Resistance, KVL & KCL

07.04.2022
 The ratio of potential difference (V)
Ohm’s Law between the ends of a conductor to the
current (I) flowing between them is
constant, provided the physical conditions
• When the temperature remains (e.g., temperature etc.) do not change.
constant, current flowing through
a conductor is directly
proportional to potential
difference across the conductor.
I αV
V
 Constant  R
I

Georg Simon Ohm (1787-1854)

Contd…
Contd…
 Resistors
The resistance R of an element denotes its ability to resist
the flow of electric current; it is measured in ohms Ω.

The direction of current i and the polarity of voltage v

must conform with the passive sign convention, as
shown in Fig. 2.1(b).
 This implies that current flows from a higher
potential to a lower potential in order for v = iR.
 If current flows from a lower potential to a higher
potential, v = −iR.
Picture Taken from: book by Alexander – Fundamentals of Electric circuits third edition
 Resistivity

where ρ is known as the resistivity of the

material in ohm-meters.
Good conductors - copper and aluminum -
low resistivities
Insulators - mica and paper - high
resistivities.
Table 2.1 presents the values of ρ for some
common materials

Picture Taken from: book by Alexander – Fundamentals of Electric circuits third edition
 Contd…

The value of R - zero to R = ∞ is known as an

infinity. open circuit,
An element with R = 0 For an open circuit,
is called a short circuit,
For a short circuit,
v = iR = 0
An open circuit is a circuit element
A short circuit is a circuit element with resistance approaching infinity
with resistance approaching zero
Picture Taken from: book by Alexander – Fundamentals of Electric circuits third edition
Picture Taken from: book by Alexander – Fundamentals of Electric circuits third edition
Contd…

 Not all resistors obey Ohm’s law.

 A resistor that obeys Ohm’s law is known as a
linear resistor.
 It has a constant resistance and thus its current-
voltage characteristic is shown in figure. Its i-v
graph is a straight line passing through the origin.
 A nonlinear resistor does not obey Ohm’s
law. Its resistance varies with current.
Picture Taken from: book by Alexander – Fundamentals of Electric circuits third edition
 Conductance

The reciprocal of resistance R, known as conductance and denoted by G

Conductance is the ability of an element to conduct electric

current; it is measured in mhos or siemens (S)
Class Poll

The prefix micro stands for:

A. 106
B. 103
C. 10-3
D. 10-6
Class Poll

The unit of current is: Which of these is not an

(a)coulomb electrical quantity?
(b)ampere (a) charge (b) time (c) voltage
(c) volt (d) current (e) power
(d) joule
Home work

1. An electric iron draws 2 A at 120V. Find its resistance.

2. The essential component of a toaster is an electrical element (a
resistor) that converts electrical energy to heat energy. How
much current is drawn by a toaster with resistance at 110 V?
3. In the circuit shown in Figure, calculate the current i, the
conductance G, and the power p.
Home work

1. For the circuit shown in Figure, calculate the voltage v, the

conductance G, and the power p.