Beginning Custom Projects with

Raspberry Pi
Currents and Voltages in a Circuit
Just Enough Electronics Theory
To understand interfacing to the real world
▪ Just enough electronics theory
▪ Not everything!
▪ We’ll step through several concepts and put
them together to gain understanding
We will start with the nature of
▪ Voltage
▪ Current
▪ How voltage and current relate to ohms
▪ Ground
This is all in the field of
▪ DC circuit analysis

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If You Could Only Read One Book
The Art of Electronics
by Paul Horowitz and Winfield Hill

▪ Hugely popular
▪ Widely referenced
▪ Clear explanations for all skill levels

▪ First edition 1980

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Let’s Start with a Model of an Atom
▪ Nucleus
Protons, Neutrons
▪ Electrons at outermost
Negative charge (Denoted e-)
▪ Electrons are loosely bound to the atom
Electrons swim freely between
atoms in conductors (metals)

(Wikipedia)

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 Like Charges Repel, Opposites Attract
We know electrons swim freely in conductors
Let’s add to our list of ideas
▪ Like charges repel
▪ Opposite charges attract

Imagine charges
swinging on
strings
- - - +

Like Charges Repel Opposite Charges Attract

Voltage is a measure of the strength of attraction or repulsion between the two points

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Imagine A Metal Bar In Which...
▪ The electrons could freely move between atoms and,
▪ All the electrons were mysteriously motivated to move leftward

- - - - - - - -

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Imagine A Metal Bar In Which...
▪ The electrons could freely move between atoms and,
▪ All the electrons were mysteriously motivated to move leftward

- - - - - - - -

Voltage

The net force motivating all of the electrons across the length of the bar is the
voltage between the ends of the bar. The unit of measure is the Volt.
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What Could Produce that Voltage?

- - - - - - - -

Voltage

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A Battery Produces A Voltage
▪ A battery stores chemical charge
▪ The force of motivation to move electrons relates to the battery voltage
▪ One AA battery has a voltage of 1.5 Volts (abbreviated 1.5V)

Higher - - - - - - - - Lower
Voltage Voltage

+ AA BATTERY
-

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A Battery Produces A Voltage
▪ If you take the metal bar away
the battery still has 1.5 Volts across the two terminals
▪ The force or pressure to push electrons to the opposite terminal is 1.5 Volts

1.5V 1.5V
Higher Lower
Voltage
than the
+ AA BATTERY - Voltage
than the
other end other end

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The Flow of Electrons
▪ If we replace the metal bar, electrons will flow through the circuit
▪ The rate of flow of electrons is measured in Amperes (abbreviated A)
▪ People often say “amp”

- - - - - - - -

+ 1.5V BATTERY
-

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Conventional Current
▪ By convention we say that current flows from high voltage to low voltage
▪ Even though the electrons are moving the opposite way
Direction of Current

- - - - - - - -

+ 1.5V BATTERY
-

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Current Always Flows in a Loop
▪ We can always follow the path of current around a loop
▪ There is the same amount of current all along the loop

Direction of Current

+ 1.5V BATTERY
-

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Current Annotations
▪ Since the current is the same all along the loop, we only need to annotate it once

Current of 1A (for example)

+ 1.5V BATTERY
-

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Resistance to the Flow of Current
▪ All real-world materials present some resistance to the flow of current
▪ Resistance is measured in Ohms (abbreviated with Greek letter omega Ω)
▪ There is a simple mathematical relationship between current flow and resistance

1A

+ 1.5V BATTERY
-

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Ohm’s Law
In words:
The flow of current (Amps) equals the pressure to move charge (Volts)
reduced by the resistance to current flow (Ohms)
For historical reasons, in Ohm’s Law
▪ Current is abbreviated with the letter I
▪ Voltage is abbreviated with the letter V (or less commonly E)
▪ Resistance is abbreviated with the letter R
In equations:
I=V/R or V = I*R (Multply both sides by R and cancel)
Another useful form is:
R=V/I (Divide both sides of second form by I and cancel)

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Ohm’s Law Example
Reminder: I=V/R V = I*R R=V/I
What is the resistance of the metal bar in Ohms?
R = V / I = 1.5V / 1A = 1.5Ω TIP: Use this method
when calculating a
The resistance of this metal bar is 1.5Ω current-limiting
resistor for a LED
1A

+ 1.5V BATTERY
-
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The Concept of “Ground”
Voltage is always measured between two points
“Ground” gives us an assumed reference point for one of the points
In a circuit schematic, we can note the ground reference point with the symbol

1A

+ 1.5V BATTERY
-
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Schematic Ground Connections
The circuit below is exactly the same as before, except drawn with ground points.
Current still flows in a loop.
Now we can talk about circuit voltages with the assumed ground reference point.

1A
0V

1.5V
+ 1.5V BATTERY
- 0V

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Summary
▪ Voltage, Current, Resistance
▪ Voltage (Volts, V)
Pressure on electric charges
▪ Current (Amperes, amps, A)
Flow of electric charges
Convention is from high voltage to low
▪ Resistance (Ohms, Ω)
Resistance to the flow of charge
▪ Ohm’s Law
Relationship between V, A, Ω
Use letters V, I, R (V=I*R)
▪ Ground
Reference point for voltage
Schematic symbol
▪ NEXT: Use this info to light an LED
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