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General Physics 2
Quarter 3 - Module 5
Direct-Current Circuits

Department of Education ● Republic of the Philippines

General Physics 2 - Grade 12
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 3 - Module 5: Direct-Current Circuits
First Edition, 2020

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 Senior High School

General Physics 2
Quarter 3 - Module 5
Direct-Current Circuits

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 Table of Contents

What This Module is About........................................................................................................................i

What I Need to Know...................................................................................................................................i
How to Learn from this Module................................................................................................................ii
Icons of this Module....................................................................................................................................ii

What I Know.................................................................................................................................................iii

THIRD QUARTER
Lesson 1: Resistors in Series and Parallel
What Is It: Resistors in Series and Parallel.............................................................1
What I Have Learned ....................................................................................................4

Lesson 2: Kirchhoff’s Rules

What Is It: Kirchhoff’s Rules.......................................................................................5
What I Have Learned ..................................................................................................8

Lesson 3: R-C Circuits

What Is It: R-C Circuits ...............................................................................................9
What I Have Learned: .................................................................................................12

Summary......................................................................................................................................................13
Assessment: (Post-Test) ........................................................................................................................14
Key to Answers...........................................................................................................................................15
References...................................................................................................................................................16
What This Module is About
This module demonstrates your understanding on the concepts of Direct-
Current circuits. It specifically discusses about Resistors in Series and Parallel,
Kirchhoff’s Rules, and R-C circuits.

This module will help you explore the key concepts on topics that will help you
answer the questions pertaining to direct-current circuits.

This module has three (3) lessons:

 Lesson 1 – Resistors in Series and Parallel
 Lesson 2 – Kirchhoff’s Rules
 Lesson 3 – R-C Circuits

What I Need to Know

At the end of this module, you should be able to:

1. Draw circuit diagrams with power sources (cell or battery), switches, lamps, resistors
(fixed and variable) fuses, ammeters and voltmeter STEM_GP12EM-IIIf-47;
2. Evaluate the equivalent resistance, current, and voltage in a given network of resistors
connected in series and/or parallel STEM_GP12EM-IIIg-48;

3. Calculate the current and voltage through and across circuit elements using Kirchhoff’s
loop and junction rules (at most 2 loops only) STEM_GP12EM-IIIg-49;

4. Solve problems involving the calculation of currents and potential difference in circuits
consisting of batteries, resistors and capacitors. STEM_GP12EM-IIIg-51;

i
How to Learn from this Module
To achieve the objectives cited above, you are to do the following:
• Take your time reading the lessons carefully.
• Follow the directions and/or instructions in the activities and exercises diligently.
• Answer all the given tests and exercises.

Icons of this Module

What I Need to This part contains learning objectives that
Know are set for you to learn as you go along the
module.

What I know This is an assessment as to your level of

knowledge to the subject matter at hand,
meant specifically to gauge prior related
knowledge
What’s In This part connects previous lessons with that
of the current one.

What’s New An introduction of the new lesson through

various activities, before it will be presented
to you

What is It These are discussions of the activities as a

way to deepen your discovery and under-
standing of the concept.

What’s More These are follow-up activities that are in-

tended for you to practice further in order to
master the competencies.

These are activities designed to process

What I Have what you have learned from the lessons.
Learned

What I can do These are tasks that are designed to show-

case your skills and knowledge gained, and
applied into real-life concerns and situations.

ii
 What I Know
.
Multiple Choice. Select the letter of the best answer from among the given choices.

1. Two 50-Ω resistors are connected in series. The equivalent resistance of the combination
is
A) 25 Ω. B) 50 Ω. C) 100 Ω D) 200 Ω

2. Two 50-Ω resistors are connected in parallel. The equivalent resistance of the
combination is
A) 25 Ω B) 50 Ω C) 100 Ω. D) 200 Ω

3. Three identical lamps are connected in series to a 6-volt battery. What is the voltage drop
across each lamp?
A) 2 volts B) 3 volts C) 4 volts D) 5 volts

4. Four identical lamps are connected in parallel to a 9-volt battery. What is the voltage drop
across each lamp?
A) 6 volts B) 7 volts C) 8 volts D) 9 volts

