Basic Concepts of DC Circuits

Introduction

■ An electric circuit is an interconnection of

electrical elements.
Systems of Units
 Charge

■ The most basic quantity in an electric

circuit is the electric charge.
■ Charge is an electrical property of the
atomic particles of which matter consists,
measured in coulombs (C).
■ The charge e on an electron is -1.602 x
10-19 C.
Charge (cont.)
 Current
■ A unique feature of electric charge or
electricity is that it is mobile; it can be
transferred where it can be converted to
another form of energy.
■ When a conducting wire is connected to a
battery, the charges are compelled to
move; positive charges in one direction
and negative charges in the opposite
direction.
 Current (cont.)
■ This motion of charges is what creates an
electrical current.
■ Electric current is the time rate of change of
charge, measured in amperes (A).
■ 1 ampere = 1 coulomb / second
■ It is conventional to take the current flow as the
movement of positive charges, although current
is actually due to negatively charged electrons.
 Current (cont.)

■ A direct current (dc) is a current that

remains constant with time.
■ An alternating current (ac) is a current
that varies sinusoidally with time.
 The Relationship
■ Mathematically, the ■ The charge
relationship between transferred between
current i, charge q, time t0 and t is found
and time t is by integrating both
sides;
 Voltage

■ To move an electron in a particular

direction requires some work or energy
transfer. This work is performed by an
external electromotive force (emf),
typically a battery.
■ This emf is also known as potential
difference or voltage.
 Voltage (cont.)
■ The voltage between ■ where w is energy in
two points a and b is joules (J) and q is
the energy (or work) charge (C). The
needed to move a voltage is measured
unit charge from a to in volts (V).
b. ■ 1 volt = 1 joule /
coulomb = 1
newton*meter/ coulomb
 Voltage Polarity
■ The plus (+) and ■ The polarity can be
minus (-) signs are interpreted in two
used to define ways:
reference direction or
voltage polarity.
■ vab = -vba
 Power

■ Although current and voltage are the two

basic variables, they are not sufficient by
themselves.
■ For practical purposes, we need to know
how much power a device can handle and
how much energy is consumed over a
period of time.
 Power (cont.)
■ To relate power and ■ We write this relationship
energy to voltage and as
current, we recall that:
■ power is the time rate of
expending or absorbing
energy, measured in
watts (W).
■ p is power in watts (W),
w is energy in joules (J)
and t is time in seconds
(s).
 Power (cont.)

■ The power p is a time-varying quantity

and is called instantaneous power.
■ p > 0, power is absorbed
■ p < 0, power is supplied
■ power absorbed = - power supplied
 Power (cont.)

■ The law of conservation of energy must be

obeyed in any circuit. For with this
reason, the sum of power in a circuit must
be zero.
 Energy

■ Energy is the capacity to do work,

measured in joules (J).
■ The energy absorbed or supplied by an
element from time t0 to t is
 Circuit Elements

■ An element is a basic building block of a

circuit.
■ There are two types of elements: active
and passive.
 Circuit Elements (cont.)
■ Active elements are ■ Passive elements
capable of generating cannot create energy
energy ■ Resistors
■ Generators ■ Capacitors
■ Batteries ■ Inductors
■ Amplifiers
 Circuit Elements (cont.)

■ The most important active elements are

voltage and current sources because they
deliver power to the circuit.
■ There are two types of sources:
independent and dependent.
 Circuit Elements (cont.)
■ Independent sources ■ Dependent sources
provide a specified have their source
voltage or current quantity controlled by
that is completely another voltage or
independent of other current.
circuit variables.
 Circuit Elements (cont.)

■ There are 4 possible types of dependent

sources: voltage controlled voltage source,
current controlled voltage source, voltage
controlled current source, and current
controlled current source.