SOT 402

Electronic Circuits
GIMPA, SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY
Lecture Five
Circuit Laws 1: Circuit Element in Series, Kirchoff’s Voltage Law & Voltage Division
 Learning Objectives
At the end of this session, you should be able to:

▪ Calculate unknown voltages, current and resistances in a series circuit

▪ Understand voltage division in a series circuit

▪ Apply Kirchoff’s voltage law in solving for unknown quantities in circuits

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 Introduction
▪ Consider the circuit below:

▪ A branch represents a single

element.

▪ A node is a connection between 2 or

more branches

▪ A loop is a closed path in the circuit.

It starts and ends at the same node.

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 Series Circuits

▪ Two elements are in series if they share a node

exclusively. Consider for instance the circuit
provided.

▪ The node A is shared exclusively between the

source V1 and R1, node B is shared exclusively
between R1 and R2 and so on.

▪ In a series circuit, the current through all

elements is the same.

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Series Circuits
▪ The sum of the voltages however is equal to the
total applied voltage. i.e.:

▪ V = V1 + V2+ V3

▪ Also V1 = IR1, V2 = IR2, V3 =IR3

▪ Total R = R1 + R2 + R3

▪ Total I = total V / Total R

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 Example

▪ For the circuit shown, determine (a) the

battery voltage V, (b) the total resistance
of the circuit, and (c) the values of
resistance of resistors R1, R2 and R3,
given that the p.d.’s across R1, R2 and R3
are 5 V, 2 V and 6 V respectively

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 Example
▪ For the circuit shown, determine the p.d.
across resistor R3. If the total resistance of
the circuit is 100 , determine the current
flowing through resistor R1. Find also the
value of resistor R2

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Example

▪ A 12 V battery is connected in a circuit having three

series-connected resistors having resistances of 4 , 9
and 11 . Determine the current flowing through, and the
p.d. across the 9 Ω resistor. Find also the power
dissipated in the 11 resistor.

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Voltage Divider
▪Consider the circuit provided:

▪ The circuit shown is often referred to as a voltage

divider circuit. Such a circuit can consist of a
number of similar elements in series connected
across a voltage source, voltages being taken from
connections between the elements.

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▪ Vout = VIN
!#$!"

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Voltage Divider
▪ Generally for a voltage divider:

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Example
▪ Two resistors are connected in series across a
24 V supply and a current of 3 A flows in the
circuit. If one of the resistors has a resistance of 2
determine (a) the value of the other resistor, and
(b) the p.d. across the 2 resistor. If the circuit is
connected for 50 hours, how much energy is
used?

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Example

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Example

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 Kirchoff’s Voltage Law

▪ In any closed loop in a network,

the algebraic sum of the voltage
drops (i.e. products of current and
resistance) taken around the loop
is equal to the resultant e.m.f.
LOOP
acting in that loop.

▪ Consider the diagram provided:

▪ ∑V = V1 – IR1 – IR2 = 0

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 Kirchoff’s Voltage Law

▪ Note that in analyzing the loop:

Direction of current
▪ Direction of current

Voltage drop = -ve Voltage

Voltage raise = +ve Voltage

Direction of loop
Direction of loop

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Example

▪ Determine the value of E:

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 Learning Activity

▪ Break out into groups

▪ Solve the questions provided

▪ You have 10 minutes to prepare your answers.

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End of Lecture

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