5. What happens to the total resistance in a network when more resistors are added to a
series circuit?
A) increases B) decreases C) remains the same

6. How many 4-Ω resistors must be connected in parallel to have a total resistance of 0.8 Ω?
A) 3 B) 4 C) 5 D) 6

7. Four resistors of resistances 3Ω, 4Ω, 5Ω, and 6Ω are connected in parallel to a 6-volt
source. What is the current through the 5-Ω resistor?
A) 1.2 A B) 1.4 A C) 2.2 A D) 2.4 A

8. In a series circuit with unequal resistances

A) The smallest R has the highest V
B) The largest R has the highest V.
C) The smallest R has the most I.
D) The largest R has the most I.

9. In a parallel circuit, the equivalent resistance is

A) Always greater than any individual resistance.
B) Always less than any individual resistance.
C) Equal to the sum of the individual resistance.
D) Equal to the sum of the reciprocals of their individual resistances.

10. Two resistors, R1 = 2.00 kΩ and R2 = 3.00 kΩ, are connected in parallel and their
combination is connected in series to a fully charged, 150-µF capacitor. When the switch is
opened, the capacitor begins to discharged. What is the time constant for the discharge?
A) 0.16 s B) 0.17 s C) 0.18 s D) 0.19 s

iii
 Lesson

1 Resistors in Series and Parallel

What is it

Most of the existing electric circuit that we see operate on more than one load. Those
circuits which have two or more loads are called multiple-load circuits. These loads may be
connected in series, in parallel, or a combination of these two connections.

Resistors in Series

Figure on the right shows three resistors connected in

series to an ideal battery with emf ε. This description
has little to do with how the resistors are drawn. Rather,
“in series” means that the resistors are wired after
another and that a potential difference Vab is applied
across the two ends of the series. In the figure, the
resistors are connected one after another between a
and b, and a potential difference is maintained across a
and b by the battery. The potential differences that then
exist across the resistors in series produce identical
currents I in them.

In general, when a potential difference Vab is applied across resistors connected in series,
the resistors have identical currents I. The sum of the potential differences across the
resistors is equal to the applied potential difference Vab. That is,

V ab=IR 1 +IR 2 + IR 3 =I (R 1 +R2 +R 3 )

V ab
=R 1 + R2 + R 3
I

V ab
The ratio is, by definition, the equivalent resistance Req. Therefore,
I
Req =R1 + R 2 + R3

It is easy to generalize this for any number of resistors:

Req = R1 + R2 + R3 +… (resistors in series)

1
Resistors in Parallel

The figure shows three resistors connected in

parallel to an ideal battery. The term “in parallel”
means that the resistors are directly wired together
on the other side, and that a potential difference
Vab is applied across the pair of connected sides.
Thus, all three resistors have the same potential
difference Vab across them, producing a current
through each.

In general, when a potential difference Vab is

applied across resistors connected in parallel, the resistors all have that same potential
difference Vab. That is,

V ab =I 1 R1 =I 2 R 2=I 3 R3

V ab V ab V ab
I1= I2= I3=
R1 R2 R3

The total current I is

I =I 1 + I 2 + I 3
For the equivalent resistance:

1 1 1 1
= + +
R eq R1 R 2 R3

Again, it is easy to generalize to any number of resistors in parallel:

1 1 1 1
= + +
R eq R1 R 2 R3 + … (resistors in parallel)

2
SAMPLE PROBLEMS:

1. In the circuit shown below, each resistor represents a light bulb. Let R 1= R2=R3=R4= 4.50Ω
and ε = 9.00V.
a) Find the current in each bulb.
b) Find the power dissipated in each bulb. Which bulb or bulbs glow the brightest?

Solution:

(a) Let us first determine the equivalent resistance Req of

the resistors connected in parallel.

1 3 .0
=
R eq 4 . 5 Ω . Taking the reciprocal gives Req =1. 5 Ω .

The resulting circuit after combining the three resistors (which are initially connected in
parallel) is a series connection, as shown below.

2.

