Electric Circuits and

Components
MEE 390: Instruments and
measurements
t

MEE 390: Ch 7

Today’s Topics
• Revision of passive circuit elements:
resistors capacitors
resistors, capacitors, inductors,
inductors
sources, and transformers.
• Revision of circuit analysis:
Kirchhoff’s Laws
• Thevenin and Norton equivalent
q
Circuits
• RLC circuits

MEE 390: Ch 7

1
 Simple Analogy
• Voltage is a measure of electrical potential energy (units
are volts)
• Analogous to as potential energy like water in a reservoir at
the top of a hill
• Current is the flow of electrons from a high to a low energy
state (units are amperes)
• You can think of it as water flowing through pipes from the
top to the bottom of a hill
• Resistance is like narrow parts of the pipe (units are ohms)
• Capacitance is like a little tank along the way (units are
farads)

MEE 390: Ch 7

Water Analogy
Tank at the
top of the hill
Resistors are like p
pipes
p

Capacitors are like little tanks

along the way
A voltage source
Is like a pump moving
water from low potential
energy (low
(l altitude)
ltit d ) tto
higher potential energy
(higher altitude)

Tank at the Bottom

of the Hill (Ground)
MEE 390: Ch 7

2
 Basic Electric Relations
• Current is defined as the rate of flow of
charge
g with respect
p to time:
dq
I (t ) =
dt
• Power stored or consumed in an electric
circuit element is defined as:
dq
P =V = VI
dt

MEE 390: Ch 7

Resistors
• A resistor is dissipative element that
converts electricityy into heat.
• Equation of an ideal resistor (non-ideal?)

V(Volts ) = I ( Amps ) R(Ohms )

• The resistance of a wire is:
ρ ( Ωm ) L( m )
R( Ω ) =
A( m2 )

MEE 390: Ch 7

3
 Example 1
• Determine the
resistance of a
copper wire 1mm
Diamter and 10m
long
• Ρ=1.7 x 10-8 Ωm

MEE 390: Ch 7

Resistors color code

MEE 390: Ch 7

4
 Capacitors
• A Capacitor stores energy in the form of
electric field
t
1 q(t )( coulombs )
V (t )(Volts ) =
C( Farads ) ∫ I (τ )( Amps ) dτ =
0
C
dV
I (t ) = C
dt
εA
C =
D
CV 2
E=
2
MEE 390: Ch 7

Inductor
• An Inductor Stores energy in a form of
magnetic
g fields

dI ( Amps )
V (t )(Volts ) = L( H )
dt(sec)
t
1
L ∫0
I (t ) = V (τ )dτ

MEE 390: Ch 7

5
 Transformer
• A Transformer changes the relative
amplitude
p of an AC voltage
g and current in a
circuit.
Ns
Vs = Vp
Np
Np
Is = Ip
Ns

MEE 390: Ch 7

Sources
• Voltage source: zero output
resistance and can supply infinite
current

• Current source: has infinite output

resistance and can supply infinite
voltage

MEE 390: Ch 7

6
 Kirchhoff’s Laws
• In a closed loop:
N

∑V
i =1
i =0

• On a node:
N

∑I
i =1
i =0

• Series/Parallel circuits
MEE 390: Ch 7

Thevenin equivalent
R1 RThevenin

+ Remaining + Remaining
Vs R2 circuit Voc -
- circuit
network network

R2 R1R2
Voc = Vs RTH =
R1 + R2 R1 + R2

• Voc is equal to the open circuit voltage

• RTH= is the equivalent resistance when the voltage source
are shorted and current sources replaced with open circuits
MEE 390: Ch 7

7
 Norton equivalent
R1 RNO

+ Remaining Remaining
Vs R2 circuit Isc
- circuit
network network

I sc = RNO =

• Isc is the short circuit equivalent current

• RNO is the same as RTH
MEE 390: Ch 7

AC Circuit Analysis
3

V (t ) = Vm sin(ωt + φ )
2

0 φ = ωΔt
-1
1 ω
f = =
T 2π
-2

-3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

MEE 390: Ch 7

8
 Phasor Representation
• Euler’s formulation: e j (ωt +φ ) = cos(ωt + φ ) + j sin(ωt + φ )

• Impedance (Z): V = ZI

• Capacitor: −j
Z=
ωC

• Resistor: Z=R

• Inductor: Z = jωL

MEE 390: Ch 7

Semiconductor Devices

• Diodes act as one way valves for electrical

current
– Typical voltage drop across a semiconductor
diode is .7 Volts

+ -

– Symbol for diode with direction of current

MEE 390: Ch 7

9
 Semiconductor Devices
• Transistors can act as switches or amplifiers
– Equivalent of a switching valve or proportional valve in
the
h water analogy
l

collector
VC
IC

+
IB
VB Current flows in the direction of the arrow
base VCE
+
VBE - -

IE
VE
emitter

NPN Transistor

MEE 390: Ch 7

10