CHAPTER

1
Introduction to
Electrical Engineering
References: 1. G. Rizzoni, Principles and Applications of Electrical
Engineering, Fifth Edition, McGraw-Hill Inc., 2007.
2. Allan R. Hambley ,Electrical Engineering: Principles and
Applications, Fourth Edition, , Prentice Hall Pearson Education, 2008.

These notes are only to be used in class presentations.

 Electrical systems have two
main objectives:

To gather, store, process, transport and present

information

To distribute and convert energy between various

forms
Electrical engineering
disciplines
 Systems of Units
International System of Units (SI)
In this system, there are six principal units from which the units of all
other physical quantities can be derived.

Basic
Quantity Symbol
Unit

Length Meter m
Mass Kilogram kg
Time Second s
Electric current Ampere A
Temperature Kelvin K
Luminous Intensity Candela cd
 One great advantage of SI unit is that it uses prefixes based on the
power of 10 to relate larger and smaller units to the basic unit.

Prefix Symbol Power

atto a 10-18
femto f 10-15
pico p 10-12
nano n 10-9
micro 10-6
mili m 10-3
centi c 10-2
deci d 10-1
deka da 10
kilo k 103
mega M 106
giga G 109
tera T 1012
 Brief information on electricity

The word electricity was derived from the Latin electrum, came from the
Greek word electron which means amber.
In ancient times, Greeks noticed that when an amber rubbed with hair, it
attracted small objects. This was because of charge accumulated in the amber.
This phenomena is called static electric .
Electricity is a form of energy. It also denotes flow of electrons, the
negative particles surround the nucleus of an atom.
All matters are constituted from atoms. When an atom lost electron, then
free movement (or flow) of the electron caused electric current. Conductors,
mostly metals, are rich of free electrons.
 Electric Charge

Definition: electrical property of the atomic particles of which matter consists.

Its effect appears as a force between matters.
Electrical effects are caused by
separation of electric charges electric force
charges in motion electric flow, current
Symbol : q
Units : Coulomb (C)
Elementary charges : electrons and protons
qe=-1.602 x10-19 C
qp= 1.602 x10-19 C

In 1C of charge, there are 6.25x1024 electrons.

Law of Conservation of Charge: Charge can neither be created nor destroyed,

only transferred.
 Electric current
Definition: time rate of electric charge flowing through a conductor or
a circuit element
Symbol: i
dq(t ) q= charge (in Coulombs)
i (t )
dt t= time (in seconds)

Unit: Coulombs per second (C/s) Amperes (A)

Note: Current has polarity.

Two types of currents:
A direct current (DC) is a current that remains constant with time.

q
I
t
 An alternating current (AC) is a current that varies with time, reversing
direction periodically.
Magnitude and direction of the current changes with time

i (t ) I max sin( wt )

dq
i
dt

Such AC current is used in your household, to run the air conditioner,

refrigerator, washing machine, and other electric appliances.
 Electric potential (voltage)
Definition: the energy required to move a unit charge through an element
(from one point to another).
Symbol: v
dw w= energy (in Joules)
v
dq q= charge (in Coulombs)

Unit: Joules per Coulomb (J/C) Volts (V)

 higher potential
vab: the voltage (potential difference)
between two points a and b

The plus (+) and minus (-) signs at the points a

and b are used to denote reference direction or
voltage polarity.

lower potential

vab can be interpreted in two ways:

point a is at a potential of vab volts higher than point b

the potential at point a with respect to point b is vab
 vab va vb the potential at a minus the potential at b

Note: Potential is always referenced to some point

Ground is usually taken as reference and vg=0 symbol for ground

Point b is grounded

vb 0
vab va vb va
vab vba
DC voltage is constant with time.

V W
V
q
AC voltage changes with time.

v v(t ) Vmax sin( wt )

dw
v
dq
 Electric power

Definition: time rate of expending or absorbing energy

Symbol: p

dw v dq
p vi
dt dq / i
The electric power of a circuit element is the product of the voltage across
the element and the current flowing through it.
Unit: Joules per second Watts (W)

A power can be generated or dissipated by a circuit element

i
If a positive charge q moves through a drop
in voltage v, it loses energy. So the circuit
+
element absorbs power.

v How can a circuit element absorb power?

By converting electrical energy into heat
(resistors in toasters), light (light bulbs)
-

If a positive charge q moves through a rise

in voltage v, it gains energy. So the circuit
element supplies power.
Passive sign convention: simply states that the power dissipated
by a circuit element is a positive quantity

If the current enters through the positive polarity of the

voltage, p = vi
Power is absorbed by the element

If the current enters through the negative polarity of the

voltage, p= -vi
Power is supplied by the element

Law of Conservation of Energy: Energy can neither be created

nor destroyed, only transferred.
The algebraic sum of power in a circuit, at any instant of time, must
be zero.
The total power supplied to the circuit must balance the total power
absorbed.
 Electric energy
The energy absorbed or supplied by an element from time t0 to t is

Example: An electric heater is working at 220V absorbing 3A. What is the

power absorbed by this heater ?

If this heater works for 5 hours, what is the energy used?

The electric power utility companies measure energy in kilowatt-hours (kWh)

1kWh=3.6x106J