UNIT: ELECTRICAL PRINCIPLES I TOPIC 1: DIRECT CURRENT CIRCUITS

SERIES AND PARALLEL NETWORKS

A. Series circuits

Figure 2 shows three resistors R1, R2 and R3 connected end to end, i.e., in series, with a battery source of V volts.
Since the circuit is closed a current, I will flow and the p.d. across each resistor may be determined from the
voltmeter readings V1, V2 and V3

Figure 2
In a series circuit

a) the current I is the same in all parts of the circuit and hence the same reading is found on each of the two
ammeters shown, and
b) the sum of the voltages V1, V2 and V3 is equal to the total applied voltage, V, i.e.

From Ohm’s law:

Thus, for a series circuit, the total resistance is obtained by adding together the values of the separate resistances.

Problem 1

For the circuit shown in Figure 3, determine (a) the battery voltage V, (b) the total resistance of the circuit, and (c)
the values of resistance of resistorsR1, R2 and R3, given that the p.d.’s across R1, R2 and R3 are 5V, 2V and 6V
respectively.

Figure 3

Prepared by Eng. M.S. PAUL – 0707707050 LECTURER; The Meru national polytechnic 1
UNIT: ELECTRICAL PRINCIPLES I TOPIC 1: DIRECT CURRENT CIRCUITS

Problem 2.
For the circuit shown in Figure 4, determine the p.d. across resistor R3. If the total resistance of the circuit is
100 Ω, determine the current flowing through resistor R1. Find also the value of resistor R2.

Figure 4

Problem 3.
A 12V battery is connected in a circuit having three series-connected resistors having resistances of 4 Ω, 9 Ω and
11Ω. Determine the current flowing through, and the p.d. across the 9 Ω resistor. Find also the power dissipated in
the 11Ω resistor.

The circuit diagram is shown in Figure 5

Potential divider

Prepared by Eng. M.S. PAUL – 0707707050 LECTURER; The Meru national polytechnic 2
UNIT: ELECTRICAL PRINCIPLES I TOPIC 1: DIRECT CURRENT CIRCUITS

The voltage distribution for the circuit shown in Figure 6(a) is given by:

Figure 6

The circuit shown in Figure 6(b) is often referred to as a potential divider circuit. Such a circuit can consist of a
number of similar elements in series connected across a voltage source, voltages being taken from connections
between the elements. Frequently the divider consists of two resistors as shown in Figure 6(b), where,

A potential divider is the simplest way of producing a source of lower e.m.f. from a source of higher e.m.f., and is
the basic operating mechanism of the potentiometer, a measuring device for accurately measuring potential
differences

Problem 4.

Determine the value of voltage V shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7

Figure 5.6 may be redrawn as shown in Figure 7, and voltage

Prepared by Eng. M.S. PAUL – 0707707050 LECTURER; The Meru national polytechnic 3
UNIT: ELECTRICAL PRINCIPLES I TOPIC 1: DIRECT CURRENT CIRCUITS

Exercise 3: On series circuits

1. The p. d’s measured across three resistors connected in series are 5V, 7 V and 10V, and the supply current
is 2A. Determine (a) the supply voltage, (b) the total circuit resistance and (c) the values of the three
resistors.
2. For the circuit shown in Figure 8, determine the value of V1. If the total circuit resistance is 36 Ω determine
the supply current and the value of resistors R1, R2 and R3.

Figure 8

3. When the switch in the circuit in Figure 9 is closed the reading on voltmeter 1 is 30V and that on voltmeter
2 is 10V. Determine the reading on the ammeter and the value of resistor Rx.
4. Two resistors are connected in series across an 18V supply and a current of 5A flows. If one of the resistors
has a value of 2.4 Ω determine (a) the value of the other resistor and (b) the p.d. across the 2.4 Ω resistor.

Figure 9

5. An arc lamp takes 9.6A at 55V. It is operated from a 120V supply. Find the value of the stabilizing resistor
to be connected in series.
6. An oven takes 15A at 240V. It is required to reduce the current to 12A. Find (a) the resistor which must be
connected in series, and (b) the voltage across the resistor.

B. Parallel networks

Figure 10 shows three resistors, R1, R2 and R3 connected across each other, i.e., in parallel, across a battery source
of V volts.