The power rating of a resistor is the maximum power the resistor can safely dissipate
without too great a rise in temperature and hence damage to the resistor. (a) If the power
rating of a 15-kW resistor is 5.0 W, what is the maximum allowable potential difference
across the terminals of the resistor? (b) A 9.0 kΩ resistor is to be connected across a 120
V potential difference. What power rating is required?

Solution:

3
 What I Have Learned

Instruction: Solve the following problems neatly and completely in a one (1) whole sheet of
intermediate or yellow paper.

1. A 32.0-Ω resistor and a 20.0-Ω are connected in parallel, and the combination is applied
across a 240 V dc line.
(a) What is the resistance of the parallel combination?
(b) What is the total current through the parallel combination?
(c) What is the current through each resistor?

2. The circuit in the figure on the right shows a network of resistors

connected in series and in parallel.
(a) Determine the total resistance of the network.
(b) What is the current through the 3.00-Ω?

3. A triangular array of resistors is shown in the figure on the

right. What current will this array draw from a 35.0V battery
having negligible internal resistance if we connect it across
a.) ab;
b.) bc and
c.) ac?

4. In the circuit shown on the right, the rate at which R 1

dissipating electrical energy is 20.0W.
(a) Find R1 and R2.
(b) What is the emf of the battery?
(c) Find the current through both R2 and the 10.0-Ω
resistor.
(d) Calculate the total electrical power consumption in all
the resistors and the electrical power delivered by the
battery.

4
 Lesson

2 Kirchhoff’s Rules

What is it

Electric circuits that contain a number of resistors can often be analyzed by

combining individual groups of resistors in series and parallel. However, there are many
circuits in which no two resistors are in series or in parallel. To deal with such circuits, it is
necessary to employ methods other than series-parallel method. One alternative is to take
advantage of Kirchhoff’s rules which is named after their developer Gustav Kirchhoff (1824-
1887).

There are two rules, the junction rule and the loop rule. The junction rule is an application
of the law of conservation of electric charge to the electric current in a circuit. The loop rule is
an application of the principle of conservation of energy to the electric potential that exists at
various places in a circuit.

Kirchhoff’s junction rule: The algebraic sum of the currents in any junction is zero. That is,

∑ I=0 (junction rule, valid at any junction)

The Kirchhoff’s junction rule can also be stated as: the sum of the currents entering any
junction must be equal to the sum of the currents leaving that junction.

Figure 1. Kirchhoff’s junction rule states that as much current flows into a junction as flows out of it

5
Kirchhoff’s loop rule: The algebraic sum of potential differences in any loop, including
those associated with emfs and those of resistive elements, must be equal to zero. That is

∑ V =0 (loop rule, valid for any closed loop)

Sign Conventions for the Loop Rule

6
Sample Problem:

Find the emf’s 1

ε and ε 2 in the circuit below, and
find the potential difference of points b relative to
a.

Solution:

There are three (3) loops that we can make out

from the diagram. But we will only use two loops
out of the three. Let us assign loop (2) to the loop
consisting of the outside circuit elements only.

7
 What I Have Learned

In the circuit shown in the figure below, find

(a) the current in resistor R;
(b) the resistance R; and
(c) the unknown emf ε.

8
9
 Lesson

3 R-C Circuits

What is it

Many important devices incorporate circuits in which capacitors are alternately

charged and discharged. These include heart pacemakers, flashing traffic lights, automobile
turn signals, and electronic flash units. Understanding what happens in such circuits is of
great practical importance.

Charging a Capacitor

Figure (a) at the right shows a simple

circuit for charging a capacitor. A circuit such as
this that has a resistor and a capacitor in series is
called an R-C circuit. The battery is idealized to
have a constant emf Ɛ and zero internal resistance
and we neglect the resistance of all connecting
conductors.
We begin with the capacitor initially
uncharged (figure (a)); then at some initial time t =
0 we close the switch, completing the circuit and
permitting current around the loop to begin
charging the capacitor.
Because the capacitor is initially
uncharged, the potential difference vbc across it is
zero at t = 0. At this time, from Kirchhoff’s loop
rule, the voltage vab across the resistor R is equal
to the battery emf Ɛ. The initial current, at time t =
0, through the resistor, which we will call I0 is given
by Ohm’s law: I0 = vab/R = Ɛ/R.
As the capacitor charges, its voltage vbc
increases and the potential difference vab across
the resistor decreases, corresponding to a decrease in current. The sum of these two
voltages is constant and equal to Ɛ. After a long time, the capacitor becomes fully charged,
the current decreases to zero, and the potential difference vab across the resistor becomes
zero. Then the entire battery emf Ɛ appears across the capacitor and vbc = Ɛ.

