Chapter 1

Basic Electric Circuit Concepts

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 BASIC CONCEPTS
LEARNING GOALS

System of Units: The SI standard system

Systeme International unit (=International System of Units)
()

Basic Quantities: Charge, current, voltage, power and energy

Circuit Elements: Active and Passive

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http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/index.html

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 Information at the foundation of
modern science and technology
from thePhysics Laboratory of NIST

Detailed contents

Values of the constants

and related information
Searchable bibliographyon the constants

In-depth information on the SI

, the modern
metric system

Guidelinesfor the expression

of uncertainty in measurement

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SI DERIVED BASIC ELECTRICAL UNITS

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CURRENT AND VOLTAGE RANGES

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Strictly speaking current is a basic quantity and charge is derived. However,
physically the electric current is created by a movement of charged particles.

What is the meaning of a negative value for q(t)?

+ +
PROBLEM SOLVING TIP
IF THE CHARGE IS GIVEN DETERMINE THE CURRENT BY
DIFFERENTIATION
+ IF THE CURRENT IS KNOWN DETERMINE THE CHARGE BY
+ INTEGRATION

A PHYSICAL ANALOGY THAT HELPS VISUALIZE ELECTRIC

q(t ) CURRENTS IS THAT OF WATER FLOW.
CHARGES ARE VISUALIZED AS WATER PARTICLES

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EXAMPLE EXAMPLE

q (t ) = 4 10 3 sin(120 t )[C ] 0 t <0

i (t ) = 2 t
+ + i (t ) = 4 10 3 120 cos(120 t ) [ A] e mA t 0
+ FIND THE CHARGE THAT PASSES
i ( t ) = 0.480 cos(120 t ) [mA] DURING IN THE INTERVAL 0<t<1
+
1 1
2 x 1 1 1
q = e dx = e 2 x = e 2 ( e 0 )
q(t ) 0 2 0 2 2
1
q = (1 e 2 ) Units?
2
FIND THE CHARGE AS A FUNCTION OF TIME
t t
2 x
q(t ) = i ( x )dx = e dx

t 0 q(t ) = 0
t
1
t > 0 q ( t ) = e 2 x dx = (1 e 2 t )
0 2
And the units for the charge?...
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 Charge(pC)
DETERMINE THE CURRENT
10 1012 10 1012 C 9
m= 3
= 10 10 (C / s )
Here we are given the 2 10 0 s
charge flow as function 30
of time. 20
10

10 1 2 3 4 5 6 Time(ms)

Current(nA )
To determine current we
must take derivatives. 40
PAY ATTENTION TO 30
UNITS
20
10

10 1 2 3 4 5 6 Time(ms)
20
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 CONVENTION FOR CURRENTS
IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO INDICATE
THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF CHARGED
PARTICLES.
THE UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTED CONVENTION IN
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING IS THAT CURRENT IS
FLOW OF POSITIVE CHARGES.
AND WE INDICATE THE DIRECTION OF FLOW
FOR POSITIVE CHARGES
-THE REFERENCE DIRECTION-
THE DOUBLE INDEX NOTATION
IF THE INITIAL AND TERMINAL NODE ARE
LABELED ONE CAN INDICATE THEM AS
SUBINDICES FOR THE CURRENT NAME
a 5A I ab = 5 A
b

A POSITIVE VALUE FOR

a 3A b a 3A b
THE CURRENT INDICATES
FLOW IN THE DIRECTION I ab = 3 A I ab = 3 A
OF THE ARROW (THE
REFERENCE DIRECTION)

A NEGATIVE VALUE FOR

a 3A b a 3A b
THE CURRENT INDICATES I ba = 3 A I ba = 3 A
FLOW IN THE OPPOSITE
DIRECTION THAN THE
POSITIVE CHARGES POSITIVE CHARGES
REFERENCE DIRECTION
FLOW LEFT-RIGHT FLOW RIGHT-LEFT

I ab = I ba
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 a I = 2 A
I cb = 4 A
2A
I ab =
I
b c
3A

This example illustrates the various ways

in which the current notation can be used

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 CONVENTIONS FOR VOLTAGES
ONE DEFINITION FOR VOLT
TWO POINTS HAVE A VOLTAGE DIFFERENTIAL OF
ONE VOLT IF ONE COULOMB OF CHARGE GAINS
(OR LOSES) ONE JOULE OF ENERGY WHEN IT
MOVES FROM ONE POINT TO THE OTHER
b IF THE CHARGE GAINS
ENERGY MOVING FROM
a TO b THEN b HAS HIGHER
VOLTAGE THAN a.
IF IT LOSES ENERGY THEN
b HAS LOWER VOLTAGE
+ a THAN a
1C
DIMENSIONALLY VOLT IS A DERIVED UNIT
JOULE N m
VOLT = =
COULOMB A s
VOLTAGE IS ALWAYS MEASURED IN A RELATIVE FORM AS THE VOLTAGE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN TWO POINTS

IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT OUR NOTATION ALLOWS US TO DETERMINE WHICH POINT

HAS THE HIGHER VOLTAGE
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 THE + AND - SIGNS
DEFINE THE REFERENCE
POLARITY

V IF THE NUMBER V IS POSITIVE POINT A HAS V

VOLTS MORE THAN POINT B.
IF THE NUMBER V IS NEGATIVE POINT A HAS
|V| LESS THAN POINT B

POINT A HAS 2V MORE POINT A HAS 5V LESS

THAN POINT B THAN POINT B 14
 THE TWO-INDEX NOTATION FOR VOLTAGES
INSTEAD OF SHOWING THE REFERENCE POLARITY
WE AGREE THAT THE FIRST SUBINDEX DENOTES
THE POINT WITH POSITIVE REFERENCE POLARITY

V AB = 2V

V AB = VBA
V AB = 5V VBA = 5V

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 ENERGY
VOLTAGE IS A MEASURE OF ENERGY PER UNIT CHARGE
CHARGES MOVING BETWEEN POINTS WITH DIFFERENT VOLTAGE ABSORB OR
RELEASE ENERGY THEY MAY TRANSFER ENERGY FROM ONE POINT TO ANOTHER

BASIC FLASHLIGHT Converts energy stored in battery

to thermal energy in lamp filament
which turns incandescent and glows

EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT The battery supplies energy to charges.

Lamp absorbs energy from charges.
The net effect is an energy transfer

Charges gain Charges supply

energy here Energy here
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ENERGY
VOLTAGE IS A MEASURE OF ENERGY PER UNIT CHARGE
CHARGES MOVING BETWEEN POINTS WITH DIFFERENT VOLTAGE ABSORB OR
RELEASE ENERGY

WHAT ENERGY IS REQUIRED TO MOVE 120[C] FROM

POINT B TO POINT A IN THE CIRCUIT?

THE CHARGES MOVE TO A POINT WITH HIGHER

VOLTAGE -THEY GAINED (OR ABSORBED) ENERGY
THE CIRCUIT SUPPLIED ENERGY TO THE CHARGES

V AB = 2V

W
V= W = VQ = 240 J
Q

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EXAMPLE ENERGY AND POWER
A CAMCODER BATTERY PLATE CLAIMS THAT
THE UNIT STORES 2700mAHr AT 7.2V.
WHAT IS THE TOTAL CHARGE AND ENERGY
2[C/s] PASS
STORED?
THROUGH
CHARGE THE ELEMENT
THE NOTATION 2700mAHr INDICATES THAT
THE UNIT CAN DELIVER 2700mA FOR ONE
FULL HOUR

C s
Q = 2700 103 3600 1Hr
S Hr
= 9.72 103[C ] EACH COULOMB OF CHARGE LOSES 3[J]
OR SUPPLIES 3[J] OF ENERGY TO THE
ELEMENT
TOTAL ENERGY STORED
THE CHARGES ARE MOVED THROUGH A 7.2V THE ELEMENT RECEIVES ENERGY AT A
VOLTAGE DIFFERENTIAL RATE OF 6[J/s]

J THE ELECTRIC POWER RECEIVED BY THE

W = Q[C ] V = 9.72 103 7.2[ J ] ELEMENT IS 6[W]
C
t2
= 6.998 10 [ J ]
4 IN GENERAL
w (t 2 , t1 ) = p( x )dx
P = VI t1

HOW DO WE RECOGNIZE IF AN ELEMENT

SUPPLIES OR RECEIVES POWER?
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 PASSIVE SIGN CONVENTION ()
THIS IS THE REFERENCE FOR POLARITY
POWER RECEIVED IS POSITIVE WHILE POWER +
SUPPLIED IS CONSIDERED NEGATIVE

+ Vab P = Vab I ab a b
IF VOLTAGE AND CURRENT I ab
ARE BOTH POSITIVE THE
a b CHARGES MOVE FROM IF THE REFERENCE DIRECTION FOR CURRENT
IS GIVEN
I ab HIGH TO LOW VOLTAGE
AND THE COMPONENT
RECEIVES ENERGY --IT IS
A PASSIVE ELEMENT
EXAMPLE

