Chapter 1

Circuit Variables
 Chapter objectives

1. Understand and be able to use SI units and the standard

prefixes for powers of 10.
2. Know and be able to use the definition of voltage and current.
3. Know and be able to use the definition of power and energy
4. Be able to use the passive sign convention to calculate the
power for an ideal basic circuit element given its voltage and
current.

Nguyen Le Hoa, Ph.D., Danang University of Science and Technology

 1.1 Electrical Engineering
• Electrical engineering is the profession concerned with systems that produce,
transmit, and measure electrical signals.
• Electrical engineering combines the physical models of natural phenomena with
the mathematical tools for manipulating those models to produce systems that
meet practical needs.
History

Volta: electric cell, voltaic Ohm: Ohm’s law (1827) Faraday: electromagnetic Maxwell: theory of electricity
pile (1800) induction (1831) and magnetism (1873)

Edison: electric light, DC Stanley: transformers Tesla: Practical polyphase Heaviside: models for
power supply network and induction motor electric circuits
Nguyen Le Hoa, Ph.D., Danang University of Science and Technology
 1.1 Electrical Engineering

Power system Control system Signal processing system

Electrical
Engineering

Instrumentation system Communication system

Computer system
Nguyen Le Hoa, Ph.D., Danang University of Science and Technology
 1.2 Circuit theory
Electric circuit:
▪ A mathematical model that approximates the behavior of an actual
electrical system.
▪ An interconnection of electrical devices (elements)

Circuit theory: A special case of electromagnetic field theory: the study of

static and moving electric charges
Three basic assumptions to use circuit theory:
1. Electrical effects happen instantaneously throughout a system
- The size of physical system is very small to compare with the
electromagnetic wavelength (λ = c/f)
- Lumped-parameter system
2. The net charge on every component in the system is always zero
3. There is no magnetic coupling between the components in a system

Nguyen Le Hoa, Ph.D., Danang University of Science and Technology

 1.3 Systems of units
Table 1.1. The International System of Units (SI)

Quantity Basic unit Symbol

Length meter m
Mass kilogram kg
Time second s
Electric current ampere A
Thermodynamic temperature degree kelvin K
Amount of substance mole mol
Luminous intensity candela cd

Nguyen Le Hoa, Ph.D., Danang University of Science and Technology

 1.3 Systems of units
Table 1.2. Derived units in SI
Quantity Unit name (symbol) Formula
Frequency hertz (Hz) s-1
Force newton (N) kg.m/s2
Energy of work joule (J) N.m
Power watt (W) J/s
Electric charge coulomb (C) A.s
Electric potential volt (V) J/C
Electric resistance ohm (Ω) V/A
Electric conductance siemens (S) A/V
Electric capacitance farad (F) C/V
Magnetic flux weber (Wb) V.s
Inductance henry (H) Wb/A
Nguyen Le Hoa, Ph.D., Danang University of Science and Technology
 1.3 Systems of units
Table 1.3. Standardized prefixes to signify powers of 10

Prefix Symbol Power Prefix Symbol Power

atto a 10-18 deci d 10-1
femto f 10-15 deka da 10
pico p 10-12 hecto h 102
nano n 10-9 kilo k 103
micro μ 10-6 mega M 106
milli m 10-3 giga G 109
centi c 10-2 tera T 1012

Nguyen Le Hoa, Ph.D., Danang University of Science and Technology

 1.4 Charge, voltage and current
1.4.1 Electric charge
Charge is an electrical property of the atomic
particles of which matter consists, measured in
coulombs (C)

•Electric charge is bipolar (positive and negative)

•Electric charge exits in discrete quantities, which are
integral multiplies of electronic charge (≈ 1.6002×10- Fig. 1.1 Electric charge
19 C)

• Electrical effects are attributed to both the separation of charge and

charges in motion
• Law of conservation of charge: Charge can neither be created or
destroyed, only transferred

The separation of charge creates a voltage, the motion of charge creates a

current

Nguyen Le Hoa, Ph.D., Danang University of Science and Technology

 1.4 Charge, voltage and current
1.4.2 Voltage

Definition: Voltage (or potential difference) is the energy required to move

a unit charge through an element, measured in volts (V)

dw v – voltage in volts
v= w – energy in joules
dq
q – charge in coulombs

• Can be created by the separation of charge

• It measure the potential difference between two points
• Voltage pushes charge in one direction
• We use polarity (+ or - ) to indicate which direction the charge is being
pushed

Nguyen Le Hoa, Ph.D., Danang University of Science and Technology

 1.4 Charge, voltage and current
1.4.3 Current
Definition: Electric current is the rate of charge flow, measured in amperes (A)
i – current in amperes
dq
i= q – charge in coulombs
dt t – time in seconds
• Current in circuits physically realized by movement of electrons
• Direction of current must be specified by an arrow
• By convention, current direction defined as flow of positive charge
• Note that positive charge is not following physically

Fig. 1.2 Voltage and current concept

Nguyen Le Hoa, Ph.D., Danang University of Science and Technology
 1.5 The ideal basic circuit element
Attributes:
• It has only two terminals, which are points of 1 i
+
connection to other circuit component
• It is mathematically described in terms of voltage v
and/or current -
• It cannot be subdivided into other elements 2
Interpretation of reference directions: Fig. 1.3 Ideal circuit element
Positive value:
v: voltage drop from terminal 1 to terminal 2
i: positive charge flowing from terminal 1 to terminal 2
Negative value:
v: voltage drop from terminal 2 to terminal 1
i: positive charge flowing from terminal 2 to terminal 1