( ) ( )
−t −t

q=CƐ 1−e RC =Q f 1−e RC R-C circuit, charging capacitor

−t −t
dq Ɛ
i= = e RC =I 0 e RC R-C circuit, charging capacitor
dt R

10
Time Constant

After a time equal to RC, the current in the R-C circuit has decreased to 1/e (about 0.368) of
its initial value. At this time, the capacitor charge has reached (1-1/e) = 0.632 of its final
value Qf = CƐ. The product RC is therefore a measure of how quickly the capacitor charges.
This product is called the time constant or the relaxation time of the circuit.

‫ = ז‬RC time constant for R-C circuit

When ‫ ז‬is small, the capacitor charges quickly. If the resistance is small, it’s easier for the
current to flow and the capacitor charges quickly. The unit of ‫ ז‬is in seconds.

Discharging a Capacitor

Now suppose that after the capacitor has acquired a charge Q0,
we remove the battery from our R-C circuit and connect points a
and c to an open switch. We then close the switch and at the
same instant reset our stopwatch to t = 0; at that time, q = Q0.
The capacitor then discharges through the resistor, and its
charge eventually decreases to zero.

−t
q=Q 0 e RC (R-C circuit, discharging capacitor)

−t −t
dq −Q0 RC
i= = e =I 0 e RC (R-C circuit, discharging capacitor)
dt RC

11
Sample Problem:

A resistor with resistance 10 MΩ is connected in series with a capacitor with

capacitance 1.0 µF and a battery with emf 12.0 V. Before the switch is closed at time t = 0,
the capacitor is uncharged.
(a) What is the time constant?
(b) What fraction of the final charge is on the plate at time t = 46 s?
(c) What fraction of the initial current remains at t = 46 s?

Solution:

(a) ‫ = ז‬RC = (10 x 106 Ω)(1.0 x 10-6 F) = 10 s

−t −( 46 s )
q ( 10 s )
(b) =1−e RC =1−e =0.99
Qf

i
(c) =e−4.6=0.010
I0

12
 What I Have Learned

1. A capacitor is charged to a potential of 12.0 V and then connected to a voltmeter having

an internal resistance of 3.40 MΩ. After a time of 4.00 s the voltmeter reads 3.0 V. What
are (a) the capacitance and (b) the time constant of the circuit?

2. A 12.4-µF capacitor is connected through a 0.895-MΩ resistor to a constant potential

difference of 60.0 V.
(a) Compute the charge on the capacitor at the following times after the connections are
mad: 0, 5.0 s, 10.0 s, 20.0 s, and 100.0 s.
(b) Compute the charging currents at the same instants.

3. In the circuit below each capacitor initially has a

charge of magnitude 3.50 nC on its plates. After the
switch S is closed, what will be the current in the
circuit at the instant that the capacitors have lost
80.0% of their initial stored energy?

13
Summary

Resistors in series and parallel:

When several resistors are connected in series, the equivalent resistance (or total
resistance) is the sum of the values of the individual resistance in the network. The current
flowing through all the resistors is the same.

Req = R1 + R2 + R3 +… (resistors in series)

Ieq = I1 = I2 = I3 = …

When several resistors are connected in parallel, the reciprocal of the equivalent resistance
is equal to the sum of the reciprocals of the individual resistances. The resistors in the
network draw the same voltage from the source.

1 1 1 1
= + +
R eq R1 R 2 R3 + … (resistors in parallel)

Vab = V1 = V2 = V3 = …

Kirchhoff’s Rules:

Kirchhoff’s junction rule is based on the conservation of charge. It states that the algebraic
sum of the currents into any junction must be zero.

