This document provides an overview of Lesson 1 of a technical training series on electricity from Arntech Security. The lesson aims to teach the basic concepts of electricity in a practical and theoretical manner. It covers topics like what electrical charge is and how it is formed, electric fields and their effect on charge, different types of electricity, and safety when working with electricity. The lesson introduces concepts like atoms, protons, electrons, conductors, insulators, static electricity, current electricity, AC and DC current. It emphasizes understanding these concepts in order to apply them to solving electrical problems.

1. Technical Training:
Series 1
ARNTECH SECURITY

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Arntech Security Technical Training Series 1 / Page 1
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HOW TO USE THIS WORKBOOK
Working through this workbook will equip you with a basic knowledge of
electricity. We will cover the terms that are used everyday in electrical and
electronics industries, as well as what these terms mean. We will look at how
you can use the concepts you learn here to apply them to your work, and we
will work through practical examples so you can practise what you have learnt
in a safe environment. Then you will have the confidence to solve problems
and make changes in your working environment. This will make you a valued
employee, who will be trusted more and more, and with more responsibility
comes a better salary. So, feel free to ask questions as we work through the
information and make sure that you understand each step of the way. This
training is to empower you, so use the opportunity to really learn from this
course.
There are four lessons in this series; the first two lessons will be the theory of
electricity and electronics, lesson three will be practical application of that
theory as we try out different experiments and work with circuits, and the
fourth lesson covers how this theory is applied in industry. As you start with
Lesson 1 and 2, make sure you understand it all, before continuing with the
more practical lessons 3 and 4.
The best way to study
To make sure that you get the full benefit of this series, we recommend that
you do the following:
 Read the section at the beginning of every chapter carefully. It provides
you with the learning outcomes for each of the lessons in this workbook.
The learning outcome is the knowledge that you need to have by the time
you have finished the lesson.
 Carefully and diligently work through each lesson, keeping in mind the
outcomes that you have to achieve.
 Make sure that you complete all the activities in the lessons.
 Make sure that you answer all the self-assessment questions in the
lessons. Compare your answers to those provided in this workbook.
 If you encounter any words that you do not understand, make a list of
these, and then either look up their meanings in a dictionary or ask your
tutor for their meanings.

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The symbols used in this workbook
We use symbols throughout this workbook to make it easy for you to see what
type of information follows. Read through the descriptions of symbols below,
and look out for them as you work through the workbook.
Icon Description

Specific outcomes and assessment criteria: This shows the specific outcomes of
the session, and the assessment criteria for these outcomes. You must be able to
show that you understand and can demonstrate these outcomes after you have
worked through the workbook. It is on this knowledge that you will be assessed.
 Definition: This shows an important definition of a term that you should understand
and remember.
Important statement: This shows an important concept that you must understand
before you continue with the rest of the lesson.
 Activity: This shows an activity that you need to do as part of your learning.
 Self-assessment questions: This signals the questions that will help you to analyse
your understanding of the theory that was covered in the lesson. We end each lesson
with a set of self-assessment questions.

Answers to self-assessment questions: This signals the suggested answers to the
self-assessment questions. Please do not look at the answers before you have tried to
answer the questions yourself.

Competence checklist: This signals a checklist to help you discover whether you can
meet all the assessment criteria in the lesson.

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 Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria
After you have worked through the content covered in this workbook, you should be
able to do all the tasks we have listed as outcomes below:
Specific Outcome 1: Understanding the basic concepts of current electricity in
both a practical and theoretical manner.
1.1 Understand what charge is and how it is formed.
1.2 Explain the concept of electricity.
1.3 Explain potential difference: what is it and how it affects current flow.
1.4 Understand conductors and insulators.
1.5 Differentiate between AC and DC current.
1.6 Learn how to work with electricity safely.
Specific Outcome 2: Understanding what circuits are composed of, and how
each part affects the flow of electricity.
2.1 Be able to identify various components on a circuit board.
2.2 Know the units used to measure different circuit elements.
2.3 Be able to calculate unknown measurements using known measurements.
2.4 Understand Ohm’s Law, and be able to calculate any of the variables.
2.5 Understand the effects of connecting cells and resistors in series and in parallel.
Specific Outcome 3: Understand the uses of electricity in some houses.
3.1 Understand AC current, as compared to DC current.
3.2 Know how fuses work and why we use them.
3.3 Gain a general understanding of electromagnets.
3.4 Compare the differences between AC and DC motors.
3.5 Explain how a light bulb works.
Specific Outcome 4: Know how different electronic devices are used.
4.1 Know what role is played by the following electronic devices:
 Inductors, Capacitors, Transformers, Rectifiers, Diodes, Regulators,
Relays, Transmitters, Receivers
4.2 Know which device is required to complete a specific function.
4.3 Be able to identify the devices in a practical application.

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LESSON 1: BASIC CONCEPTS OF ELECTRICITY.
 When you have worked through Lesson 1, you should be able to:
Understand the basic concepts of current electricity in both a practical
and theoretical manner.
To prove that you have achieved the outcome of this lesson, you must be able to do
the following:
1.1 Understand what charge is and how it is formed.
1.2 Explain the concept of electricity.
1.3 Explain potential difference: what is it and how it affects current flow.
1.4 Understand conductors and insulators.
1.5 Differentiate between AC and DC current.
1.6 Learn how to work with electricity safely.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to explain how electrical charge is
created by removing electrons from some atoms forming positively charged
ions, and by some atoms attracting electrons forming negatively charged ions.
You will see that in areas where an electric field force is exerted on a charge,
the charges will move by either being attracted to each other, or repelling each
other.
You will see how a potential difference of charge is built up, and how electrons
then move from an area of high electron concentration to an area of low
electron concentration. This movement happens along a conductor and is
known as electricity. Various substances allow electrons to flow through them
easily and are known as conductors, whereas other substances don’t allow
electrons to flow through them and are known as insulators.
You will find out more about the two different types of electricity, static
electricity and current electricity, and you will learn to differentiate between
the two types of current electricity that we use in our daily lives. These two
types are AC and DC current and it is important that you are able to
understand the differences between the two. You will finish off with reminders
on how to work with electricity safely, to prevent any nasty accidents.
We've provided you with a check-your-competence checkbox to tick at the end
of this lesson. When you tick the assessment criteria, you'll see what you've
achieved in this lesson!

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Introduction
Electricity is all about moving charge. In order to understand electricity better,
we need to understand what charge is, and how it is created. In this lesson,
we will look at the concepts of charge and current under the following
headings:
 Charge – what is it and how is it formed?
 Electric fields and how they act as a force on charge.
 Electricity – what is it and what different types do we find?
 Working with electricity safely.
You are in an industry where you work with electricity all the time. It is
important that you fully understand the basic concepts of electricity, in order
to apply this knowledge when you are solving more complex electrical
problems.
Let’s start by defining charge, the core concept to understanding electricity,
and then moving on to electricity itself.
Charge – what is it and how is it formed?
All matter is made up of atoms, and atoms in turn are made up of smaller
particles known as protons, neutrons and electrons. These sub-atomic
particles have different charges: protons have positive (+) electrical charge,
electrons have negative (-) electrical charge, and neutrons have no overall
charge. I am sure you have all seen this type of characteristic picture of an
atom:
Figure 1: An atom showing the nucleus and the electrons orbiting around the
nucleus.

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