12/22/2024

Debre Berhan University

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
For 2nd Year Mechanical Engineering
Basics of Electricity and Electronics

By Tesfahun W.

DBU/ECE 2024

Chapter-1: Basics of Electricity

❖ Use appropriate SI units and standard prefixes when

✓ calculating voltages, currents, power, and energy.

❖ Explain the relationships between basic electrical quantities:

✓ Charge, current, voltage, power, and energy.

❖ Use the appropriate symbols for independent and dependent voltage and current sources.

❖ Calculate the value of the dependent sources when analyzing a circuit that contain independent and

dependent sources.

❖ Calculate the power absorbed by a circuit element

✓ using the passive sign convention.

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Chapter-1: INTRODUCTION
Electric circuit theory and electromagnetic theory are the two fundamental theories upon which all
branches of electrical engineering are built.
Many branches of electrical engineering, such as power, electric machines, control, electronics,
communications, and instrumentation, are based on electric circuit theory. Therefore, the basic
electric circuit theory course is the most important course for an electrical engineering student.
Circuit theory is also valuable to students specializing in other branches of the physical sciences
because circuits are a good model for the study of energy systems in general, and because of the
applied mathematics, physics, and topology involved.
We are often interested in communicating or transferring energy from one point to another in
electrical engineering. To do this requires an interconnection of electrical devices. Such
interconnection is referred to as an electric circuit, and each component of the circuit is known an
element.

Basics of Electricity

Electricity is the flow of charges in an electric circuit

An electric circuit is an interconnection of electrical elements.
It consists of three basic components: a battery, a lamp, and
connecting wires.

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Scientists usually draw electric circuits using symbols:

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Electrical Quantities

✓Charge and current

✓Voltage
✓Power and energy
✓Circuit elements

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Charge
• An electric circuit is an interconnection of electrical elements.

• The most basic quantity in an electric circuit is the electric charge.

• Charge is an electrical property of the atomic particles of which matter consists, measured in coulombs (C)

e = −1.602 × 10−19 C.

The coulomb is a large unit for charges.

The law of conservation of charge states that charge can neither be created nor destroyed, only transferred.

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Current(symbol: I; Unit: Ampere)

• Electric current is the time rate of change of charge.
• Flow of charge (Current-through variable)
• There are two types of Electric current: AC current and DC current
• An alternating current (ac) is a current that varies sinusoidally with time.
Where as, Direct current (DC) is an electric current that is uni-directional,
mathematically,
so, the flow of charge is always in the same direction.
• The charge transferred between time t0 and t is obtained by integrating
both sides

➢Conventional current flow: flow of positively charged particles

➢Electron current flow: flow of negative charged particles

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Current
❑Current is rate of flow of Current-Water Analogy
negatively-charged particles,
called electrons, through a
predetermined cross-sectional
area in a conductor.
–Like water flow in a pipe.

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DC (direct current) and AC (alternating current):

• Some common devices and appliances in homes that use DC (direct current) and AC
(alternating current):
Devices/Appliances that use DC Current:
➢Smartphones, tablets, laptops - Rechargeable batteries and power supplies convert
AC to DC
➢LED lights
➢Solar panels and solar-powered devices
➢Certain electronics like radios, clocks, remote controls
➢Car batteries and accessories
• Devices/Appliances that use AC Current:
➢Major household appliances like refrigerators,
washing machines, ovens, air conditioners
➢Lighting fixtures powered by the electrical grid
➢Wall outlets and sockets
➢Ceiling fans
➢Electric heaters
• Some devices may use both AC and DC - for example, a laptop charger takes AC from
the wall outlet and converts it to the Chapter
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DC 1:current needed to charge the laptop battery. 11
basic concepts

When comparing DC (direct current) and AC (alternating current) with the same magnitude (i.e. same amount of current) for
electric shock, AC current is generally considered more dangerous. The key reasons are:
1.Muscular Contraction:
1. AC current causes your muscles to contract, making it harder to let go of the conductor.
2. DC current does not cause the same sustained muscular contraction, making it easier to release the conductor.
2.Heart Fibrillation:
1. AC current can disrupt the normal rhythm of the heart, leading to ventricular fibrillation, which can be fatal.
2. DC current is less likely to cause this dangerous heart rhythm disturbance.
3.Path through the Body:
1. AC current tends to take a more unpredictable path through the body, increasing the chances of it passing through
vital organs.
2. DC current generally follows a more direct path, reducing the risk of it affecting critical areas.
4.Tissue Damage:
1. AC current can cause more severe burns and tissue damage compared to DC current of the same magnitude.
The threshold for dangerous levels of current is also lower for AC compared to DC. Generally, AC current as low as 30-50
mA can12/22/2024
be fatal, while DC current needs to be much higher,
Chapter 1:around 300-500 mA, to pose the same level of danger.
basic concepts 12

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Human body resistance for Electric Shock!

The resistance of the human body plays a crucial
role in determining the effects of an electric shock.
It depends on several factors, such as the contact
points, the condition of the skin, and whether the
body is wet or dry. Here's an overview:

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Examples on Charge and current

1
Examples:
•
2

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Charge and current

Exercise:
• The current flowing through an element is

Calculate the charge entering the element from t = 0

to t = 2 s.

Answer: 6.667 C.

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Voltage(Symbol: V ;Unit: Volt)

• Voltage is the potential difference across two terminals in a circuit “across variable.”
– In order to move charge from point A to point B, work needs to be done.
– Like potential energy at a water fall.
A B
– Let A be the lower potential/voltage terminal
– Let B be the higher potential/voltage terminal
Then, voltage across A and B is the energy required to move a unit positive charge from
A to B.

