CBSE CLASS 10 SCIENCE
ELECTRICITY
Complete Study Guide & Revision Notes
Original student-friendly notes • Concepts • Formulae • Solved numericals • Practice
Prepared as an independent study resource. Not an official CBSE/NCERT publication.
CBSE Class 10 Science • Electricity Study Guide • Page 1
, 1. Chapter Overview
Electricity is the study of electric charge in motion and the effects produced by moving charges. For Class 10,
focus on current, potential difference, resistance, Ohm’s law, combinations of resistors, heating effect, electric
power and electrical energy.
2. Key Definitions
Term Simple meaning
Electric current The rate at which electric charge flows through a conductor. I = Q/t.
Potential difference The work done per unit charge in moving charge between two points. V
= W/Q.
Resistance The opposition offered by a conductor to the flow of electric current.
Resistivity A property of a material that indicates how strongly it resists current. It
depends on the material and temperature.
Electric power The rate at which electrical energy is converted or consumed. P = VI.
Electrical energy The total electrical work/energy used by an appliance. E = Pt.
3. Electric Current
Electric current tells us how much charge passes through a cross-section of a conductor per unit time.
Formula: I = Q/t
I = current in ampere (A), Q = charge in coulomb (C), t = time in seconds (s).
Conventional current is taken to flow from the positive terminal to the negative terminal through the external
circuit. In metallic conductors, electrons move in the opposite direction.
4. Potential Difference
Potential difference between two points is the work done to move one unit of charge from one point to
another.
V = W/Q
The SI unit of potential difference is the volt (V). A cell or battery provides the potential difference that drives
charge through a circuit.
5. Ohm’s Law
For a conductor whose physical conditions, especially temperature, remain constant, current is directly
proportional to potential difference.
V∝I ⇒ V = IR
Here R is the resistance of the conductor. A V–I graph for an ohmic conductor is a straight line through the
origin.
6. Resistance and Factors Affecting It
Resistance depends on the nature of the material, length, cross-sectional area and temperature.
CBSE Class 10 Science • Electricity Study Guide • Page 2
ELECTRICITY
Complete Study Guide & Revision Notes
Original student-friendly notes • Concepts • Formulae • Solved numericals • Practice
Prepared as an independent study resource. Not an official CBSE/NCERT publication.
CBSE Class 10 Science • Electricity Study Guide • Page 1
, 1. Chapter Overview
Electricity is the study of electric charge in motion and the effects produced by moving charges. For Class 10,
focus on current, potential difference, resistance, Ohm’s law, combinations of resistors, heating effect, electric
power and electrical energy.
2. Key Definitions
Term Simple meaning
Electric current The rate at which electric charge flows through a conductor. I = Q/t.
Potential difference The work done per unit charge in moving charge between two points. V
= W/Q.
Resistance The opposition offered by a conductor to the flow of electric current.
Resistivity A property of a material that indicates how strongly it resists current. It
depends on the material and temperature.
Electric power The rate at which electrical energy is converted or consumed. P = VI.
Electrical energy The total electrical work/energy used by an appliance. E = Pt.
3. Electric Current
Electric current tells us how much charge passes through a cross-section of a conductor per unit time.
Formula: I = Q/t
I = current in ampere (A), Q = charge in coulomb (C), t = time in seconds (s).
Conventional current is taken to flow from the positive terminal to the negative terminal through the external
circuit. In metallic conductors, electrons move in the opposite direction.
4. Potential Difference
Potential difference between two points is the work done to move one unit of charge from one point to
another.
V = W/Q
The SI unit of potential difference is the volt (V). A cell or battery provides the potential difference that drives
charge through a circuit.
5. Ohm’s Law
For a conductor whose physical conditions, especially temperature, remain constant, current is directly
proportional to potential difference.
V∝I ⇒ V = IR
Here R is the resistance of the conductor. A V–I graph for an ohmic conductor is a straight line through the
origin.
6. Resistance and Factors Affecting It
Resistance depends on the nature of the material, length, cross-sectional area and temperature.
CBSE Class 10 Science • Electricity Study Guide • Page 2