∑ I=0 (junction rule)

Kirchhoff’s loop rule is based on the conservation of energy and the conservative nature of
the electrostatic fields. It states that the algebraic sum of the potential differences around
any loop must be zero.

∑ V =0 (loop rule)

R-C Circuits

When a capacitor is charged by a battery in series with a resistor, the current and capacitor
charge are not constant. The charge approaches its final value asymptotically and the
current approaches zero asymptotically.

( ) ( )
−t −t

q=CƐ 1−e RC =Q f 1−e RC R-C circuit, charging capacitor

−t −t
dq Ɛ RC
i= = e =I 0 e RC R-C circuit, charging capacitor
dt R

14
When the capacitor discharges, the charge and current are given as functions of time. The
time constant is the same for charging and discharging.
−t
q=Q 0 e RC (R-C circuit, discharging capacitor)

−t −t
dq −Q0 RC
i= = e =I 0 e RC (R-C circuit, discharging capacitor)
dt RC

15
 Assessment: (Post-Test)

Multiple Choice. Select the letter of the best answer from among the given choices.

1. Three identical lamps are connected in series to a 12-volt battery. What is the voltage
drop across each lamp?
A) 2 volts B) 3 volts C) 4 volts D) 5 volts

2. Three 50-Ω resistors are connected in series. The equivalent resistance of the
combination is
A) 25 Ω. B) 50 Ω. C) 100 Ω D) 150 Ω

3. Two resistors, R1 = 2.00 kΩ and R2 = 3.00 kΩ, are connected in parallel and their
combination is connected in series to a fully charged, 150-µF capacitor. When the switch is
opened, the capacitor begins to discharged. What is the time constant for the discharge?
A) 0.16 s B) 0.17 s C) 0.18 s D) 0.19 s

4. Four 50-Ω resistors are connected in parallel. The equivalent resistance of the
combination is
A) 50 Ω B) 25 Ω C) 12.5 Ω. D) 6.25 Ω

5. How many 4-Ω resistors must be connected in parallel to have a total resistance of 0.8 Ω?
A) 3 B) 4 C) 5 D) 6

6. Four identical lamps are connected in parallel to a 6-volt battery. What is the voltage drop
across each lamp?
A) 6 volts B) 7 volts C) 8 volts D) 9 volts

7. What happens to the total resistance in a network when more resistors are added to a
series circuit?
A) increases B) decreases C) remains the same

8. Four resistors of resistances 3Ω, 4Ω, 5Ω, and 6Ω are connected in parallel to a 12-volt
source. What is the current through the 5-Ω resistor?
A) 1.2 A B) 1.4 A C) 2.2 A D) 2.4 A

9. In a series circuit with unequal resistances

A) The smallest R has the highest V
B) The largest R has the highest V.
C) The smallest R has the most I.
D) The largest R has the most I.

10. In a parallel circuit, the equivalent resistance is

A) Always greater than any individual resistance.
B) Always less than any individual resistance.
C) Equal to the sum of the individual resistance.
D) Equal to the sum of the reciprocals of their individual resistances.

16
 Key to Answers

Pre-Test

1C 6C
2A 7A
3A 8B
4D 9B
5A 10 C

Post-Test

1C 6A
2D 7A
3C 8D
4C 9B
5C 10 B

17
Reference:

Canva. Accessed December 24, 2020. https://www.canva.com/education

Sears and Zemansky’s University Physics with Modern Physics Technology Update by Hugh D.
Young and Roger A. Freedman, 13th edition, pp. 944 – 977

For inquiries and feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education – Bureau of Learning Resources (DepEd-BLR)

DepEd Division of Cagayan de Oro City

Fr. William F. Masterson Ave Upper Balulang Cagayan de Oro
Telefax: ((08822)855-0048
E-mail Address: cagayandeoro.city@deped.gov.ph

FAIR USE AND CONTENT DISCLAIMER: This SLM (Self Learning Module) is
for educational purposes only. Borrowed materials (i.e. songs, stories, poems,
pictures, photos, brand names, trademarks, etc.) included in these modules are
owned by their respective copyright holders. The publisher and authors do not
represent nor claim ownership over them.

18