View Full Version : Electricity and Magnetism?
 
 What are the main concepts of electricity and magnetism?
What are the equations?
 tkrussell
May 8, 2010, 05:04 AM
Start here:
 
HyperPhysics (http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/hframe.html)
 
Click on the Electricity and Magnetism balloon.
 What are the main equations and when do you know how to use them?
 Unknown008
May 8, 2010, 11:22 AM
Well, I guess for your level, you have where V is the potential difference, I is the current, R is the net resistance and P is the power dissipated:
 
V = IR
 
P = IV
 
And deriving other equations from those two, we get:
 
P = I^2 R  and P = \frac{V^2}{R}
 
For the definition of an ampere, the rate of flow of charge;
 
I = \frac{Q}{t}
 
To define the magnetic force, the force acting on a charge q moving at velocity v at perpendicular direction with the magnetic field B;
 
F = Bqv
 
The force on a current carrying wire carrying a current I and of length L, perpendicular to a magnetic field B;
 
F = BIL
 
Are you looking for more specific formulae?
 Could someone explain the equation:
 
W=Pt=VIt=I[squared]Rt=V[squared]t/R.
Each part is equal to the other, I was just wondering if someone could more thoroughly explain this to me.
 
Thank's much!
 
 Unknown008
May 8, 2010, 08:35 PM
You know the definition of power? It's the rate of doing work, or 
 
P = \frac{W}{t}
 
Rearranging making Work the subject we get;
 
W = Pt
 
Now, in electricity, the power dissipated is given by: P = IV.
 
Replace in the equation for work:
 
W = IVt
 
Now, using Ohm's equation, V = IR, you first replace V by IR, giving:
 
W = I(IR)t = I^2Rt
 
or you replace the I by V/R, since I = V/R, to give:
 
W = (\frac{V}{R})Vt = \frac{V^2t}{R}
 
In other terms, if you have an appliance running at a certain voltage, or at certain current, and you know its resistance and the time it was working, you can find the electrical energy that it used, with that equation.