Department of Electrical and Electronics

Engineering

Circuit Elements

Dr. Hussein KASSEM

Lebanese International University
Spring20 20

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 Structure
• Voltage and Current Sources
• Electrical Resistance (Ohm’s Law)
• Construction of a Circuit Model
• Kirchhoff’s Laws
• Analysis of a Circuit Containing Dependent
Source

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 Circuit Elements
• When we speak of Circuit Elements, It is important to
differentiate between the physical device itself and
the mathematical model which we will use to
analyze its behavior in a circuit.
• We will use the expression circuit element to refer to
the mathematical model.
• All the simple circuit elements that we will consider
can be classified according to the relationship of
current through the element to the voltage across
the element.
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 Five ideal basic circuit elements

Resistor

Inductor
Voltage source Current source

Active elements

Capacitor
Passive elements
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 Electrical safety

The electrical energy that can actually cause injury is due to electrical
current and how it flows through the body. Why, then, does the sign
warn of high voltage?
Because It is easier to determine voltages than currents.

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 Voltage and Current Sources
• Ideal voltage source: a circuit element that
maintains a prescribed voltage across its
terminals regardless of the current flowing in
those terminals.
• Ideal current source: a circuit element that
maintains a prescribed current through its
terminals regardless of the voltage across
those terminals.

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 Independent Sources
• An independent source establishes a voltage or
current in a circuit without relying on voltages or
currents elsewhere in the circuit. The value of the
voltage or current supplied is specified by the value
of the independent source alone.

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 Example #1

✔ ✔ ✗

Which are valid?

✗ ✔
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 Dependent Sources
• A dependent source establishes a voltage or current
whose value depends on the value of a voltage or
current elsewhere in the circuit. You cannot specify
the value of a dependent source unless you know the
value of the voltage or current on which it depends.
• Four kind of controlled sources,
– current-‐controlled current source, CCCS;
– voltage-‐controlled current source, VCCS;
– voltage-‐controlled voltage source, VCVS;
– current-‐controlled voltage source, CCVS.
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 The circuit symbols for
(a) An ideal dependent voltage-controlled
voltage source;
(b) An ideal dependent current-controlled
voltage source;
(c) An ideal dependent voltage-controlled
current source;
(d) An ideal dependent current-controlled
current source.

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 Example #2

✗ ✔

Which are valid?

✔ ✗
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 Example #3
• For the circuit shown,
– a) What value of vg is required in order for the
interconnection to be valid?
– b) For this value of vg, find the power associated
with the 8 A source.

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 Solution for Example #3
• For a), we have
vg = ib/4 = −8/4 = −2(V)
• For b), we have
p = 8vg = 8 × )−2) = −16(W)

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 Electrical Resistance )Ohm’s Law)
• Resistance is the capacity of materials to impede the
flow of current or, more specifically, the flow of
electric charge. The circuit element used to model
this behavior is the resistor.
• The linear resistor is the simplest passive element. Its
symbol and characteristic are as following:

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 Ohm’s Law

Left: in the direction of the voltage drop across the resistor

Right: in the direction of the voltage rise across the resistor

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 Other Forms of Ohm’s Law
• Current is in the direction of the voltage drop across
the resistor

• Current is in the direction of the voltage rise across

the resistor

• Conductance: the reciprocal of the resistance, which

is symbolized by the letter G, and is measured in
Siemens (S)

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 Power in Different Forms
Left:
P = vi = (iR)i = i2R
P = vi = v(v/R) = v2/R
Right:
P = − vi = − )−iR)i = i2R
P = − vi = − v)−v/R) = v2/R
The equations for LeZ and right are identical and demonstrate clearly that,
regardless of voltage polarity and current direction, the power at the terminals
of a resistor is positive. Therefore, a resistor absorbs power from the circuit.

What’s the expression of power if we use conductance, rather than resistance?

See example 2.3 (P.)55

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 Example #4

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 Solution for Example #4
• For a), we have
R = vg/ig = 1 kV / 0.005 A = 200 kΩ
p = vgig = 1000 V × 0.005 A = 5 W
• For b), we have
vg＝p/ig = 3 W / 0.075 A = 40 V
R = vg/ig = 40 V / 0.075 A = 533.3 Ω
pabsorbed=pdelivered = 3 W
• For c), we have
ig = (p/R)0.5= (0.48 W / 300 Ω)0.5 0.04 =A = 40mA
vg = (pR)0.5= (0.48 W × 300 Ω)0.5 12 =V
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 Construction of a Circuit Model

Flashlight

An ideal switch offers no resistance to the current when

it is in the ON state, but it offers infinite resistance to
current when it is in the OFF state.

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 • In developing a circuit model, the electrical
behavior of each physical component is of
primary interest: a lamp, a coiled wire, and
a metal case.
• Circuit models may need to account for
undesired as well as desired electrical
effects: light and heat.
The arrangement of
flashlight components • Modeling requires approximation.

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 Kirchhoff’s Law

A node is a point where

two or more circuit
elements meet.

Circuit model for the flashlight

Based on Ohm’s law:

Ohm's law may not be enough to

provide a complete solution!

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• Kirchhoff's current law (KCL): The algebraic sum of all the
currents at any node in a circuit equals zero.
• Kirchhoffs voltage law (KVL): The algebraic sum of all the
voltages around any closed path in a circuit equals zero.

Reference direction is important!

KCL: Assign a positive sign to a current leaving a node requires
assigning a negative sign to a current entering a node, or vice
versa.
KVL: As we trace a closed path, assign a positive sign to a voltage
rise requires assigning a negative sign to a voltage drop, or vice
versa.

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 Circuit model for the flashlight
KCL

KVL

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 Example# 5

Use Kirchhoff's current law (KCL)

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 Solution for Example# 5

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 Example# 6

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 Solution for Example# 6

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 Example# 7
• Use Ohm's law and Kirchhoff’s laws to find the value
of R in the circuit.
vR

iR i1 i2
v2

Kirchhoff’s laws: Ohm's law:

vR + 120 – 200 = 0 R = vR / iR
– 120v2 = 0 24i1 = 120
iR – i1 – i2 = 0 8i2 = v2 R=4Ω
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 Analysis of a Circuit Containing
Dependent Sources

KCL
KVL

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 Example# 8
a)Use Kirchhoffs laws and Ohm's law to find the voltage vo as
shown in the Figure.
b)Show that your solution is consistent with the constraint that
the total power developed in the circuit equals the total power
dissipated.

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 Solution for Example #8
By using Kirchhoff’s voltage law (KVL), we have

Then, by using Ohm’s law, we have

Please check the power balancing!

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 Electrical Safety

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 Summary
• Ideal voltage/current sources
• Independent/dependent sources
• Resistor
• Ohm’s law
• In series, closed path
• Kirchhoff’s voltage/current law

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