Simple Resistive Circuits

Resistors in series

 When two elements connect at a single node

they are said to be in series

 Series connected circuit elements carry the same current

a R1 b R2 c R3 d

Vs + is R4
-
R7 R6 R5

h g f e

 We can redraw the circuit equivalently as follows

Vs + is Req
-

 Applying Kirchhoff’s voltage law gives

 Vs + i s R1  i s R 2  i s R3 + is R4  is R5  is R6  is R7  0

7 7
Vs  is  Ri  is Req Req   Ri
i 1 i 1

 Therefore, k resistors can be replaced by a single resistor s.t.

Req  R1  R2  ...... Rk

Resistors in parallel

 When two elements connect at a single node pair

they are said to be parallel

 Parallel connected circuit elements have the same voltage across their terminals

is
Vs + i1 R1 i2 R2 i3 R3 i4 R4
-

2.1
  Resistors in parallel can be reduced to a single equivalent resistor
using Kirchhoff’s current law and Ohm’s law

 From Kirchhoff’s current law, we have

is  i1  i2  i3  i4

 From the parallel connection, the voltage across each resistor must be the same
i1 R1  i2 R2  i3 R3  i4 R4  Vs

Vs
ij  , j=1, 2, 3, 4
Rj

 Therefore,
Vs Vs Vs Vs 1 1 1 1 1
is      Vs (    )  Vs
R1 R2 R3 R4 R1 R2 R3 R4 Req

 Then the equivalent circuit can be given as

a
iS
1 1 1 1 1
Vs +
- Req    
Req R1 R2 R3 R4
-
b

 For k resistors in parallel

k
1 1

Req i 1 Ri

Remark. The resistance of the equivalent resistor is always smaller than the smallest resistor in the
parallel connection.

Ex. 4Ω x 3Ω

is Find is , i1 and i 2 in the circuit.

+ i1 18Ω i2 6Ω
-
120V
-
y

 The 3Ω resistor is series with 6Ω resistor

4Ω

+ is
120V i1 18Ω i 2 9Ω
-

2.2
  The 18Ω resistor is parallel with 9Ω resistor
1 1 1
  Req  6
Req 18 9

4Ω x
120
+ is   12 A
120V + is 46
- V1 6Ω
-
V1  6.12  72 V
y

V1  18i1  72 i1  4 A
V1  9i2  72 i2  8 A OR i2  is  i1  12  4  8 A

Ex. For the circuit shown

7.2Ω 6Ω
+ a. Find the voltage, V.
b. Calculate the power delivered to the
5A V 30Ω 64 Ω 10 Ω circuit by the current source.
_ c. Calculate the power dissipated in the
10Ω resistor.

6Ω ~ 10 Ω in series 6+10=16 Ω
16 Ω // 64 Ω in parallel 16.64/80=12.8 Ω
7.2 Ω ~ 12.8 Ω in series 7.2+12.8=20 Ω
20 Ω // 30 Ω in parallel 20.30/50=12 Ω

60
V  5.12  60 V , i30   2 A , i7.2  i12.8  5  2  3 A
30

3.12.8
i6   i10  i16   2. 4 A
16

P5 A  5.60  300 W delivered

Voltage-divider circuit

 Sometimes developing more than one voltage level from a single voltage supply is necessary
use a voltage-divider circuit

i +  Applying Ohm’s law and Kirchhoff’s laws

+ R1 V1  Vs  V1  V2  0 Vs  V1  V2
Vs  −
+ V1  iR1 Vs
Vs  i ( R1  R2 ) i
R2 V2 V2  iR2 R1  R2
−

2.3
  Therefore,
R1 R2
V1  Vs , V2  V s
R1  R2 R1  R2

A resistor RL in parallel with R2

R2 R L
R 2 // R L : Req 
R2  R L
+ R1
Vs   Using voltage-divider principle, we get
+
Req R2
V0  Vs  Vs
R1 1  ( R2 / RL )  R2
R2 V0 R1  Req
RL


 Note that as RL  

R2
V0  V s
R1  R2

 Hence, as long as RL  R2 , the voltage ratio V0 / V s is

undisturbed by the addition of the load on the divider

Current-divider circuit

 A circuit that consists of two resistors connected in parallel

is R1 i1 V R2 i2

 Designed to divide the current is between R1 and R 2

 Applying Ohm’s law and Kirchhoff’s current law

2.4
 R1 R2
V  i1 R1  i2 R2  i s
R1  R2

R2 R1
 i1  i s , i2 
R1  R2 R1  R2

Ex. Consider
1.6Ω
Find the power dissipated in the 6Ω
resistor.
10A 16Ω 4Ω 6Ω

4 Ω // 6 Ω  4.6 / 10 = 2.4 Ω
1.6 Ω - 2.4 Ω  1.6 Ω + 2.4 Ω = 4 Ω
16
16 Ω // 4 Ω  i4 = .10  8 A
4  16

4
8A i6   8  3 .2 A
4Ω 6Ω 46
.....