Prepared by Eng. M.S. PAUL – 0707707050 LECTURER; The Meru national polytechnic 4
UNIT: ELECTRICAL PRINCIPLES I TOPIC 1: DIRECT CURRENT CIRCUITS

Figure 10

In a parallel circuit:
a) the sum of the currents I1, I2 and I3 is equal to the total circuit current, I, i.e. I =I1 +I2 +I3, and
b) the source p.d., V volts, is the same across each of the resistors.

From Ohm’s law:

Dividing throughout by V gives:

This equation must be used when finding the total resistance R of a parallel circuit. For the special case of two
resistors in parallel

Problem 5.
For the circuit shown in Figure 11, determine (a) the reading on the ammeter, and (b) the value of resistor R2.

Prepared by Eng. M.S. PAUL – 0707707050 LECTURER; The Meru national polytechnic 5
UNIT: ELECTRICAL PRINCIPLES I TOPIC 1: DIRECT CURRENT CIRCUITS

Figure 11

Problem 6.
Two resistors, of resistance 3_ and 6 Ω, are connected in parallel across a battery having a voltage of 12V.
Determine (a) the total circuit resistance and (b) the current flowing in the 3 Ω resistor.

The circuit diagram is shown in Figure 12

Figure 12

Problem 7.
For the circuit shown in Figure 13, find (a) the value of the supply voltage V and (b) the value of current I.

Prepared by Eng. M.S. PAUL – 0707707050 LECTURER; The Meru national polytechnic 6
UNIT: ELECTRICAL PRINCIPLES I TOPIC 1: DIRECT CURRENT CIRCUITS

Figure 13

Problem 8.
Find the equivalent resistance for the circuit shown in Figure 14

Figure 14

R3, R4 and R5 are connected in parallel and their equivalent resistance R is given by:

The circuit is now equivalent to four resistors in series and the equivalent circuit resistance = 1+2.2+1.8+4 = 9 Ω

Current division

For the circuit shown in Figure 15, the total circuit resistance, RT is given by:

Prepared by Eng. M.S. PAUL – 0707707050 LECTURER; The Meru national polytechnic 7
UNIT: ELECTRICAL PRINCIPLES I TOPIC 1: DIRECT CURRENT CIRCUITS

Figure 15

Summarizing;

Problem 9.
For the series-parallel arrangement shown in Figure 16, find (a) the supply current, (b) the current flowing through
each resistor and (c) the p.d. across each resistor.

Figure 16

(a) The equivalent resistance Rx of R2 and R3 in parallel is:

The equivalent resistance RT of R1, Rx and R4 in series is:

(b) The current flowing through R1 and R4 is 25A. The current flowing through R2

The current flowing through R3

Prepared by Eng. M.S. PAUL – 0707707050 LECTURER; The Meru national polytechnic 8
UNIT: ELECTRICAL PRINCIPLES I TOPIC 1: DIRECT CURRENT CIRCUITS

(Note that the currents flowing through R2 and R3 must add up to the total current flowing into the parallel
arrangement, i.e., 25A)

(c) The equivalent circuit of Figure 5.21 is shown in Figure 17.

Figure 17

Exercise 4: Further problem on parallel networks

1. Resistances of 4_and 12_ are connected in parallel across a 9Vbattery. Determine (a) the equivalent circuit
resistance, (b) the supply current, and (c) the current in each resistor.
2. For the circuit shown in Figure 18 determine (a) the reading on the ammeter, and (b) the value of resistor R.

Figure 18
3. Find the equivalent resistance when the following resistances are connected (a) in series, (b) in parallel
i) 3 Ω and 2 Ω (ii) 20 k Ω and 40 k Ω
ii) 4 Ω,8 Ω and 16 Ω (iv) 800 Ω,4 k Ω and 1500 Ω
4. Find the total resistance between terminals A and B of the circuit shown in Figure 19(a)

Prepared by Eng. M.S. PAUL – 0707707050 LECTURER; The Meru national polytechnic 9
UNIT: ELECTRICAL PRINCIPLES I TOPIC 1: DIRECT CURRENT CIRCUITS

5. A resistor of 2.4 Ω is connected in series with another of 3.2 Ω. What resistance must be placed across the one
of 2.4 Ω so that the total resistance of the circuit shall be 5 Ω?
6. A resistor of 8 Ω is connected in parallel with one of 12 Ω and the combination is connected in series with one
of 4 Ω. A p.d. of 10V is applied to the circuit. The 8 Ω resistor is now placed across the 4 Ω resistor. Find the
p.d. required to send the same current through the 8 Ω resistor

