Insulators have valence shells that are more than half full of electrons and, as such, are tightly bound to the nucleus and difficult to move from one atom to another.

In the NM cable used for wiring homes, each cable has three wires inside a sheath with each wire covered in a different color of insulation to indicate its type. The wire with the black insulation is the 'hot' wire, white is the neutral wire, and the ground wire is either covered in green insulation or left bare.

Ohm's law specifies the relationship between voltage (V), current (I), and resistance (R) in an electrical circuit: V = IR.

Solved for current, I = \( \frac{V}{R} \) = \( \frac{60}{40} \) = 1.5 A

Direct current flows in only one direction in a circuit, from the negative terminal of the voltage source to the positive. A common source of direct current (DC) is a battery.

Resistance is opposition to the flow of current and is measured in ohms (Ω). One ohm is defined as the amount of resistance that will allow one ampere of current to flow if one volt of voltage is applied. As resistance increases, current decreases as resistance and current are inversely proportional.