PHY150

CHAPTER 6: DC CIRCUITS

6.1 The Kirchoff’s Rules

a) The junction rule

The sum of the currents entering any junction equals

the sum of currents leaving that junction.

I  0

R1 I1
a
I2 I4

R2 R4
I3
b
R3

At junction a, I 1 = I 2 + I4

At junction b, I 4 + I 2 = I3

b) The loop rule

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The algebraic sum of the changes in potential,

encountered in a closed circuit is zero.

V  0

I R1

 R2

R3

 = IR1 + IR2 + IR3

 - IR1 - IR2 - IR3 = 0

Thus,
    IR

6.2 The convention of sign for Kirchoff’s Rule

Loop direction Emf Current

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From – ve to + ve + ve

From + ve to - ve - ve

Direction of
current = direction + ve
of loop
Direction of
current  direction - ve
of loop

Example :

I1 a I3

I2

6 loop 1 4 loop 2 12

18V 8V

b
Find the current in each resistor. What is the voltage across
a-b, Vab ?

Solution:

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From the loop rule,

Loop 1
18 - 8 = 6I1 + 4 I2
10 = 6I1 + 4I2 …………………(1)

Loop 2
-8 = 12I3 + 4I2 ………………….(2)

From the junction rule,

At a, I1 + I3 = I2 …………………(3)

Insert (3) into (1),

10 = 6(I2 – I3) + 4I2
10 = 10I2 – 6I3
(10 I  10)
I3 = 6
2
………………..(4)

Insert (4) into (2),

(10 I  10)
-8 = 12 6
2
+ 4I2

12
 I2 = 24 = 0 .5 A

From (4),

1
(10 x )  26
I3 = 2
6

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7
 I3 = 
2

From (3),

I1 = I 2 – I3
1 1
I1 = 2
 ( )
2

8
 I1 = 2
4 A

a
Vab = 8 - 4I2
4 I2
1
= 84
2
8V
= 6V
b

OR

Vab = 18 – 6I1 6 I1
= 18  6(4) 18V
= -6V

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OR

Vab = 12I3
I3
7
= 12 ( )
2 12

= 2V

6.3 WHEATSTONE BRIDGE

Wheatstone bridge is a circuit which can measure

resistance precisely.

B
I1
P Q
C

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I1
G
A
I2 S
R
I2
D

Resistors P and Q are standard resistor and P/Q is fixed.

For example, P/Q = 1.

R is the resistance to be determined.

S is a standard variable resistor and can be tuned until the

galvanometer reading is zero. That means there is no
current flow through G and hence, the bridge is balanced
or,

VB= VD

Thus, current flow through P = current flow through Q

= I1

And, current flow through R = current flow through S

= I2

For resistors P and R, A is the common point and,

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VBA = VAD
 VP = V R
I1P = I2P ............(1)

Also, VBC = VDC

I1Q = I2S ………(2)

(1)  (2)
P R

Q S

P
 R=   S
Q

6.4 POTENTIOMETER

Potentiometer is used to measure emf and voltage at high

precision.

Drive cell

l
I
A J B

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X Y

Wire AB is uniform so that the potential difference across

each length is equal.

VA-J  length, l

 V = kl

V1 V2
 l1

l2

Potentiometer is similar to a voltmeter.

The following figure shows how X and Y terminals are

supposedly connected.

E l
J

+ -
Cell to be
measured its
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6.5 RC Circuit

In some direct circuits (dc), the circuit can vary with time
while maintaining a constant direction. Such is the case in
RC circuit which generally consists of resistors and
capacitors.

6.51 Charging a capacitor through a resistor.

I=0 R

Q=0
Vo

C
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Initially there is no current and no

charge on the capacitor.

+Q
C
Vo -Q

When the switch is closed, there is a

current in the circuit until the capacitor
is charged to its maximum value. The
rate of charging depends on the
circuit’s time constant,  (=RC).
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I0
+Qo
C
-Qo
Vo
S

For times much larger than , the

current is very close to zero and the
capacitor is said to be fully charged.

At this time, the resistor’s voltage is zero and the

capacitor’s voltage must be Vo. The maximum capacitor
charge is given by,

Qo = CVo

The resistance is one of two factors that determines how

fast the capacitor is charged because the larger its value, the
greater the resistance to charge flow.

The capacitance is the other factor that influences the

charging speed; it simply takes longer to charge a larger
capacitor.

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The charge on a capacitor in an RC circuit varies with time

as follows:

q(t) = C(1- e-t/)

The voltage across the capacitor increases exponentially

with the time according to,

VC = Vo1-e-t/(RC)

Where e has an approximate value of 2.718

The current varies with time according to,

I = Ioe-t/(RC)

Or

I(t) = R e-t/

Thus, the current decreases exponentially with time.

The time constant ,  = RC

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Vc

Vo
0.63Vo

time
 = RC

Capacitor charging in a series RC

circuit

Current

Io

0.371Io
 = RC

6.52 Discharging a capacitor through a resistor

VC ++ C R
--

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The capacitor is initially fully charged.

When the switch is closed, current appears
in the circuit as the capacitor begins to
discharge.

The voltage across the capacitor decreases exponentially

with time, as does the current. The expression for the decay
is,

VC = Voe-t/RC

= Voe-t/

VC

Vo

0.37Vo

 = RC

Discharging capacitor

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If a capacitor in an RC circuit starts with a charge Q at a

time t = 0 , its charge at later time is

q(t) = Qe-t/

Behavior near t = 
Long after the switch is closed in an RC circuit, capacitors
behave like open circuit.

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