BENC1008
Tutorial 2
Introduction in Electronics I – 9 April 2026
Ing. Jean-Marie Claes
Tutors :
Ing. Jean-Marie Claes
Dr. Valerii Myndrul
Flavia Di Scala
Carolina Neves Lourenco
1
Ohm’s Law:
When a current flows THROUGH a resistor, there will be a voltage drop OVER the resistor.
or also
When you measure a voltage drop OVER a resistor, there will be a current flowing THROUGH
the resistor.
Ohm’s Law in a formula gives: Voltage V = I.R (in volt V)
Current I = V/R (in ampere A)
Resistance R = V/I (in Ohms Ω)
2
Series and parallel connection of components.
Components connected in series are connected along a single path, and the same current flows
through all the components.
Voltage 10V
To calculate the current flowing through the resistors, you can use Ohm's Law.
R1
But you should know the total resistance, connected to the power supply (10V)
R2
In a series connection : Rtotal = R1 + R2 + R3
Current I
R3
GND = Ground = 0V
3
Series and parallel connection of components.
Voltage 10V What is the voltage drop over resistor R2 = 2kΩ ?
R1
1k
Current I R2
VR2 = ?V
2k
R3
2k
GND = Ground = 0V
Are there different ways to get the answer?
What is the better way (in your opinion)?
4
Series and parallel connection of components.
What is the voltage of the power supply, connected to the circuit?
Power supply ? V
R1
2V
1k
Current I
R2
3k
GND = Ground = 0V
5
Series and parallel connection of components.
Components connected in parallel are connected so the same voltage is applied to each component.
To calculate the total current delivered by the power supply, you can use Ohm's Law.
But you should know the total resistance, connected to the power supply (10V)
Voltage 10V
In a parallel connection : Itotal = I1 + I2 + I3
R1 R2 R3 V V V V
= + +
I1 I2 I3 Rtotal R1 R2 R3
1 1 1 1
GND = Ground = 0V
Rtotal = R1 + R2 + R3
Helpful rules: the total resistance of a parallel circuit, is always smaller than the smallest resistor.
With identical resistors R1=R2=R3 … n resistors: Rtotal = R1/n
R1 x R2
For 2 resistors R1 and R2 Rtotal =
R1 + R2
6
Series and parallel connection of components.
What is the total current delivered by the power supply?
Voltage 10V
R1 R2 R3
1k 2k 2k
I1 I2 I3
GND = Ground = 0V
Can you calculate this in different ways?
7
Series and parallel connection of components.
What is the voltage over resistor R1?
Voltage 12V
R1
1k I1
R2 R3 R4
1k 2k 2k
I2 I3 I4
GND = Ground = 0V
Can you calculate this in different ways?
8
Diode and LED (Light Emitting Diode)
Anode A diode is a semiconductor component.
It’s property: it can conduct current flowing from the anode to the cathode.
D
The diode will block current that wants to flow in the opposite direction (so from the cathode to
the anode).
Cathode
When a (silicon) diode conducts current, it has a specific voltage drop of 0.7V.
Anode LED:
An LED does the same thing, except it also emits LIGHT.
When a LED conducts current, it has also specific voltage drop depending on the color of the LED.
Cathode
IR LED : +/- 1.1V
Red LED : +/- 1.8V
Green LED : +/- 2.1V
Blue LED : +/- 2.6V
White LED : +/- 3.2V
An LED cannot block a big voltage, more than 6V reversed polarized on the LED means, you
destroy the LED.
9
Diode and LED (Light Emitting Diode)
To connect a green LED correct to a power supply of 12V, you should connect a resistor in series.
The voltage will be divided over the resistor and the diode.
What value of resistor will you use?
Current through the LED 10mA
Voltage 12V
LED
Green
GND
10
Diode and LED (Light Emitting Diode)
Is this circuit you can adjust the current to a minimum and maximum current through the LED.
What is IMin?
What is IMax?
