Basic Electrical Quantities
Module 1 – Voltage, Electric Current, Power, Energy
and Circuit components
Learning After finishing this module, you are expected to:
Objectives
1. Differentiate Direct Current / Alternating Current
2. Know Electrical Circuit Components
3. Define and calculate Charge, Voltage, Electric
Current, Power and Energy
Topics 1.1. Direct Current / Alternating Current
1.2. Charge
1.3. Voltage
1.4. Current
1.5. Power
1.6. Energy
1.7. Electrical Circuit Components
Introductory Circuit Analysis, 10th Edition, Boylestad
Electrical Circuits Theory and Technology, 3rd Edition, John Bird 2007
Fundamentals of Electric Circuits, Fourth Edition, Charles A. Alexander & Matthew N.O. Sadiku
Warm Up
Give three things that you expect you will learn in this module.
1. _________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________
_____________
Answer the following:
1. ___________ is the time rate of change of charge, measured in
amperes.
2. ___________ (or potential difference) is the energy required to move a
unit charge through an element, measured in volts (V).
3. ________is an interconnection of electrical elements.
4. 1 Charge is equal to __________ C.
5. ________ and _______ are another terms for voltage.
1.0 Introduction
Electric circuit theory and electromagnetic theory are the two
fundamental theories upon which all branches of electrical engineering are built.
Many branches of electrical engineering, such as power, electric machines,
control, electronics, communications, and instrumentation, are based on electric
circuit theory. Therefore, the basic electric circuit theory course is the most
important course for an electrical engineering student, and always an excellent
starting point for the beginning student in electrical engineering education.
(Charles A. Alexander & Matthew N.O. Sadiku)
Engr. Christian S. Nabio | Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges
1
Basic Electrical Quantities
Definition:
Charge is an electrical property of the atomic particles of which matter
consists, measured in coulombs (C).
1 e (electron charge) = 1.602 x 10-19 C
b
Q = i dt (Coulombs, C) (1.1)
a
Electric current is the time rate of change of charge, measured in amperes (A)
𝑑𝑞 𝑣
𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 (𝑖 ) = = (1.2)
𝑑𝑡 𝑅
Two kinds of Electric Currents:
a. Direct Current (DC)
- is a current that remains constant with time
b. Alternating Current (AC)
-is a current that varies sinusoidally with time.
Figure 1
Voltage (or potential difference) is the energy required to move a unit charge
through an element, measured in volts (V).
𝑑𝑤 𝑤
𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒(𝑣) = = (1.3)
𝑑𝑞 𝑞
Power is the time rate of expending or absorbing energy, measured in watts
(W).
𝑑𝑤
𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 (𝑝) = = 𝑣𝑖 (1.4)
𝑑𝑡
Energy is the capacity to do work, measured in joules (J).
𝑡
𝑤 = ∫𝑡 𝑝𝑑𝑦 (1.5)
0
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Basic Electrical Quantities
Circuit Elements
There are two types of elements found in electric circuits: passive elements and active
elements. An active element is capable of generating energy while a passive element
is not. Examples of passive elements are resistors, capacitors, and inductors. Typical
active elements include generators, batteries, and operational amplifiers. Our aim in
this section is to gain familiarity with some important active elements. The most
sources that generally deliver power to the circuit connected to them. There are two
kinds of sources: independent and dependent sources. (Charles A. Alexander & Matthew N.O.
Sadiku)
Figure 2. Symbols for independent voltage sources:
a) Used for constant or time-varying voltage
b) Use for constant voltage (dc)
Figure 2
Example 1. Given q= (10-10e-2t) mC, find the current at t=0.5 sec
Solution:
𝑑𝑞
𝐼=
𝑑𝑡
= (10-10e-2t)/dt
= 0-10e-2t (-2)
= 20e-2t A
@ t= 0.5 sec
I= 20e-2t
= 20e-2(0.5)
= 7.36A
Example 2.
To move charge q from a to point b requires -30J. Find the voltage drop Vab if (a) q=
2 C, (b) q= -6 C
𝑑𝑤 𝑑𝑤
Solution: a. 𝑉ab = b. 𝑉ab =
𝑑𝑞 𝑑𝑞
𝑑𝑤 𝑑𝑤
= =
𝑑𝑞 𝑑𝑞
−30𝐽 −30𝐽
= =
2𝐶 −6𝐶
Engr. Christian S. Nabio | Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges
3
Basic Electrical Quantities
= - 15 V =5V
Example 3: How many coulombs are represented by these amount of electrons?
a) 6.482 x 1017
Solution:
= 6.482 x 1017 (-1.602 x 10 -19/ 1 e)
= -0.1038 C
[Link]
Watch this video explaining the nature of electricity.
Do it Yourself
Practice Solving the following problems.
1. The voltage across a resistor is 24 V. Find the power through the resistor if the
current is 2A.
Ans. 48 W
2. Find the charge q(t) flowing through the device if the current is i(t) = (2t +5) mA,
q(0) = 0.
Ans. t2 + 5t mC
3. A current of 3.2 A flows through a conductor. Calculate how much charge
passes through any cross-section of the conductor in 20 seconds.
Ans. 64C
4. The current entering the positive terminal of a device is i(t) = 3e-2t A and the
voltage across the device is v(t)= 5di/dt V.