KIRCHOFF’S LAW

Kirchhoff’s laws state:

a) Current Law. At any junction in an electric circuit the total current flowing towards that junction is equal to
the total current flowing away from the junction, i.e., ΣI =0
Thus, referring to Figure 20

Figure 20

b) Voltage Law. In any closed loop in a network, the algebraic sum of the voltage drops (i.e., products of
current and resistance) taken around the loop is equal to the resultant e.m.f. acting in that loop.
Thus, referring to Figure 21:

Prepared by Eng. M.S. PAUL – 0707707050 LECTURER; The Meru national polytechnic 10
UNIT: ELECTRICAL PRINCIPLES I TOPIC 1: DIRECT CURRENT CIRCUITS

Figure 21

(Note that if current flows away from the positive terminal of a source, that source is considered by convention to
be positive. Thus, moving anticlockwise around the loop of Figure 21, E1 is positive and E2 is negative.)

Problem 1. (a) Find the unknown currents marked in Figure 22(a). (b) Determine the value of e.m.f. E in Figure
22(b).

Figure 22

(i.e., in the opposite direction to that shown in Figure 22(a))

(b) Applying Kirchhoff’s voltage law and moving clockwise around the loop of Figure 22(b) starting at
point A:

Problem 2. Use Kirchhoff’s laws to determine the currents flowing in each branch of the network shown in Figure
23.

Figure 23

Procedure

Prepared by Eng. M.S. PAUL – 0707707050 LECTURER; The Meru national polytechnic 11
UNIT: ELECTRICAL PRINCIPLES I TOPIC 1: DIRECT CURRENT CIRCUITS

1. Use Kirchhoff’s current law and label current directions on the original circuit diagram. The directions
chosen are arbitrary, but it is usual, as a starting point, to assume that current flows from the positive
terminals of the batteries. This is shown in Figure 24 where the three branch currents are expressed in
terms of I1 and I2 only, since the current through R is I1 +I2.

Figure 24
2. Divide the circuit into two loops and apply Kirchhoff’s voltage law to each. From loop 1 of Figure 24,
and moving in a clockwise direction as indicated (the direction chosen does not matter), gives

From loop 2 of Figure 24, and moving in an anticlockwise direction as indicated (once again, the choice of
direction does not matter; it does not have to be in the same direction as that chosen for the first loop),
gives:

3. Solve equations (1) and (2) for I1 and I2.

(i.e., I2 is flowing in the opposite direction to that shown in Figure 24)

Note that a third loop is possible, as shown in Figure 25, giving a third equation which can be used as a
check:

Figure 25

Prepared by Eng. M.S. PAUL – 0707707050 LECTURER; The Meru national polytechnic 12
UNIT: ELECTRICAL PRINCIPLES I TOPIC 1: DIRECT CURRENT CIRCUITS

Problem 3. Determine, using Kirchhoff’s laws, each branch current for the network shown in Figure 26

Figure 26

1. Currents, and their directions are shown labelled in Figure 27 following Kirchhoff’s current law. It is usual,
although not essential, to follow conventional current flow with current flowing from the positive terminal
of the source.

Figure 27

2. The network is divided into two loops as shown in Figure 27. Applying Kirchhoff’s voltage law gives:

Note that since loop 2 is in the opposite direction to current (I1 − I2), the volt drops across R3 (i.e. (I1 − I2)
(R3)) is by convention negative.

3. Solving equations (1) and (2) to find I1 and I2:

Exercise 5: Further problems on Kirchhoff’s laws

1. For the networks shown in Figure 28, find the values of the currents marked.

Prepared by Eng. M.S. PAUL – 0707707050 LECTURER; The Meru national polytechnic 13
UNIT: ELECTRICAL PRINCIPLES I TOPIC 1: DIRECT CURRENT CIRCUITS

Figure 28

2. Use Kirchhoff’s laws to find the current flowing in the 6Ω resistor of Figure 29 and the power dissipated in the
4Ω resistor.

Figure 29
3. Find the current flowing in the 3 Ω resistor for the network shown in Figure 30(a). Find also the p.d. across the
10 Ω and 2 Ω resistors.

Figure 30
4. For the network shown in Figure 30(b) find: (a) the current in the battery, (b) the current in the 300 Ω resistor,
(c) the current in the 90 Ω resistor, and (d) the power dissipated in the 150 Ω resistor.
5. For the bridge network shown in Figure 30 (c), find the currents I1 to I5.

Prepared by Eng. M.S. PAUL – 0707707050 LECTURER; The Meru national polytechnic 14