LED
Green
11
Charging of a capacitor over a resistor.
The charging process:
Current I
𝒅𝒒 𝒆𝒎𝒇 − 𝒕
𝑰= =( )𝒆 𝑹𝑪
Current I
𝒅𝒕 𝑹
R
+ -
Source
Switch
By combining the equation I with 𝑞 = 𝐶𝑉,
+ ++ ++
VC we find that the potential difference VC(t)
- - - -
emf -
C during charging is :
𝒕
𝒒
𝑽𝑪 = = 𝒆𝒎𝒇(𝟏 − 𝒆−𝑹𝑪 )
𝒄
This tells us that VC = 0 at t=0 ;
and that VC = emf when the capacitor is
charged as t goes to infinity.
12
Charging of a capacitor over a resistor.
Time constant 𝜏 (tau) => 𝜏 = 𝑹𝑪
𝒕
−
From equation 𝒒 = 𝑪. 𝒆𝒎𝒇(𝟏 − 𝒆 ) we can now see that at time t = 𝜏 (= 𝑹𝑪) the
𝑹𝑪
charge on the initially uncharged capacitor has increased from zero to
𝒕
−
𝒒 = 𝑪. 𝒆𝒎𝒇(𝟏 − 𝒆 𝑹𝑪 ) = 0,[Link]
In words, during the first time constant 𝜏 the charge (also VC) has increased from
zero to 63% of its final value 𝒒 = 𝑪. 𝒆𝒎𝒇
Current I
R Current I
+ -
Switch
Source
+ ++ ++
VC
emf - - - - -
C
13
Charging of a capacitor over a resistor.
What is the time constant 𝜏 (tau)?
R = 10k
Switch
Source
+
VC
10V -
C = 100nF
What is the voltage VC after 1 ms?
What is the voltage VC after 2 ms?
14
RC Filters
With an AC-source the same thing will happen, the AC voltage from the source gets divided
over the resistor and the capacitor.
The source will charge and discharge the capacitor continuous.
There will be a continuous (changing) current flowing in the circuit.
VR Because there is a continuous current I flowing and there is a
voltage VC over the capacitor -> the capacitor seems to have a
R (imaginary) resistance (Ohm’s law).
VSource
This ‘imaginary resistance’ is called capacitive reactance XC (Ω)
AC VC
∿
C
𝟏
With the formula 𝑿𝑪 = you can calculate the
𝟐𝝅𝒇𝑪
‘imaginary’ resistance a capacitor is giving to a certain AC voltage.
The capacitive reactance XC is depending on the frequency.
f = 0 -> XC = ∞ -> VC = Vsource and VR = 0
f = low -> XC = high -> VC = large and VR = small
f = high -> XC = low -> VC = small and VR = large
f = ∞ -> XC = 0 -> VC = 0 and VR = Vsource
15
RC Filters : What is the cutoff frequency?
At the cutoff frequency: R = XC
R
So the voltage drop over the resistor and the capacitor are equal.
VIn C 𝐕𝐨𝐮𝐭 Remember: when I = Imax -> VC = 0
I=0 -> VC = Vmax
The current, charging a capacitor, will lead the voltage over a
capacitor, there is a phase shift of 90° between I and V.
𝑉𝐼𝑛 = 𝑉𝑅 2 + 𝑉𝐶 2 𝑎𝑛𝑑 VR = VC
2
𝑉𝑅 = 𝑉𝐶 = 𝑉 = 0.707VIn
2 𝐼𝑛
VIn 1 𝟏
𝑅 = 𝑋𝐶 = → 𝐟𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐟𝐟 =
2π𝑓𝐶 𝟐𝝅𝑹𝑪
VC = 0.707VIn
VR = 0.707VIn
16
Filter circuit.
What kind of filter is this circuit?
R = 10k
C
VRMS = 1V AC VOut
100nF
How much is fcutoff?
What is the voltage VOut at 100Hz?
17