SIMPLE DC CIRCUITS CALCULATION

Basic Formulae

V=IxR

P = I x V = I2 x R = V2 / R

Series Circuit Parallel Circuit

Current The current is the same in all The Total current supplied to the
parts of the circuit network equals the sum of the
currents in the various branches

I = I1 = I2 = I 3 I = I1 + I 2 + I3

Voltage The total voltage equals the The voltage across a parallel
sum of the voltages across the combination is the same as the
different parts of the circuit voltage across each branch

V = V1 + V2 + V3 V = V1 = V2 = V3

Resistance The total resistance equals the The reciprocal of the equivalent
sum of the separate resistance equals the sum of the
resistances reciprocals of the branch resistances

1 1 1 1
= + +
RT R1 R2 R3
R T = R1 + R 2 + R 3
R1 × R2
RT = (for two resistors only)
R1 + R2

1
Voltage Divider

Voltage division in series circuit

R1
V1 = V × ( )
R1 + R2
R2
V2 = V × ( )
R1 + R2

Current Divider

Branch current with two* resistors in parallel

R2
I1 = I × ( )
R1 + R2
R1
I2 = I ×( )
R1 + R2

(* the above formulae cannot be used for 3

or more resistors in parallel)

2
Example
1. Given R1=20Ω, R2=30Ω, R3 =12Ω, R4=10Ω, R5=5Ω, E=24V
(a) Total resistance RT
(b) Total current I
(c) Current passing R4

(a)
10 × 5
R4 // R5 = = 3.33Ω
10 + 5
RT 3 = R3 + R4 // R5 = 12 + 3.33 = 15.33Ω
30 × 15.33
RT = R1 + R2 // RT 3 = 20 + = 30.15Ω
30 + 15.33
E 24
(b) I = = = 0.8 A
RT 30.15
(c)
Current passing R3:
R2 30
I3 = I × = 0.8 × = 0.53 A
R2 + RT 3 30 + 15.33
Current passing R4:
R5 5
I4 = I3 × = 0.53 × = 0.18 A
R4 + R5 10 + 5

2. Given R1=100Ω, R3=200Ω, R4=1000Ω, R5=600Ω, E=100V. Calculate:

(a) Equivalent resistance RT;
(b) Voltage drop of R4.

(a)
R4 × R5 1000 × 600
RT = R1 + R3 + = 100 + 200 +
R4 + R5 1000 + 600
= 100 + 200 + 375 = 675Ω

R4 // R5 375
(b) V4 = E × = 100 × = 55.6V
RT 675