Basic Electrical Circuits

1 2/20/2013
Circuit Theory Laws
This presentation contains
• voltage, current,
• Conventional and electric current
• Ohm’s Law.
• Kirchhoff’s law
[Link]
[Link]
Active and passive components
combinations
[Link]
2
[Link] 2/20/2013
 Electricity – The Basics
An understanding of the
basics of electricity
requires the understanding
of three fundamental
concepts.
⚫ Voltage

⚫ Current
3 2/20/2013
 Voltage, Current
Current – Current is the rate of flow of
electrical charge through an electronic
circuit. The direction of a current is
opposite to the direction of electron flow.
Current is measured in AMPERES
(AMPS).
Andre Ampere
1775-1836
French Physicist

4 2/20/2013
 Voltage
Voltage – Voltage is the electrical force that
causes current to flow in a circuit. It is
measured in VOLTS.

Alessandro Volta
1745-1827
Italian Physicist

5 2/20/2013
 First, An Analogy
The flow of water from one tank to another is a good
analogy for an electrical circuit and the mathematical
relationship between voltage, resistance, and current.
Force: The difference in the water levels ≡ Voltage

Flow: The flow of the water between the tanks ≡ Current

Opposition: The valve that limits the amount of water ≡ Resistance

Force
Flow

6 2/20/2013
Opposition
 Anatomy of a Flashlight

Switch Switch
Ligh Ligh
t t
Bulb Bulb
D - Cell

Battery - +
Battery

Block Diagram Schematic Diagram

7 2/20/2013
 Flashlight Schematic

Current

Resistance

- + - +
Voltag
e
▣ Closed circuit (switch ⚫ Open circuit (switch open)
closed)
⚫ No current flow
▣ Current flow
⚫ Lamp is off
▣ Lamp is on
⚫ Lamp is resistance, but is
▣ Lamp is resistance, uses not using any energy
energy to produce light
8 2/20/2013
(and heat)
 Current Flow
⚫ Conventional
Current assumes that Conventional
current flows out of Current

the positive side of the

battery, through the
circuit, and back to
the negative side of
the battery.
⚫ Electron Flow is that Electron
the electrons flow out Flow

9 of the negative side of 2/20/2013

the battery, through

 Engineering vs. Science
⚫ The direction that the current flows
does not affect what the current is
doing; thus, it doesn’t make any
difference which convention is used
as long as you are consistent.
⚫ Since this is an engineering course,
we will use Conventional Current .
Electron Conventional
Flow Current

10 2/20/2013
 Conventional current

Both Conventional
Current and Electron
Flow are used. In
general, the science
disciplines use Electron
Flow, whereas the
engineering disciplines
use Conventional
11
Current. 2/20/2013
 Ohm’s Law
⚫ Defines the relationship between voltage,
current, and resistance in an electric circuit
⚫ Ohm’s Law:
At constant temperature Current in a
resistor varies in direct proportion to the
voltage applied to it and is inversely
proportional to the resistance.
V
⚫ Stated mathematically:
+ -
I R

Where: I is the current (amperes)

V is the potential difference (volts)
12 R is the resistance (ohms) 2/20/2013
 Ohm’s Law Triangle

V
I R

V
I R

V
I R

13 2/20/2013
 Limitations of Ohm’s law:
⚫ Not applicable for non linear
devices.
⚫ Eg. Zener diode.

⚫ can’t be applicable for non

metallic conductors.
⚫ Eg. Human body.

⚫ Holds good only at constant

14
temperature. 2/20/2013
 Kirchoff’s Current Law (KCL):
⚫ The algebraic sum of the
currents meeting at a junction in
a closed circuit is zero.
⚫ The sum of current entering
into the junction = the sum of
current leaving from the
junction.
⚫ ∑i=0 Gustav Kirchhoff
1824-1887
German Physicist
15 2/20/2013
 Kirchoff’s Laws
Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law (KVL):
The algebraic sum of all of the
voltage in a closed circuit is equal to zero.
(or)
total sum of potential drop in a circuit
=total sum of potential rise in the circuit.

