Circuit Principles 1

3. DC Circuit Theory (Series Resistance)

 Objectives

after this section you should be able to:

• Calculate total resistance of networks of resistors
• Voltage dividers
• Kirchhoff’s voltage law (KVL)
 Resistors in Series
• Resistors connected in series form a string in which
there is only one path for current to flow
• The following schematics show resistors connected in
series:
• A series circuit provides only one path for current
between two points so hat the current is the same
through each resistor
 Total Series Resistance
• Resistors in series add
• A greater number of resistors offers greater
resistance to current flow
 Series Resistance Formula
• For any number of resistors in series the total
resistance is the sum of the individual resistances

• Where RT is the total resistance and Rn is the last

resistance
• Calculate the total resistance
• Find the resistance of
R4 in
 Current in a series circuit
• The current is the same at any point in a series circuit
 Task for you
• Verify your result using Multisim
 Application of Ohm’s law
• If you know the total applied voltage and the total
resistance, you can determine total current using

• If you know the voltage drop across one resistor you

can find total current using

• If you know the total current you can find the voltage
drop across any series resistor using
 Voltage Sources in Series
• Voltage sources in series add
• The total voltage is equal to the algebraic sum of the
individual sources voltages
• The polarities of the sources must be included when
the sources are combined in series
• Sources with opposite polarities have voltages with
opposite signs
• When sources are all in the same direction in terms
of their polarities, the voltages add

• When a source is not in the same direction, that

voltage subtracts
 Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law
• Voltage drops always have polarities opposite to the
source voltage polarity
• The sum of all voltage drops around a single closed
path in a circuit is equal to the source voltage in
that loop
 Task for you
• Verify your result using Multisim
 Solution
• Step 1 – find the voltage drop across R1, R2 and R3
• Step 2 – Use KVL to find the voltage across R4
• Step 3 – Use Ohm’s law to find the resistance of R4
 Voltage Dividers
• A circuit consisting of a
series string of resistors
connected to a voltage
source acts as a voltage
divider
• Since each resistor has the
same current, the voltage
drops are proportionate to
the resistance values
• The total voltage drop around a single closed path
circuit divides among the series resistors in amounts
directly proportional to the resistance values
• For example if Vs = 10 V, R1=50 Ω and R2 = 100 Ω, then
V1 is one third the total voltage (3.33 V) and R2 is
two-thirds (6.67 V)
Derivation of Voltage Divider
Formula
 Review Questions

• Textbook chapter 5
 You should now be able to…

• Calculate total resistance of networks of resistors

• Use voltage dividers
• Apply Kirchhoff’s voltage law (KVL)