The internal components are also
insulated from the external casing. Figure 19.29 This fan
has double insulation.
Notice the symbol for
double insulation on the
specification sheet.
Key Idea
1. Safety features of home electrical circuit:
(a) Circuit breakers. They serve two functions:
(i) To prevent excessive current flow through the cables, and
(ii) To detect small leakage current to earth.
(b) Fuses prevent excessive current flow through the appliance. The fuse is
always connected to the live wire.
(c) Switches are always fitted on the live wire.
(d) Three-pin plugs are used to connect appliances to the mains socket. The
plug contains a fuse within the case. It also connects the earth wire to the
appliance.
(e) The earth wire is connected to the metal casing of appliances. It provides
a low resistance conducting path for the current to flow to earth should the
metal case suddenly become ‘live’.
Test Yourself 19.4
1. What is the function of a circuit breaker? What is the
difference between the Miniature Circuit Breaker and the
Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker?
Answer:
A circuit breaker switches off the electrical supply in a
circuit when there is an overflow of current or leakage of
current.
The MCB breaks the circuit when the current flowing
through it is excessive but the ELCB detects small current
leakages to earth.
Test Yourself 19.4
2. Why do some appliances use a three-pin plug while
others use a two-pin plug?

Answer:
Appliances with double insulation may use a two-pin
plug.
Appliances that requires earthing will need to use a three-
pin plug.
Test Yourself 19.4
3. What is the function of a fuse? Where must it be
connected in a circuit?

Answer:
A fuse prevents excessive current flow through the
appliance. It is connected to the live wire.
Test Yourself 19.4
4. What is the purpose of the earth wire? Where must it be
connected?

Answer:
The earth wire provides a conducting path for current to
flow to earth and prevents the metal casing from
becoming ‘live’. It is connected to the metal casing of
appliances.
 Practical electricity

has may have requires flows in

Safety
Heating effect Hazards Wiring
precautions

is based on caused by using consists of

Power a) damaged • live wire

P = VI • fuses • neutral wire
insulation
• circuit breakers • earth wire
b) overheating
which gives • earthing metal
of cables
cases
c) damp
Energy • double insulation
conditions
E = VIt

expressed in

Energy unit
kWh