∑v=0

16 2/20/2013
 Electrical Components
⚫ They can be either
o Active - energy
sources
o Eg. Battery, generator.
o Passive- energy
consumers
o Eg. Resistor, inductor,
17
capacitor. 2/20/2013
 RESISTOR
Resistance is the electrical property of which it opposes
the flow of current in an electrical circuit.
It is represented in ohms Ω

R=𝞺L/A

18 2/20/2013
 CAPACITOR
⚫ Capacitor is an electrical element
which stores energy in the form of
electrostatic field.

⚫ It stores energy during positive

half cycle and emits energy
during negative half cycle.

⚫ The average energy stored in a

19 capacitor is zero 2/20/2013
 capacitor
▣ Mathematical relation

.
▣ Where
i= current that in capacitor in (ampere)
C= capacitance in (farad)
= rated of change of voltage.
= rate of change of time in second

20 2/20/2013
 Inductor

❑ The behavior of inductor is associated

with magnetic field &electrical field

❑ It is a storage element.

❑ energy is stored in the form of

electromagnetic field.

❑ Its unit is Henry(H)

21 2/20/2013
 Where
V= voltage between inductor in (volt)
L= inductor in (Henry)
= rate of change of current flow in
ampere
= rate of change of time in second
Circuit
symbol:-

22 2/20/2013
 Series Circuits(end to end)

⚫ If the resistors are connected end to end.

⚫ Current is the same for all series components.

23 2/20/2013
 SERIES COMBINATIONS

24 2/20/2013
 Series Circuits
Characteristics of a series circuit
▣ The current flowing through every
series component is equal.

▣ The sum of all of the voltage drops

(VR1 + V R2 + V R2) is equal to the total
applied voltage (VT). This is called
Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law.
▣ The total resistance (R T) is equal to
25
the sum of all of the resistances (i.e.,
2/20/2013

R + R + R ).
 Disadvantages of series
combination

⚫ If any break takes place at any

point in a circuit there will not
be any current flow.

⚫ High Voltage cannot be

connected by this method.

⚫ Not practicable for residential

wirings.
26 2/20/2013
 Total Power in Series Circuits
⚫ The total power is the sum of the power
dissipated in each part of the circuit or:
⚫ PT = P1 + P2 + ...+ etc
⚫ P=VxI
⚫ P = I2 x R
⚫ P = V2 / R
⚫ Where p is power,
⚫ I is the current,
⚫ V is the potential difference,
⚫ R resistance
27 2/20/2013
 Applications of Series
Combination:
◼ Series combination is used in
lamps of low voltages are to be
operated on the main supply.

◼ E.g. Decoration lights.

◼ When a load of low voltage is

to be operated on a high voltage
supply, a fixed value of resistance
is connected in series with the
28 2/20/2013
load.
 Parallel circuits
⚫ One end of all the resistors are
joined to the common point and
the other ends are joined to other
common point.
⚫ Voltage source is connected
between the common points

29 2/20/2013
 PARALLEL COMBINATIONS
current (I) inversely
proportional to resistance (R)

30 2/20/2013
 Parallel Circuits
Characteristics of a Parallel
Circuit:
⚫ The voltage across every parallel
component is equal.
⚫ The total resistance (RT) is equal
to the reciprocal of the sum of
the individual resistors.

31 2/20/2013
 Advantages of parallel circuits

⚫ The electrical appliances of

different power rating may
be rated for the same
voltage.

⚫ It will not affect other

branches.
32 2/20/2013
 Disadvantages of parallel circuits:

⚫ For parallel Calculating

total resistance is quite
difficult.
⚫ Because,
⚫ Rp = 1 / RT = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3
+ ... Etc
⚫ they require more
33 connecting wires 2/20/2013
 Applications of parallel circuits
⚫ All electrical appliances are
connected in parallel.

⚫ Electrical wirings in cinema halls,

auditoriums

⚫ parallel combinations are used in

residential house wiring.

34
⚫ It is more efficient 2/20/2013
 Difference between parallel & series

Parallel circuit Series circuits

Current is different Current is same

Potential difference is Potential difference is

same different

More than one path for Only one path for

current flow current flow.
35 2/20/2013
36 2/20/2013
37 2/20/2013