Electrical Fundamentals Notes:

CHAPTER 1:
1. Electrical and electronic features are increasingly integrated into the products and systems designed
by engineers in other fields. Furthermore, instrumentation in all fields of engineering and science is
based on the use of electrical sensors, electronics, and computers.
2. Some of the main areas of electrical engineering are communication systems, computer systems,
control systems, electromagnetics, photonics, electronics, power systems, and signal processing.
3. Some important reasons to learn basic electrical engineering principles are to pass the
Fundamentals of Engineering Examination, to have a broad enough knowledge base to lead design
projects in your own field, to be able to identify and correct simple malfunctions in electrical systems,
and to be able to communicate efficiently with electrical engineering consultants.
4. Current is the time rate of flow of electrical charge. Its units are amperes (A), which are equivalent to
coulombs per second (C/s).
5. The voltage associated with a circuit element is the energy transferred per unit of charge that flows
through the element. The units of voltages are volts (V), which are equivalent to joules per coulomb
(J/C). If positive charge moves from the positive reference to the negative reference, energy is absorbed
by the circuit element. If the charge moves in the opposite direction, energy is delivered by the
element.
6. In the passive reference configuration, the current reference direction enters the positive reference
polarity.
7. If the references have the passive configuration, power for a circuit element is computed as the
product of the current through the element and the voltage across it: p = vi If the references are
opposite to the passive configuration, we have
p = vi
In either case, if p is positive, energy is
being absorbed by the element.
8. A node in an electrical circuit is a point at which two or more circuit elements are joined together. All
points joined by ideal conductors are electrically equivalent and constitute a single node.
9. Kirchhoffs current law (KCL) states that the sum of the currents entering a node equals the sum of
the currents leaving.
10. Elements connected end to end are said to be in series. For two elements to be in series, no other
current path can be connected to their common node. The current is identical for all elements in a
series connection.
11. A loop in an electrical circuit is a closed path starting at a node and proceeding through circuit
elements eventually returning to the starting point.
12. Kirchhoffs voltage law (KVL) states that the algebraic sum of the voltages in a loop must equal
zero. If the positive polarity of a voltage is encountered first in going around the loop, the voltage
carries a plus sign in the sum. On the other hand, if the negative polarity is encountered first, the
voltage carries a minus sign.
13. Two elements are in parallel if both ends of one element are directly connected to corresponding
ends of the other element. The voltages of parallel elements are identical.
14. The voltage between the ends of an ideal conductor is zero regardless of the current flowing
through the conductor. All points in a circuit that are connected by ideal conductors can be considered
as a single point.
15. An ideal independent voltage source maintains a specified voltage across its terminals independent
of other elements that are connected to it and of the current flowing through it.
16. For a controlled voltage source, the voltage across the source terminals depends on other voltages
or currents in the circuit. A voltage controlled voltage source is a voltage source having a voltage equal
to a constant times the voltage across a pair of terminals elsewhere in the network. A current-controlled
voltage source is a voltage source having a voltage equal to a constant times the current through some
other element in the circuit.
17. An ideal independent current source forces a specified current to flow through itself, independent of
other elements that are connected to it and of the voltage across it.
18. For a controlled current source, the current depends on other voltages or currents in the circuit. A
voltage-controlled current source produces a current equal to a constant times the voltage across a pair
of terminals elsewhere in the network. A Current-controlled current source produces a current equal to
a constant times the current through some other element in the circuit.
19. For constant resistances, voltage is proportional to current. If the current and voltage references
have the passive configuration, Ohms law states that v = Ri. For references opposite to the passive
configuration, v = Ri.