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Voltage
• Voltage (or potential difference) is the energy required to move a unit charge
through an element, measured in volts (V).
Voltage vs Pressure

Vab = −Vba

• Two representation of the same voltage

Vab=9v.

• Electric current is always through an element and that electric voltage is always
across the element or between two points.

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Power and Energy

• Power is the time rate of expending or absorbing energy, measured in
watts (W).

• The power absorbed or supplied by an element is the product of the

voltage across the element and the current through it.

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Power and Energy

• If the power has a + sign, power is being delivered to or absorbed
by the element.
• If, on the other hand, the power has a − sign, power is
being released or supplied by the element.

But how do we know?

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Power and Energy

• The energy absorbed or supplied by an element from
time t0 to time t is

• Energy is the capacity to do work, measured in joules ( J).

• law of conservation of energy must be obeyed in any electric circuit. For

this reason, the algebraic sum of power in a circuit, at any instant of time,
must be zero:
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Power vs Energy
• Power is the rate of energy transfer or work done, measured in watts (W).
• Energy is the total capacity or amount of work that can be done, measured in
joules (J).
• Power and energy are related, as power is the rate of change of energy over
time. Higher power means energy is being used/transferred more quickly.
The correlation: Distance vs Displacement and Power vs Energy
• Power and energy are related in a similar way as distance and displacement.
• Power is the rate of change of energy, just as displacement is the rate of change
of distance.
• Just as displacement can be less than the total distance traveled, energy used
can be less than the total energy available, depending on the efficiency of the
process.
• Understanding these correlations is important in physics, engineering, and
many other scientific fields where quantifying and optimizing the transfer and
use of energy is crucial
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Examples on Power and Energy

Example 1: An energy source forces a constant current of 2 A for 10 s to
flow through a lightbulb. If 2.3 kJ is given off in the form of light and heat
energy, calculate the voltage drop across the bulb.

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Power and Energy

Example 2:

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Electrical Circuit Elements

✓Charge and current

✓Voltage
✓Power and energy
✓Circuit elements

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Circuit elements
• An electric circuit is simply an interconnection of the elements.
• There are two types of elements found in electric circuits:
• passive elements and
• active elements
• An active element is capable of generating energy while a passive element is not.
• Examples of passive elements are resistors, capacitors, and inductors. Typical active
elements include generators, batteries, transistors and operational amplifiers.
• The most important active elements are voltage or current sources that generally
deliver power to the circuit connected to them.
• There are two kinds of sources:
• independent sources and
• dependent sources.
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Circuit elements
• An ideal independent source is an active element that provides a specified
voltage or current that is completely independent of other circuit variables.
• In other words, an ideal independent voltage source delivers to the circuit
whatever current is necessary to maintain its terminal voltage.
• Batteries and generators may be regarded as approximations to ideal voltage
sources.

fig: symbol for independent voltage source

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Circuit elements
• Similarly, an ideal independent current source delivers to the circuit
whatever voltage is necessary to maintain the designated current.

Figure: symbol for independent current source

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Circuit elements
• An ideal dependent (or controlled) source is an active element in which
the source quantity is controlled by another voltage or current.
• Dependent sources are usually designated by diamond-shaped symbols.

Figure: symbol for dependent voltage and current sources

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Circuit elements

• There are four possible types of dependent sources, namely:

1. A voltage-controlled voltage source (VCVS).
2. A current-controlled voltage source (CCVS).
3. A voltage-controlled current source (VCCS).
4. A current-controlled current source (CCCS).

• Dependent sources are useful in modeling elements such as transistors,

operational amplifiers and integrated circuits.
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Circuit elements

• For a voltage source, we know the voltage but not the current supplied or
drawn by it. By the same token, we know the current supplied by a
current source but not the voltage across it.

• Ideal source could in theory supply an infinite amount of energy.

Practically impossible!

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Examples on Circuit Elements

Example 1: Calculate the power supplied
or absorbed by each element in Fig. 1.1

Fig. 1.1 circuit for example 2

Solution:
We apply the passive sign convention,
the 5-A current is out of the positive
terminal (or into the negative terminal);
hence
(From Sadiku pp-16)
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Examples on Circuit Elements

Example 2:

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Applications
Example 1:

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Applications
Example 2:Electricity Bills, The second application deals with how an electric
utility company charges their customers. The cost of electricity depends upon
the amount of energy consumed in kilowatt-hours (kWh).

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Applications
Example 3:Electric vehicles, Suppose that your car will not start. To determine whether the battery is
faulty, you turn on the light switch and find that the lights are very dim, indicating a weak battery. You borrow
a friend’s car and a set of jumper cables. However, how do you connect his car’s battery to yours? What do you want
his battery to do?
Essentially, his car’s battery must supply energy to yours, and therefore it should be connected in the manner shown in Fig.
1.10. Note that the positive current leaves the positive terminal of the good battery (supplying energy) and enters the
positive terminal of the weak battery (absorbing energy). Note that the same connections are used when charging a battery

In practical applications, there are often considerations other

than simply the electrical relations (e.g., safety). Such is the
case with jump-starting an automobile.
Automobile batteries produce explosive gases that can be
ignited accidentally, causing severe physical injury. Be safe,
follow the procedure described in your auto owner’s
manual.
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Exercise: 1. Find the power supplied or absorbed by each elements?

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Exercise: 2. Find Io and the power supplied or absorbed by each elements?

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Exercise: 3. Find Vo and the power supplied or absorbed by each elements?

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THANK YOU!
If u have any question, u are welcome!!!

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