RESISTIVE CIRCUITS

Here we introduce the basic concepts and laws that are fundamental to
circuit analysis

LEARNING GOALS
• OHM’S LAW - DEFINES THE SIMPLEST PASSIVE ELEMENT: THE
RESISTOR
• KIRCHHOFF’S LAWS - THE FUNDAMENTAL CIRCUIT CONSERVATION
LAWS- KIRCHHOFF CURRENT (KCL) AND KIRCHHOFF VOLTAGE (KVL)
• LEARN TO ANALYZE THE SIMPLEST CIRCUITS
• SINGLE LOOP - THE VOLTAGE DIVIDER
• SINGLE NODE-PAIR - THE CURRENT DIVIDER
• SERIES/PARALLEL RESISTOR COMBINATIONS - A TECHNIQUE TO
REDUCE THE COMPLEXITY OF SOME CIRCUITS

• WYE - DELTA TRANSFORMATION - A TECHNIQUE TO REDUCE

COMMON RESISTOR CONNECTIONS THAT ARE NEITHER SERIES NOR
PARALLEL
• CIRCUITS WITH DEPENDENT SOURCES - (NOTHING VERY SPECIAL)
 RESISTORS
Standard Multiples of Ohm
 v(t ) 
M Mega Ohm(106 )
i(t ) k Kilo Ohm(103 )
Volt
A resistor is a passive element A common occurrence is
characterized by an algebraic mA
relation between the voltage resulting in resistance in k
across its terminals and the
Conductance
current through it
v(t )  F (i (t )) General Model for a Resistor If instead of expressing voltage as
a function of current one expresses
A linear resistor obeys OHM’s Law current in terms of voltage, OHM’s
v(t )  Ri (t ) law can be written
1
The constant, R, is called the i v
resistance of the component and R
is measured in units of Ohm () 1
We define G  as Conductance
R
From a dimensional point of view,
of the component and write
Ohms is a derived unit of Volt/Amp
i  Gv
Since the equation is algebraic,
the time dependence can be omitted The unit of conductance is
Siemens
 Some practical resistors

Symbol
 i Notice passive sign Two special resistor values
 convention
 i0
v R v0
 
Circuit Represent ation Short Open
Circuit Circuit
i R0 R
“A touch of
reality” G G0

Linear approximation

Linear range
Actual v-I relationship
v
Ohm’s Law is an approximation
valid while voltages and currents
remain in the Linear Range
OHM’S LAW PROBLEM SOLVING TIP

v  Ri i  Gv OHM' s Law G ive n V o lta g e a n d R e sista n c e

One equation and three variables.
C o m p u te C u rre n t V
I
Given ANY two the third can be found  R

G ive n c u rre n t a n d re sista n c e 12[V ] R  3

F in d th e vo lta g e  I  4[ A]

I  2A  Determine direction of the

current using passive sign
R  5 V  10[V ] Notice use of convention
 passive sign
convention Table 1 Keeping Units Straight
Voltage Current Resistance
G ive n C u rre n t a n d V o lta g e
F in d R e sista n c e Volts Amps Ohms

 I  4[ A]
Volts mA k
20[V ] R  5 mV A m

mV mA 
V
R
I
 



GIVEN VOLTAGE AND CONDUCTANCE OHM’S LAW v (t )  Ri (t ) UNITS?

REFERENCE DIRECTIONS SATISFY  4[V ]  (2)i (t )  i (t )  2[ A]

PASSIVE SIGN CONVENTION
i (t )  Gv (t ) OHM’S LAW 

UNITS?
4V
CONDUCTANCE IN SIEMENS, VOLTAGE v (t )   Ri (t )

IN VOLTS. HENCE, CURRENT IN AMPERES
 OHM’S LAW
i (t )  8[ A]
THE EXAMPLE COULD BE
GIVEN LIKE THIS
 RESISTORS AND ELECTRIC POWER A MATTER OF UNITS

Resistors are passive components Working with SI units Volt, Ampere

that can only absorb energy. Watt, Ohm, there is never a problem.
Combining Ohm’s law and the One must be careful when using
expressions for power we can derive multiples or sub multiples.
several useful expressions.
EXAMPLE : R  40 k, i  2mA
P  vi (Power)
The basic strategy is to
v  Ri , or i  Gv (Ohm' s Law) express all given variables
Problem solving tip: There are four in SI units.
variables (P,v,i,R) and two equations.
Given any two variables one can find v  (40 *103 ) * (2 *10 3 A)  80[V ]
the other two.
P  Ri 2  (40 *103 ) * (2 *10 3 A) 2 
Given P , i Given v, R
160 *10 3 [W ]
P v v v2
v ,R  i  , P  vi 
i i R R
Given i, R Given P, R
P
v  Ri , P  vi  Ri 2 i  , v  Ri  PR
R
If not given, the reference
direction for voltage or current
can be chosen and the other is
given by the passive sign convention.
DETERMINE CURRENT AND POWER ABSORBED
BY RESISTOR

 6mA
2 V2
P  VI  I R 
R
P  (12[V ])(6[mA])  72[mW ]
 0.6[ mA ]
V 6[V ]
I 
R 10k

VS2
P
R
VS  6[V ]

VS2  (10  103 )(3.6  103W )

 P ?

I 0.5  103[ A]
VS  IR  VS  VS   10[V ]
G 50  10 6 [ S ]

2
PI R
I2
P
0.5 10 3
[ A]
2
 5[ mW ]
G 50  106 [ S ]
 2
PI R
80  103[W ]
R
P  VS I 4 10 A
3 2

80[mW ] R  5k
VS   20[V ]
4[ mA]
 R = V/I = 2.4 Ohms
Re s is t a nc e o f La mp __________
P  60W
 I = P/V = 5A
+
Curre nt t hro ug h La mp ________
12V -
q   current
HALOGEN
 LAM P
Cha rg e s up p lie d b y
b a t t e ry in 1 min Q=5*60[C]
________

SAMPLE PROBLEM

Possibly useful relationships

Recognizing the type of problem:
This is an application of Ohm’s Law V2
P  VI   I 2R
We are given Power and Voltage. R
We are asked for Resistance, Current V  IR
and Charge.
qa (t )  10 cos(t )[mC ] is the charge entering at a
Given: charge. Required: current.
(time is in seconds) dq
a iab (1) 
i
dt
 10 sin(t )[ mA]

i (1)  10 sin(1)

Given: current. Required: voltage.
R  2 vab (t   )  V  Ri  2 * 10 sin   0
Given: current, resistor, voltage. Required: power.
b pR (t )  p  Ri 2  2[]*(102 ) 2 *sin 2 (t )[ A]2
 p  200 sin 2 (t ) W
For  t   ,
2
the current flows from___ to ___ 

point ___ has higher vol tage than point ____

Sketch for -sin(t)
On the time interval, current from a to b is negative.
Current flows from b to a
SAMPLE QUESTION and point b has the higher voltage