Chapter 1

Basic Concepts
It consists of three
basic elements: a
battery, a lamp, and
connecting wires.
Such a simple
circuit can exist by
itself; it has several
applications, such
as a flashlight, a
search light, and so
forth.
◼ An electric circuit is an interconnection of
electrical elements.

◼ Functions:
❑ To transfer energy from one point to another.

◼ Basic concepts:

❑ Charge and Current

❑ Voltage
❑ Power and Energy
❑ Circuit elements
Charge and Current
◼ Basic quantity in an electric circuit.

◼ Defined as an electrical property of materials.

❑ Exist as negative (electron) and positive (proton)
charges.
❑ Measured in Coulombs (C).
❑ 1 electron = -1.602*10-19C.

◼ Positive and negative charges move in

different direction.
❑ Creates electric current.
❑ Consider electric current as movement of positive
charge.

◼ Charge may be constant/varying.

: charge flow rate
Measured in Ampere (A)

may be constant/varying
Measured in volts (V)
Current and voltage are the two basic variables in electric
circuits.
The common term signal is used for an electric quantity such
as a current or a voltage (or even electromagnetic wave) when
it is used for conveying information. Engineers prefer to call
such variables signals rather than mathematical functions of
time because of their importance in communications and other
disciplines. Like electric current, a constant voltage is called a
dc voltage and is represented by V, whereas a
sinusoidally time-varying voltage is called an ac voltage and
is represented by v. A dc voltage is commonly produced by a
battery; ac voltage is produced by an electric generator.
Power can be absorbed or supplied by circuit
elements.
Positive power → element absorbs power.
Negative power → element supplies power.
‘Sign’ determined by voltage and current.
◼ An ideal circuit:
❑ ∑Psupplied + ∑ Pabsorbed = 0.
the total power supplied to the circuit must balance the total power absorbed
Energy
Energy is the capacity to do work, measured in joules (J)

The electric power utility

companies measure energy in watt-
hours (Wh), where 1 Wh = 3,600 J
 Circuit Elements
◼ An element is the basic building block of a
circuit.

◼ Electric circuit is interconnecting of the

elements.

◼ Types of elements:
❑ Active elements →Capable of generating energy
(i.e. batteries, generators).
❑ Passive elements → Absorbs energy (i.e. resistors,
capacitors and inductors).
❑ Voltage and current sources → the most important
active elements.
 Source
◼ Divided into:
❑ Independent source → Does not depend to
other elements to supply voltage or current.
❑ Dependent source → Reverse of
independent.

◼ Constant voltage source:

❑ Voltage same for all elements.

◼ Constant current source:

❑ Current same throughout the circuits.
 Examples
◼ Determine the current
flowing through an
element if the charge
flow is given by
q(t)=(9t2+2t-2)C.

◼ Find the charge q(t)

flowing through a device
if the current
(i(t))=(2t+5) mA and
q(0)=0.

◼ The charge entering a

certain element is shown
below. Determine current
at:
❑ t= 1 ms
❑ t= 6 ms
❑ t= 10ms
 Examples
◼ Given the graph,
plot the
corresponding
current.

◼ Calculate total
charge that pass
through an element
at:
❑ t = 1s
❑ t = 3s
❑ t = 5s
 Examples
◼ Find the power absorbed by each of the
elements.