Basic Concepts

Chapter 1
 1.3 Charge
•  Charge (): an electrical property of the atomic particles of which
matter consists
• Denoted by or
•Unit: Coulombs (C)
• Matter is made of fundamental building blocks known as atoms
and that each atom consists of electrons, protons, and neutrons
• Charge of 1 electron, C
• In 1C charge, number of electron
• Charge of 1 proton, C
• Neutrally charged atom = presence of equal numbers of protons
and electrons
 1.3 Current
•  Current: flow of electric charges
• Current (): Time rate of change of charge,
• Direction of current flow same as positive charges/protons.
Opposite to the flow of negative charges/electrons
•Unit: Amperes (A). 1A = 1 Coulomb/sec
• Current,
• Charge, Coulomb
• DC current: constant with time
• AC current: varies sinusoidally
with time
 Example 1.1: How much charge is
represented by 4,600 electrons?
•
 Example 1.2

 
Current,
 Example 1.3

 
 1.4 Voltage
•  Move the electron requires some work or energy transfer
• Work performed by a battery or electromotive force (emf),
• This emf known as voltage or potential difference
• Voltage (or potential difference): energy required to move a unit
charge (not one electron) through an element
• Voltage,
• Unit: Volts (V). 1V = 1 Joule/coulomb
• voltage/potential difference
between point a and b

•
•
 1.5 Power and Energy
•  Power: time rate of change of energy
• Power,
•
• Voltage, ; Current,
• Unit: watts (W). 1W = 1 Joule/second
• Power can be two types
1. Supplied/ Generated power: Source (battery, generator)
2. Absorbed power: Load (resistor, light, fan, charger)
 1.5 Passive sign convention
•  Source: Active elements. Load: Passive elements.
• Source: leaves the terminal. enters the terminal.
• Source: Power, . : supplied power.
• Load: enters the terminal. leaves the terminal.
• Load: Power, . : absorbed power.

 Load: Power,   Source: Power,

, absorbed power , supplied power
 1.5 Energy
•  Energy: the capacity to do work
• Energy,
• Unit: Joules (J). 1 J = 1 Ws
• 1 Wh = 1W*1h = 1W * (60*60)sec = 3,600 J
 Example 1.4
•
 Example 1.5
•
Example 1.6: How much energy does a 100-W
electric bulb consume in two hours?
•
 1.6 Circuit Elements
• Source: Active elements. Generates/supplies power
• Active elements: generators, batteries, sources
• Passive elements are resistors, capacitors, and inductors
• Load: Passive elements. Absorbs power
• Two kinds of sources: independent & dependent sources
• Independent Voltage source: supplies constant voltage
• Independent Current source: supplies constant current

Independent Voltage source Independent Current source

 1.6 Dependent Sources
• Independent Source: Round-shaped symbols
• Dependent sources: Diamond-shaped symbols
1. Voltage-controlled voltage source (VCVS).
2. Current-controlled voltage source (CCVS).
3. Voltage-controlled current source (VCCS).
4. Current-controlled current source (CCCS)

Current-controlled Current-controlled
voltage source current source
 Example 1.7: Find the power supplied or absorbed by each element
in the below figure. Also show the law of conservation of energy is
obeyed. (Show the sum of total power is zero)
 • Series elements: daisy chained together in a single line

• Series elements: Current same; Voltage not same

• Parallel elements: Both the terminals are same/common
• Parallel elements: Voltage same; Current not same.
• P1 & P2: series. Current same
•
• P3 & P4: parallel
•
• P2 & P3: nothing
 • Source: 𝐼 leaves the + terminal. 𝑃=−𝑉𝐼.
• Load: 𝐼 enters the + terminal. 𝑃=+𝑉𝐼.
• , Supplied power/Source
• , Absorbed power/Load
• , Absorbed power/Load
• , Supplied power/Source
•
•
•

+¿
 

−
 
 Practice Problem 1.7
 • P3 & P4: parallel.
• , Supplied power/Source
• , Absorbed power/Load
• , Absorbed power/Load
• , Absorbed power/Load
•
•
•

+¿
 

−
 
 • Source: 𝐼 leaves the + terminal. 𝑃=−𝑉𝐼.
• Load: 𝐼 enters the + terminal. 𝑃=+𝑉𝐼.
• , Supplied power/Source
• , Absorbed power/Load
• , Absorbed power/Load
• , Supplied power/Source
•
•
•

+¿
 

−