Lecture 1.

Getting Started

1.1 Introduction
* Objectives
* Requirements & Grading Policy
* Other information

1.2 Basic Circuit Concepts

* Electrical quantities
 current, voltage & power, sign conventions
* Circuit elements
 Passive, active and sources
* Basic laws
 Ohm’s law and Kirchhoff’s laws

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 EEE 202: Circuits 1, Spring 2008

Prerequisite EEE 101

Pre- or co-requisites: MAT 274 or MAT 275, PHY 131, 132.

Instructor: Dr. NJ Tao (njtao@asu.edu)

Where: Schwada Classroom & Office 150
When: Tu and Th 3:15-4:30 pm
Office Hours: Tu and Th 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. or by appointment.
Office Location: GWC618

Class Website:
http://www.public.asu.edu/~ntao1/Teaching/ECE202/EEE202web.htm

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1.2. Basic Circuit Concepts

* Electrical quantities
 current, voltage & power, sign conventions
* Circuit elements
 Passive, active and sources
* Basic laws
 Ohm’s law and Kirchhoff’s laws

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 Electrical Quantities
• Basic quantities:
– Current (I): time rate of change of electric charge
I = dq/dt
Unit: 1 Amp = 1 Coulomb/sec

– Voltage (V): electromotive force or potential

Unit: 1 Volt = 1 Joule/Coulomb = 1 N·m/coulomb

– Power (P): rate at which work is done

P=IV
1 Watt = 1 Volt·Amp = 1 Joule/sec

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 Water Analogy

Electrical Hydraulic
Base
Charge (q) Mass (m)
quantity
Flow
Current (I) Fluid flow (G)
variable
Potential
Voltage (V) Pressure (p)
variable
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 Current, I
• The sign of the current indicates the direction of flow
• Current due to positive & negative charge carried; the moving
direction of positive charge is conventionally defined as direct of
current.
What are charge carries in copper wire, Silicon and salt solution?

• DC & AC currents:
– direct current (dc):
batteries and some special generators I(t)

– alternating current (ac):

household current which varies
with time

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 Voltage, V
• Voltage is the difference in electrical potentials between,
e.g., two points in a circuit; it is the energy required to move
an unit charge from one point to the other.
• Voltage with respect to a common point or “ground”.
• Positive (high) and negative (low) voltages.

Circuit Element(s)

+ V(t) –

What is electrical potential?

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 Default Sign Convention

• Passive sign convention : current should enter the

positive voltage terminal

I
Circuit Element
+ –

• Passive sign convention: P = I V

– Positive (+) Power: element absorbs power
– Negative (-) Power: element supplies power

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 Active vs. Passive Elements

• Active elements can generate energy

– Voltage and current sources
– Batteries

• Passive elements cannot generate energy

– Resistors
– Capacitors and Inductors (but CAN store energy)

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 Independent Sources

An independent source (voltage or current) may be DC

(constant) or time-varying (AC), but does not depend on
other voltages or currents in the circuit

+
–

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 Resistors

• A resistor is a circuit element that dissipates electrical

energy (usually as heat)

• Real-world devices that are modeled by resistors:

incandescent light bulbs, heating elements (stoves,
heaters, etc.), long wires

• Resistance is measured in Ohms (Ω)

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 Ohm’s Law

v(t) = i(t) R - or - V=IR

p(t) = i2(t) R = v2(t)/R [+ (absorbing)]

i(t)
The +
Rest R v(t)
of the
Circuit –

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 Open Circuit

• What if R=?
i(t)=0
The +
Rest of v(t)
the
Circuit –

• i(t) = v(t)/R = 0

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 Short Circuit

• What if R=0?
i(t)
The +
Rest of v(t)=0
the
Circuit –

• v(t) = R i(t) = 0

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 Resistors in Series

Two or more elements are in series if the current that flows

through one must also flow through the other.

In series
R1 R2 I1 = I2
Not in series
R1 R2 I1 ≠ I2

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 Resistors in Parallel
• Two or more elements are in parallel if they are connected
between (share) the same two (distinct) end nodes;

• The voltages across these elements are the same.

R1

R1

R2 R2

Parallel Not Parallel

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 Kirchhoff’s Laws

• Kirchhoff’s Current Law (KCL)

– sum of all currents entering a node is zero
– sum of currents entering node is equal to sum of currents
leaving node
– Conservation of charge

• Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law (KVL)

– sum of voltages around any loop in a circuit is zero
– Conservation of energy

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 KCL (Kirchhoff’s Current Law)

i1(t) i5(t)
i2(t) i4(t)
i3(t)

The sum of currents entering the node is zero:

 i (t )  0
j 1
j

Analogy: mass flow at pipe junction

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 Class Examples

• Drill Problems 1, 2, 4

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