Note that the assignments of the reference polarity for voltage and the reference
direction for current are entirely arbitrary

Nguyen Le Hoa, Ph.D., Danang University of Science and Technology

 1.5 The ideal basic circuit element
Ex. 1.1. The current at the terminals of the element in Fig. 1.3 is

i = 0, t0

i = 20e A, t  0
−500 t

Calculate the total charge (in μC) entering the element at its terminal 1
Solution: 
 
  

6
10
q = 10 6   idt  = 10 6   20 e −500t dt  = − 20 e −500t = 40000 μC
0  0  500 0

Ex. 1.2. The expression for the charge entering the terminal 1 of Fig. 1.3 is
1 t 1  −t
q = 2 −  + 2 e C
   
Find the maximum value of the current entering the terminal 1 if α = 0.03679s-1
Solution: dq 1 t 1 
i (t ) = = −  e −t − e −t  + 2  = te −t
dt     
di 1 e −1
= 0  e (1 − t ) = 0  t =
t
imax = i(t ) t = 1 = = 10A
dt     =0.03679

Nguyen Le Hoa, Ph.D., Danang University of Science and Technology

 1.6 Power and energy
Definition: Power is the time rate of expending or absorbing energy
dw dw dq p – power in watts
p= = . = vi w – energy in joules
dt dq dt
t – time in seconds
Passive sign convention
By convention 1 i 1 i
+ +
- If p > 0, the circuit element absorbs
v (a) v (b)
power
- If p < 0, the circuit element - -
2 2
produces power
p = vi p = -vi
Law of conservation of energy: The net 1 i 1 i
power absorbed by a circuit is equal to 0 - -

- The total energy produced in a v (c) v (d)

circuit is equal to the total energy + +

2 2
absorbed
p = -vi p = vi
- Every watt absorbed by an element
must be produced by some other Fig. 1.4 Polarity reference and the
expression for power
elements
Nguyen Le Hoa, Ph.D., Danang University of Science and Technology
 1.6 Power and energy
Ex.1.3: Assume that a 20V voltage drop occurs across an element from terminal 2 to
terminal 1 and that a current of 4A enters terminal 2.
a) Specify the values of v and i for the polarity references shown in Fig.1.4(a)-(d).
b) State whether the circuit in inside the box is absorbing or delivering power?
c) How much power is the circuit absorbing?
Solution:
a)
1 i 1 i 1 i 1 i
+ + - -
v v v v
20V

20V

20V

20V
4A 4A 4A 4A
- - + +
2 2 2 2
v = -20V, i = -4A v = -20V, i = 4A v = 20V, i = -4A v = 20V, i = 4A
b, c) The power for each circuit is obtained as
p = vi = (-20)(-4) p = -vi = -(-20)(4) p = -vi = -(20)(-4) p = vi = (20)(4)
= 80W = 80W = 80W = 80W
- The circuit is absorbing power
- The absorbing power is 80W
Nguyen Le Hoa, Ph.D., Danang University of Science and Technology
 1.6 Power and energy
Ex.1.4: The voltage and current at terminals of the following figure are given as
v = 0, i = 0 t  0 1 i
+
v = 80000te −500t V, i = 15te −500t A t  0
v
a) Find the time when the power delivered to the circuit
-
element is maximum 2
b) Find the maximum value of power
c) Find the total energy delivered to the circuit element
Solution:
a) The power delivered to the circuit element
p = vi = (80000 te−500t )(15te−500t ) = 1.2  10 6 t 2e −10
3
t

= 0  1.2 10 te (2 − 103 t ) = 0

dp 6 −103 t

dt
The maximum power delivered to the circuit element is reached at
2
t = 3 = 0.002(sec)
10
Nguyen Le Hoa, Ph.D., Danang University of Science and Technology
 1.6 Power and energy
Ex.1.4: (cont’d)
b) The maximum power is obtained as
−103 0.002
pmax = p t =0.002 = 1.2  10  0.002  e
6 2
= 0.065 W = 65mW

c) Total energy delivered to the circuit element is

 
6 2 −103 t
w =  pdt =  1.2 10 t e dt = 0.0024 J
0 0

Nguyen Le Hoa, Ph.D., Danang University of Science and Technology

 Summary

• The International System of Units enable engineers to communicate in a

meaningful way about the quantitative results
• Voltage is the energy per unit charge created by charge separation,
measured in volts
• Current is the rate of charge flow, measured in amperes
• The ideal basic circuit element is a two-terminal component that cannot
be subdivided, it is described in terms of current and voltage
• Power is energy per unit of time (p = dw/dt = vi), measured in watts
• If p > 0, power is being delivered to the circuit
• If p < 0, power is being extracted from the circuit

Nguyen Le Hoa, Ph.D., Danang University of Science and Technology

 Homework assignment

1. Install LTSpice and Matlab sorfware in your computer

2. Solve the following problems:
Prob.#1.1; 1.3; 1.6; 1.9; 1.24;1.26

Nguyen Le Hoa, Ph.D., Danang University of Science and Technology