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Basic Laws of Electric

Circuit

Zuraida Hanim Binti Zaini


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Basic Laws Overview
Ideal sources: series & parallel
Resistance & Ohms Law
Definitions: open circuit, short circuit & conductance
Definitions: nodes, branches & loops
Kirchhoffs Law
Voltage dividers & series resistors
Current dividers & parallel resistors
Wye-delta Transformations
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Ideal Voltage Sources: Series
Ideal voltage sources connected in series add
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Ideal Voltage Sources: Parallel
Ideal voltage sources cannot be connected in parallel
Recall: ideal voltage sources guarantee the voltage between two
terminals is at the specified potential (voltage)
Immovable object meets unstoppable force
In practice, the stronger source would win
Could easily cause component failure (smoke)
Ideal sources do not exist
Technically allowed if V
1
= V
2
, but a bad idea
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Ideal Current Sources: Series
Ideal current sources cannot be connected in series
Recall: ideal current sources guarantee the current flowing through
source is at specified value
Recall: the current entering a circuit element must equal the current
leaving a circuit element, I
in
= I
out
Could easily cause component failure (smoke)
Ideal sources do not exist
Technically allowed if if I
1
= I
2
, but a bad idea

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Ideal Current Sources: Parallel
Ideal current sources in parallel add
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Resistance
All materials resist the flow of current
Resistance is usually represented by the variable R
Depends on geometry and resistivity of the material
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Ohms Law
As with all circuit elements, we need to know how the current through
and voltage across the device are related
Many materials have a complicated nonlinear relationship (including
light bulbs): v = f (i)
Materials with a linear relationship satisfy Ohms law: v = mi
The slope, m, is equal to the resistance of the element
Ohms Law: v = iR
Sign, , is determined by the passive sign convention (PSC)
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Resistors & Passive Sign Convention
Recall that relationships between current and voltage are sign
sensitive
Passive Sign Convention: Current enters the positive terminals of an
element
If PSC satisfied: v = iR
If PSC not satisfied: v = iR
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Other Equations Derived from Ohms Law
Ohms law implies:
Recall p = vi. Therefore








Resistors cannot produce power
Therefore, the power absorbed by a resistor will always be positive
1 = 1 V/A
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Example 1: Ohms Law
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Short Circuit as Zero Resistance
An element (or wire) with R = 0 is called a short circuit
Often just drawn as a wire (line)
Could draw a resistor with R = 0, but is unnecessary and add clutters
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Short Circuit as Voltage Source (0 V)
An ideal voltage source V
s
= 0 V is also equivalent to a short circuit
Since v = iR and R = 0, v = 0 regardless of i
Could draw a source with V
s
= 0 V, but is not done in practice
Cannot connect a voltage source to a short circuit
Irresistible force meets immovable object
In practice, the wire usually wins and the voltage source melts (if not
protected)
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Open Circuit
An element with R = is called a open circuit
Often just omitted
Could draw a resistor with R = , but is unnecessary and would add
clutter
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Open Circuit as Current Source (0 A)
An ideal current source I = 0 A is also equivalent to an open circuit
Could draw a source with I = 0 A, but is not done in practice
Cannot connect a current source to an open circuit
Irresistible force meets immovable object
In practice, you blow the current source (if not protected)
The insulator (air) usually wins. Else, sparks fly
ECE 1131 Electric Circuits
Semester II 2008-2009
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Conductance
Sometimes conductance is specified instead of resistance
Conductance is a measure of the ability of an element to conduct
electric current
Inverse of resistance





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Circuit Building Blocks
Before we can begin analysis, we need a common language ad
framework fro describing circuits
For this course, networks and circuits are the same
Networks are composed of nodes, branches and loops
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Nodes Defined
Example: How many nodes? How many essential nodes?
Node: the point of connection between two or more branches
May include a portion of the circuit (more than a single point)
Essential Node: the point of connection between three or more
branches

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Branches Defined
Example: How many branches?
Branch: a single two-terminal element in a circuit
Segments of wire are not counted as elements (or branches)
Examples: voltage source, resistor, current source

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Loops Defined
Example: How many loops?
Loop: any closed path in a circuit
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Overview of Kirchhoffs Laws
The foundation of circuit analysis is
The defining equations for circuit elements (e.g. Ohms law)
Kirchhoffs current law (KCL)
Kirchhoffs voltage law (KVL)
The defining equations tell us how the voltage and current within a
circuit element are related
Kirchhoffs laws tell us how the voltages and currents in different
branches are related
They govern how elements within a circuit are related

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Kirchhoffs Current Law
Kirchhoffs Current Law (KCL): the algebraic sum of currents
entering a node (or a closed boundary) is zero
The sum of currents entering a node is equal to the sum of the currents
leaving a node
Common sense:
All of the electrons have to go somewhere
The current that goes in, has to come out some place
Based on law of conservation of charge
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Kirchhoffs Current Law for Boundaries
KCL also applies to closed boundaries for all circuits
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Example 2: Kirchhoffs Current Law
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Kirchhoffs Voltage Law
Kirchhoffs Voltage Law (KVL): the algebraic sum of voltages
around a closed path (or loop) is zero
Based on the conservation of energy
Analogous idea in hydraulic systems: sum of pressure drops and rises
in any closed path must be equal
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Kirchhoffs Voltage Law
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Comments on Ohms Law, KCL and KVL
Much of the circuit analysis that we will do is based on these three laws
These laws alone are sufficient to analyze many circuits
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Example 4: Applying the Basic Laws
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Example 5: Applying the Basic Laws
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Example 6: Applying the Basic Laws
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Resistive Circuits Overview
Resistors in series
Resistors in parallel
Voltage dividers
Current dividers
Wye-Delta transformations
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Resistors in Series
Resistors in series add
Similar to voltage sources
Electrically, there is no difference between the two circuits
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Resistors in Parallel
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Resistors in Parallel
Resistors in parallel have a more complicated relationship
Easier to express in terms of conductance
For two resistors:
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Voltage Divider
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Current Divider
Example: More than one source
Find I
1
and I
2
I
s1
I
s2

V

R
1
R
2

+

I
1
I
2

Example: More than one source (Cont.)
Apply KCL at the top node
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ = + = + =
2 1 2 1
2 1 2 1
1 1
R R
V
R
V
R
V
I I I I
s s
I
s1
I
s2

V

R
1
R
2

+

I
1
I
2

( )
2 1
2 1
2 1
R R
R R
I I V
s s
+
=
ECE 1131 Electric Circuits
Semester II 2008-2009
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Exercise 2.13
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Exercise 2.36 (Current Division)
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Exercise 2.38
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Example 1: Resistor Networks
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Resistor Networks: Comments
Knowing the equivalent and parallel equivalents of resistors is not
quite adequate
There are some configurations that require one more tool
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Delta Wye Transformations
These three-terminals networks are equivalent
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Delta Wye Transformations
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Example 2:
Delta Wye Transformation