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qa (t )  10cos(t )[mC ] is the charge entering at a

Given: charge. Required: current.
(time is in seconds) i
dq
 10 sin(t )[mA]
a iab (1)  dt
i (1)  10 sin(1)
Given: current. Required: voltage.
R  2 vab (t   )  V  Ri  2 * 10 sin   0
Given: current, resistor, voltage. Required: power.
b pR (t )  p  Ri 2  2[]*(102 ) 2 * sin 2 (t )[ A]2
 p  200 sin 2 (t ) W
For  t ,
2
the current flows from___ to ___ 

point ___ has higher vol tage than point ____

Sketch for -sin(t)
On the time interval, current from a to b is negative.
Current flows from b to a
SAMPLE QUESTION and point b has the higher voltage
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KIRCHHOFF CURRENT LAW

ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL CONSERVATION PRINCIPLES

IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

“CHARGE CANNOT BE CREATED NOR DESTROYED”

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NODES, BRANCHES, LOOPS A NODE CONNECTS SEVERAL COMPONENTS,

BUT IT DOES NOT HOLD ANY CHARGE.

TOTAL CURRENT FLOWING INTO THE NODE

MUST BE EQUAL TO TOTAL CURRENT OUT
OF THE NODE

(A CONSERVATION OF CHARGE PRINCIPLE)

NODE: point where two, or more, elements

are joined (e.g., big node 1)
LOOP: A closed path that never goes
twice over a node (e.g., the blue line)
The red path is NOT a loop NODE

BRANCH: Component connected between two

nodes (e.g., component R4)

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KIRCHHOFF CURRENT LAW (KCL)

SUM OF CURRENTS FLOWING INTO A NODE IS

EQUAL TO SUM OF CURRENTS FLOWING OUT OF
THE NODE


5A  5A
A current flowing into a node
is equivalent to the negative
flowing out of the node

ALGEBRAIC SUM OF CURRENT (FLOWING) OUT OF

A NODE IS ZERO

ALGEBRAIC SUM OF CURRENTS FLOWING INTO A

NODE IS ZERO

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A node is a point of connection of two or more circuit elements.

It may be stretched out or compressed for visual purposes...
But it is still a node.

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A GENERALIZED NODE IS ANY PART OF A

CIRCUIT WHERE THERE IS NO ACCUMULATION
OF CHARGE

... OR WE CAN MAKE SUPERNODES BY

AGGREGATING NODES

Leaving 2 : i1  i6  i4  0
Leaving 3 :  i2  i4  i5  i7  0
Adding 2 & 3 : i1  i2  i5  i6  i7  0
INTERPRETATION: SUM OF CURRENTS LEAVING
NODES 2&3 IS ZERO
VISUALIZATION: WE CAN ENCLOSE NODES 2&3
INSIDE A SURFACE THAT IS VIEWED AS A
GENERALIZED NODE (OR SUPERNODE) 20

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PROBLEM SOLVING HINT: KCL CAN BE USED

TO FIND A MISSING CURRENT

b SUM OF CURRENTS INTO

NODE IS ZERO

I X  ? 5 A  I X  (3 A)  0
5A I X  2 A
c a
Which way are charges
3A flowing on branch a-b?

d
...AND PRACTICE NOTATION CONVENTION AT
THE SAME TIME...

I ab  2 A, d NODES: a,b,c,d,e
-3A BRANCHES: a-b,c-b,d-b,e-b
I cb  3 A c 4A
I bd  4 A Ibe = ?
b
I be  ? a
2A
e

I be  4 A  [ ( 3 A)]  ( 2 A)  0

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WRITE ALL KCL EQUATIONS

 i1 ( t )  i2 ( t )  i3 ( t )  0
i1 ( t )  i4 ( t )  i6 ( t )  0

 i3 ( t )  i5 ( t )  i8 ( t )  0

THE FIFTH EQUATION IS THE SUM OF THE

FIRST FOUR... IT IS REDUNDANT!!!

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FIND MISSING CURRENTS

KCL DEPENDS ONLY ON THE INTERCONNECTION.

THE TYPE OF COMPONENT IS IRRELEVANT.

KCL DEPENDS ONLY ON THE TOPOLOGY OF THE CIRCUIT.

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WRITE KCL EQUATIONS FOR THIS CIRCUIT

•THE LAST EQUATION IS AGAIN LINEARLY

DEPENDENT OF THE PREVIOUS THREE.

•THE PRESENCE OF A DEPENDENT SOURCE

DOES NOT AFFECT THE APPLICATION OF
KCL. KCL DEPENDS ONLY ON THE
TOPOLOGY.
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Here we illustrate the use

of a more general idea of
node. The shaded surface
encloses a section of the
circuit and can be considered
as a BIG node.

SUM OF CURRENTS LEAVING BIG NODE  0

I 4  40 mA  30mA  20 mA  60mA  0
I 4  70mA
THE CURRENT I5 BECOMES INTERNAL TO THE
NODE AND IT IS NOT NEEDED!!!
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Find I1 Find I T

I1  50 mA IT  10mA  40mA  20mA

Find I1 Find I1 and I2

10mA  4mA  I1  0 I 2  3mA  I1  0 I1  4mA  12mA  0

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Find ix

10i x  i x  44mA  0 i x  10i x  120mA  12 mA  0

i x  4mA

I 3  I 2  I1  0 I5  I 4  I3  0
I1 I3 I5
I1 = _______
14 mA

+
-
I5 = _______
4 mA
I2 I4

I2 = 6mA, I3 = 8mA, I4 = 4mA

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