(a) Find the charge delivered to the device between t=0 and t=2 s.
(b) Calculate the power absorbed.
(c) Determine the energy absorbed in 3 s.
Answers: a) 1.297C
b) -90e-4t W
c). -22.5J
Engr. Christian S. Nabio | Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges
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Basic Electrical Quantities
POWER:
Power is an indication of how much work (the conversion of energy from one
form to another) can be done in a specified amount of time, that is, a rate of doing
work.
The electrical unit of measurement for power is the watt (W), defined by
1 watt (W) = 1 joule/second (J/s)
In equation form, power is determined by the following formulas
𝑊
𝑃= 𝑡 (watts, W or Joules/second, J/s) (1.7)
𝑃 = 𝑉𝐼 (watts) (1.8)
𝑉2
𝑃= (watts) (1.9)
𝑅
𝑃 = 𝐼2𝑅 (watts) (2.0)
EXAMPLES:
Example 4. What is the power dissipated by a 15-Ω resistor if the current is 1.4 A?
Solution:
P =I2R = (1.4 A)2(15 Ω ) = 29.4 W
Example 5.
Find the power delivered to the dc motor of Figure 2.
Solution:
P = VI = (230 V)(8A) = 1840 W = 1.840 kW
Figure 2
Example 6. Determine the current through a 10-kΩ resistor when the power
dissipated by the element is 120 mW.
Solution: Modify eq. (1.8), solve for I:
𝑃
𝐼 = √𝑅
Engr. Christian S. Nabio | Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges
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Basic Electrical Quantities
120 𝑥 10−3
𝐼= √ 10𝑥103
I = 3.464 𝑥 10−3 , amp. = 3.464 mA
ENERGY:
For power, which is the rate of doing work, to produce an energy conversion of
any form, it must be used over a period of time. Energy is the capacity to do work.
The energy (W) lost or gained by any system is therefore determined
W = Pt (watt-seconds, W-s, or joules)
Since power is measured in watts (or joules per second) and time in seconds,
the unit of energy is the watt-second or joule as in eq. 1.9.
Energy (Wh) = power (W) x time (h) (2.1)
𝑃𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 (𝑊)𝑥 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 (ℎ)
𝐸𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦(𝑘𝑊ℎ) = (2.2)
1000
EXAMPLE 7. How much energy (in kilowatt-hours) is required to light a 50-W bulb
continuously for 30 days? Assume 24 hours per day.
Solution: eq. 1.11
24ℎ
𝑷𝒕 (50𝑊)𝑥( )𝑥30 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 36000 𝑊ℎ
𝑑𝑎𝑦
𝑾= = =
𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎 1000 1000
= 36 𝑘𝑊ℎ
Example 8. How long can a 50-W industrial LED lamp be ON before using more than
6 kWh of energy?
Solution:
𝑃𝑡 (𝑊)(1000) (6)(1000)
𝑊= ; 𝑡= = = 120 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠
1000 𝑃 50
Example 9. What is the cost of using a 2.5-hp motor for 4 hours if the rate is 11.86
peso per kilowatthour?
Solution:
746𝑊
𝑃𝑡 (2.5𝐻𝑝)𝑥( )𝑥 4 ℎ 7460 𝑊ℎ
𝐻𝑝
𝑊= = = = 7.46 𝑘𝑊ℎ
1000 1000 1000
𝑝𝑒𝑠𝑜
𝐶𝑜𝑠𝑡 = (7.46 𝑘𝑊ℎ)(11.86 ) = 𝑃ℎ𝑝. 88.47
𝑘𝑊
Engr. Christian S. Nabio | Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges
6
Basic Electrical Quantities
WORKSHEET No. 1
Name: _______________________________ Course/Year: ____________
Instructor: ____________________________ Rating: _________________
PROBLEMS:
1. If 620 J of energy are absorbed by a resistor in 10 minutes, what is the power
to the resistor?
2. The power to a device is 60 joules per second (J/s). How long will it take to
deliver 540 J?
a. How many joules of energy does a 5-W nightlight dissipate in 12 h?
b. How many kilowatt-hour does it dissipate?
3. Determine the current flowing through an element if the charge is given by
q(t) = 20e-4t cos 50t µC.
4. How long must a steady current of 1.5 A exist in a resistor that has 12 V across
it to dissipate 16 J of energy?
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Basic Electrical Quantities
5. What is the power delivered by a car battery rated 12-V if the charge flows at
the rate of 12 C/min?
6. A rechargeable flashlight battery is capable of delivering 85mA for about 12h.
a. How much charge can it release at that rate?
b. If the terminal voltage is 1.2 V, how much energy can the battery deliver?
7. How much energy in kilowatt-hour is required to keep a 200-W oil-burner
motor running 10 hours a day for 5 months? (Use 30 days permonth.)
8. How long can a 500-W heater be on before using more than 12 kWh of
energy?
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Basic Electrical Quantities
9. How much does it cost to use a 65-W LED TV for 8 h at 12.87 peso per
kilowatt-hour?
10. What is the total cost using the following loads at 12.87 peso per kilowatt-
hour?
a. 860-W air conditioner for 12 hours
b. 5500-W clothes dryer for 40 minutes
c. 450-W washing machine for 1 hour
d. 2500-W water heater for 35 minutes
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