Chapter 2

Basic Laws

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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

2.1 Introduction
• This chapter will introduce Ohm’s law: a
central concept in electric circuits.
• Resistors will be discussed in more detail.
• Circuit topology and the voltage and current
laws will be introduced.

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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

2.2 Ohm’s Law

Resistance
• Materials tend to resist the flow of electricity through
them. This property is called “resistance”

l
R
A
Where, A: cross sectional area
l : length
 : the resistivity of the material in ohm-meters

Electric Circuits Chapter 2

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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

Electric Circuits Chapter 2

Ohm’s Law
• The relationship between current and voltage
for a resistor.

v  iR
v = the voltage in volt
i = the current in amperes
R = the resistance in ohms
G= the conductance in mhos

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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

Short and Open Circuits

• A short circuit is a circuit
element with resistance
approaching zero
v  iR  0
• An open circuit is a circuit
element with resistance
approaching infinity
v
i  lim 0
R  R

Electric Circuits Chapter 2

Linearity
• Not all materials obey Ohm’s
Law.
• Resistors that do are called
linear resistors because their
current voltage relationship is
always linearly proportional.
• Diodes and light bulbs are
examples of non-linear
elements

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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

Power Dissipation
• Running current through a resistor dissipates
power.
v2
p  vi  i R 
2

R
• The power dissipated is a non-linear function of
current or voltage
• Power dissipated in a resistor is always positive
• A resistor is a passive element, incapable of
generating power

Electric Circuits Chapter 2

2.3 Nodes, Branches, and Loops

• A branch represents a single element such as a
voltage source or a resistor.
• A node is the point of connection between two
or more branches.
• A loop is any closed path in a circuit.

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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

Network Topology
• Two or more elements are in series if they share
a single node and thus carry the same current

• Two or more elements are in parallel if they are

connected to the same two nodes and thus have
the same voltage.

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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

2.4 Kirchhoff’s Laws

• There are two laws:
– Current law
– Voltage law
• Kirchoff’s current law
– It states that the algebraic sum of currents entering a
node (or a closed boundary) is zero.
N

i
n 1
n 0
where, positive sign(+) : currents entering a node
negative sign(-) : currents leaving a node
–
 entering current   leaving current 12

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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

i1 + (-i2) + i3 + i4 + (-i5) = 0
i1 + i3 + i4 = i2 + i5

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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

• Kirchoff’s voltage law

– It states that the algebraic sum of voltages around a
closed path (or loop) is zero.

v
m 1
m 0

–
voltage drops  voltage rises

–
– -v1 + v2 + v3 - v4 + v5 = 0
– v2 + v3 + v5 = v1 + v4
–
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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

• Loop L1: VR1 + VR4 - V2 – V1 = 0

VR1 + VR4 = V2 + V1
• Loop L2:

• Loop L3:

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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

Example : Find vo and io in the circuit shown.

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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

Example : Find the currents and voltages in the circuit shown.

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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

2.5 Series Resistors and Voltage Division

- Applying Ohm’s law to both resistors - Combining the two equations:

v1  iR1 v2  iR2 v  v1  v2  i  R1  R2 
- If we apply KVL to the loop we have: - The equivalent resistance of the
two resistors:
v  v1  v2  0
Req  R1  R2

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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

N
R eq  
1
n
Rn  R 1  R 2  ...  R N

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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

Voltage Division

• The current through all the resistors is the same, so

using Ohm’s law:

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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

2.6 Parallel Resistors and Current Division

- When resistors are in parallel, the voltage drop across

them is the same
v  i1 R1  i2 R2
- By KCL, the current at node a is i  i1  i2
R1 R2
- The equivalent resistance is: Req 
R1  R2 21

Electric Circuits Chapter 2

- The voltage drop across the

equivalent resistance
iR1 R2
v  iReq 
R1  R2
- The current through each resistor:
iR2 iR1
i1  i2 
R1  R2 R1  R2
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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

k
1 1 1 1 1
    ... 
Req i 1 Ri R1 R2 Rk
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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

Example : Find v1 and v2 in the circuit shown. Also find i1 and i2 and
the power dissipated in the 12Ω and 40Ω resistors.

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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

Example : Find vo and io in the circuit shown.

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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

2.7 Wye-Delta Transformations

• There are cases where

resistors are neither parallel
nor series
• Consider the bridge circuit
shown here
• This circuit can be simplified
to a three-terminal equivalent

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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

• Two topologies can be

interchanged:
– Wye (Y) or tee (T) networks
– Delta (Δ) or pi (Π) networks
– Transforming between these
two topologies often makes
the solution of a circuit
easier
– The delta consists of the
outer resistors, labeled a,b,
and c
– The wye network are the
inside resistors, labeled 1,2,
and 3
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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

Delta to Wye R ac (Y )  R1  R 3
R ac ()  R b (R a  R c )

Rb Rc
R1 
Ra  Rb  Rc
Rc Ra
R2 
Ra  Rb  Rc
Ra Rb
R3 
Ra  Rb  Rc
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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

Wye to Delta
R1 R2  R2 R3  R3 R1
Ra 
R1
R1R2  R2 R3  R3 R1
Rb 
R2
R1R2  R2 R3  R3 R1
Rc 
R3
R a R b R c (R a  R b  R c )
R 1R 2  R 2R 3  R 3R 1 
(R a  R b  R c )2
R aR bR c

(R a  R b  R c )
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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

- Find the current i in the circuit.

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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

Example : Find the current and power supplied by the 40 V source in

the circuit.

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Electric Circuits Chapter 2

Example : Find the equivalent resistance at the terminal a-b in the

circuit.

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