P6  3.2 2 .6  61.44 W

Voltage division and current division

 We can now generalize the results from analyzing the divider circuits

 Consider a general voltage divider circuit

R1 R2
. . . 

Circuit V i Rj Vj

. . . 
Rn Rn 1

2.5
 V V Rj
i   Vj  V “voltage-division equation”
R1  R2  .......  Rn Req Req

 And consider a general current divider circuit

V  iReq , where Req  R1 // R2 // ....// Rn

Req
ij  i “Current-division equation”
Rj

Measuring resistance – The Wheatstone bridge

 Used to measure resistances of medium values, that is

1Ω to 1MΩ

 The bridge circuit is shown as

R1 i1 R2  A voltage source
i2  A detector (galvonometer)
is  Four resistors
i3
R3 ix R4
R 3 : a variable resistor

 We adjust the value of R 3

until there is no current in the galvonometer

 Then we get
i1  i3 , i 2  i x

2.6
  From KVL
i1 R1  i2 R2 i 1 R2 i3 R x
  , 
i3 R3  i x Rx i2 R1 i x R3

 Hence we obtain
R2 R x R2
  Rx  R3
R1 R3 R1

Delta-to-Wye (Pi-to-Tee) equivalent circuits

 Let us replace galvanometer with its equivalent resistance, R m

Rm

Rx

 The resistors R1 , R2 , R m form a delta(∆) interconnection

 The resistor R1 , Rm and R 3 form a

2.7
  Let us introduce ∆-to-Y tranformation as

Rc ( Ra  Rb )
Rab   R1  R2
Ra  Rb  Rc
 The resistance between terminals
Ra ( Rb  Rc )
Rbc   R2  R3 must be the same whether we use ∆-
Ra  Rb  Rc
connected or Y-connected set
Rb ( Ra  Rc )
Rac   R1  R3
Ra  Rb  Rc

 After making some algebraic manipulation, we get

Rb Rc R a Rc Ra Rb
R1  , R2  , R3 
Ra  Rb  Rc Ra  Rb  Rc Ra  Rb  Rc

 Reversing ∆-to-Y transformation is also possible

R1 R2  R1 R3  R2 R3
Ra 
R1

R1 R2  R1 R3  R2 R3
Rb 
R2

R1 R2  R1 R3  R2 R3
Rc 
R3

The node voltage method

 We use essential nodes of the circuit

 Consider the following circuit

2.8
 Step 1. Mark the essential nodes on the circuit diagram
this circuit has 3 essential nodes, we need 2 (3-1) node voltage equations

Step 2. Select one of the three essential nodes as a reference node

the node with the most branches is a good choice

Flag the reference node with the symbol

Step 3. Define the node voltages on the circuit diagram

A node voltage : The voltage rise from the reference node to a nonreference node.

Step 4. Generate node-voltage equations.

V1  10
i
1

 Applying KCL at the node 1 gives a node-voltage eqn.

V1  10 V1  V2 V1
  0  17V1  5V2  100
1 2 5

 The node-voltage eqn. derived at node 2

V2  V1 V2
 20   5V1  6V2  20
2 10

 Solving for V1 and V2 yields V1  9.09V , V2  10.91V

The node-voltage method and dependent sources

 If the circuit contains dependent sources

2.9
 we need constraint equations imposed by the dependent sources.

Ex. Use the node-voltage method to find the power dissipated in the 5Ω resistor.