+ Vab
A CONSEQUENCE OF THIS CONVENTION IS THAT
2A
THE REFERENCE DIRECTIONS FOR CURRENT AND
VOLTAGE ARE NOT INDEPENDENT -- IF WE
a b
ASSUME PASSIVE ELEMENTS I ab
Vab = 10V
GIVEN THE REFERENCE POLARITY
THE ELEMENT RECEIVES 20W OF POWER.
+ Vab WHAT IS THE CURRENT?
SELECT REFERENCE DIRECTION BASED ON
PASSIVE SIGN CONVENTION
a b 20[W ] = Vab I ab = ( 10V ) I ab
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REFERENCE DIRECTION FOR CURRENT I ab = 2[ A]
 UNDERSTANDING PASSIVE SIGN CONVENTION
We must examine the voltage across the component
and the current through it
I
A A

+ PS1 = V AB I AB
S1 V S2 PS 2 = V A'B ' I A'B '
B
B

Current A - A'
Voltage(V) S1 S2
ON S1 ON S2
positive positive supplies receives VAB > 0, I AB < 0 VA B > 0, I A B > 0
' ' ' '

positive negative receives supplies

ON S2
negative positive receives supplies V A'B ' < 0, I A'B ' > 0
negative negative supplies receives 20
CHARGES RECEIVE ENERGY. CHARGES LOSE ENERGY.
THIS BATTERY SUPPLIES ENERGY THIS BATTERY RECEIVES THE ENERGY

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE CONNECTIONS ARE REVERSED

IN ONE OF THE BATTERIES?

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 Determine whether the elements are supplying or receiving power
and how much.

a a
I ab = 4 A Vab = 2V
2 A

Vab = 2V I ab = 2 A

P = 8W b b
SUPPLIES POWER P = 4W ABSORBS POWER

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Determine the amount of power absorbed or supplied by the elements ?

1 1

2 2

V12 = 12V , I12 = 4 A V12 = 4V , I12 = 2 A

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 I = 8[ A]

+ +

V AB = 4[V ]

SELECT VOLTAGE REFERENCE POLARITY

20[W ] = V AB (5 A) BASED ON CURRENT REFERENCE DIRECTION
40[W ] = (5V ) I

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 V1 = 20[V ] 2A I = 5[ A]

40[W ] = V1 ( 2 A) SELECT HERE THE CURRENT REFERENCE DIRECTION

BASED ON VOLTAGE REFERENCE POLARITY 50[W ] = (10[V ]) I

WHICH TERMINAL HAS HIGHER VOLTAGE AND WHICH IS THE CURRENT FLOW DIRECTION

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 COMPUTE POWER ABDORBED OR SUPPLIED BY EACH ELEMENT

P1 = (6V )(2 A)

2 A + 6V P1 = 12W
P2 = 36W
+ + P3 = -48W
1
24V +
- 3 2 18V
P2 = (18V )(2 A)
2A
P3 = (24V )(2 A) = (24V )(2 A)

Tellegens theorem: the sum of the powers absorbed by all elements in an electrical
network is zero. Another statement of this theorem is that the power supplied in a
network is exactly equal to the power absorbed.

IMPORTANT: NOTICE THE POWER BALANCE IN THE CIRCUIT

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 CIRCUIT ELEMENTS

PASSIVE ELEMENTS

VOLTAGE
DEPENDENT
SOURCES

UNITS FOR , g , r , ?

INDEPENDENT SOURCES

CURRENT
DEPENDENT
SOURCES

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 EXERCISES WITH DEPENDENT SOURCES

FIND VO VO = 40[V ] FIND I O I O = 50mA

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 DETERMINE THE POWER SUPPLIED BY THE DEPENDENT SOURCES

40[V ]

P = (40[V ])(2[ A]) = 80[W ] P = (10[V ])(4 4[ A]) = 160[W ]

TAKE VOLTAGE POLARITY REFERENCE TAKE CURRENT REFERENCE DIRECTION

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POWER ABSORBED OR SUPPLIED BY EACH
ELEMENT

P1 = (12V )(4 A) = 48[W ]

P2 = ( 24V )(2 A) = 48[W ]
P3 = (28V )(2 A) = 56[W ]
PDS = (1I x )(2 A) = (4V )(2 A) = 8[W ]
P36V = (36V )(4 A) = 144[W ]

NOTICE THE POWER BALANCE

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 USE POWER BALANCE TO COMPUTE Io

12W

(6)( I O ) (12)(9)

(10)(3)

(4)(8) (8 2)(11)

POWER BALANCE

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I O = 1[ A]