Quantities of Electrical Engineering:

1. Charge is the property of matter which is responsible for

electric phenomena, measured in coulombs (C) in SI unit and
Stat Coulomb (Stat C) in cgs electrostatic system, (1 C = 3x109
Stat C).
Properties:
a. The coulomb is a large unit for charges.
b. According to experimental observations, the only charges that occur in
nature are integral multiples of the electronic charge e = −1.602 × 10−19 C.
c. The law of conservation of charge states that charge can neither be created
nor destroyed only transferred.

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2. Electric Current is the time rate of flow of charge, measured in
amperes (A).

The charge transferred between time t0 and t is:

It is conventional to take the

current flow as the movement of
positive charges, that is,
opposite to the flow of negative
charges

Electric current due to flow of electronic charge in a conductor.

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Types of current:
1. A direct current (dc) is a current that remains constant with time.
a. Unidirectional – when the current does vary somewhat in magnitude but does not
reverse in direction.
b. Continuous – is one which an energy transfer takes place uni – directionally.
c. Pulsating – is one which magnitude varies considerably and pulses regularly, there
being no reversal in direction.
2. An alternating current (ac) is a current that varies sinusoidally with time.

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 3. Voltage (or potential difference) is
the energy required to move a unit
charge in an electrostatic field,
measured in volts (V).

Where: v – potential difference (V) w – energy (J) q – charge (C)

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 Voltage Polarity:
Plus (+) and minus (−) signs are used to
define reference direction or voltage polarity

Types of voltage:
A. dc voltage - constant
voltage.
B. ac voltage - a
Point a is +9Vabove Point b is −9 V sinusoidally time-
point b (there is a 9-V above point a,
voltage drop from a to equivalently a − 9V varying voltage.
b. voltage rise from a
to b.

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4. Power is the time rate of expending or absorbing energy,
measured in watts (W), simply the rate of energy transfer.

Where: instantaneous power (p)- is a time-

varying quantity

Reference polarities for power using the passive sign convention:

Absorbing power Supplying power

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 The law of conservation of energy must be obeyed in any electric
circuit. p = 0.
Confirmed: + power absorbed = - power supplied.

5. Electrical Energy is the capacity to do work, measured in joules ( J)

Conversion: 1 Wh = 3,600 J

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 Sample Problems
(Taken from Fundamentals of Electric Circuits 3rd Edition and Basic Electrical Engineering, Third Edition,)

1. Find the current flowing through an element if the

charge flow is given by: q(t) = 5e−2t sin 100t μC.

2. The charge entering a certain element is shown in the

Figure. Sketch the corresponding current.

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3. The current flowing through an element is i(t) = 3t A, calculate the net
charge entering the element if q(0) = 0

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4. Find the charge q(t) flowing through a device if the current is: i(t)=20
cos (10t + /6) μA, q (0) = 2μC.
5. Determine the energy absorbed in 5m s if the current entering its
positive terminal is i(t) = 40 cos 4t A, and the voltage is v(t) = 30 cos 4t
V.
6. Figure shows the current through and the voltage across a device. Find
the total energy absorbed by the device for the period 0 < t < 4 seconds.

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