 3 essential nodes
2 node-voltage eqn.’s

V1  20 V1 V1  V2
Node 1 :   0  15V1  4V2  200
2 20 5

V2  V1 V2  8i V2
Node 2 :   0   2V1  8V2  40i
5 2 10

V1  V2
i :  i  V1  V2  5i
5

  2V1  8V2  8V1  8V2  16V2  10V1  8V2  5V1

V1  16V
5
15V1  4. V1  200  12.5V1  200  V2  10V
8
i  1.2 A

 Therefore, P5  (1.2) 2 .5  7.2W

Some special cases

 When a voltage source is the only element between two essential nodes

 3 essential nodes

2.10
 Note that ;

 The 100V source constrains the voltage between node 1 and reference node to 100V

 This means that V1  100V , and the only unknown is V2

V2  100 V2
Node 2 :   5  0  6V2  750  V2  125V
10 50

Case 2 . When a dependent voltage source is connected between two nodes

V1  50V

V2  50 V
Node 2 : i 2  0
5 50
V
Node 3 :  i  3  4  0
100

 We eliminate i by adding the above equations

V2  50 V2 V3
  40
5 50 100

The concept of a supernode

 We can consider 2 and 3 to be a single node

 Then we simply sum the currents away from the node in terms of node voltages V2 and V3

V2  50 V2 V3
  40
5 50 100

 22V2  V3  1400

2.11
  When a voltage source is between two essential nodes
we can combine those nodes to form a supernode

 We also have
V3  V2  10i  V3  V2  2V2  100
V2  50  3V2 V3  100 V2  60V , V3  80V
i  ,
5 ??

Mesh-current method

 Mesh is a loop with no other loops inside it.

 Consider the following circuit

 A mesh current is the current that exists only in the perimeter of a mesh.

 The number of unknown currents in a circuit equals the number of branches, b

we need b independent equations

 If w elet n represent the number of nodes in the circuit

we can derive (n-1) independent equations from KCL

 Therefore, we need to obtain b-(n-1) equations

by applying KVL to meshes

 We can use the following circuiti to show the mesh-current method

2.12
  Applying KVL around the two meshes gives,

 V1  ia R1  (ia  ib ) R3  0  V1  ia ( R1  R3 )  ib R3
 V2  ib R2  (ia  ib ) R3  0  V2  ia R3  ib ( R2  R3 )

 Note that once you know mesh currents, you also know branch currents,
i1  ia
i 2  ib
i3  i a  ib

Ex.

V0  ?

V0

 We have 5 branches, 3 nodes

5  (3  1)  3 mesh-current equations needed.

 40  2ia  8(ia  ib )  0  10ia  8ib  40

6ib  6(ib  ic )  8(ib  ia )  0   8ia  20ib  6ic  0
4ic  20  6(ic  ib )  0  6ib  10ic  20

 Solving for i a , ib , ic gives,

ia  5.6 A , ib  2.0 A , ic  0.8 A

 Then V0  8(5.6  2.0)  28 .8V

 And
P40V  40.5.6  224W delivering
P20V  20.(0.8)  16W delivering Energy to the network

Mesh-current method and dependent sources

 If the circuit contains dependent sources

2.13
 the mesh-current equations must be supplemented by the appropriate
constraint equations.

Ex. Use the mesh current method to determine P4  ?

i2  4(i2  i3 )  5(i2  i1 )  0
 50  5(i1  i2 )  20(i4  i3 )  0
4i3  15i  20(i3  i1 )  0
i  i1  i3

 Solving for i1  25.6 A , i2  26 A , i3  28 A

 Then we get
i4  i3  i2  2 A  P4  2 2.4  16W

Some special cases

 When a branch includes a current source

the mesh-current method requires some additional manipulations.

 Consider the following circuit,

 We have 4 nodes, 5 essential braches

5  (4  1)  2 mesh-current
equations needed.

 100  3(ia  ib )  V  6ia  0

 V  2(ic  ib )  50  4ic  0
2(ib  ic )  3(ib  ia )  10ib  0

 We also know that ic  i a  5 A

2.14
  Solving for i a , ib , ic gives,
ia  1.75 A , ib  1.25 A , ic  6.75 A

The concept of a supermesh

 We mentally remove the current source from the circuit,

 100  3(ia  ib )  2(ic  ib )  50  4ic  6ia  0

 50  9ia  5ib  6ic

Thus;

 The supermesh has eliminated the need for introducing the unknown voltage across the
current source.

Node-voltage method versus mesh-current method

 The greatest advantage of both methods is that

they reduce the number of equations to be manipulated.

 They give a systematic way of writing these equations.

Which one to prefer ?

 Choose the one resulting in fewer simultaneous equations.

 If the circuit contains supernodes,

use node-voltage method to reduce the number of equations.

2.15
 If the circuit contains supermeshes,
use mesh-current method.

 If solving some portion of the circuit gives the requested soln.

choose the most efficient method for solving just the pertinent portion of the
circuit.

2.16