Chapter 3

Simple Resistive Circuits

1. Resistors in Series
2. Resistors in Parallel
3. The Voltage-Divider and Current-Divider
Circuits
4. Voltage Division and Current Division
5. Measuring Voltage and Current
6. The Wheatstone Bridge
7. -to-Y (-to-T) Equivalent Circuits

1
Section 3.1
Resistors in Series

2
Definition

 Two elements are said to be in series if they

are connected at a single node.
 By KCL, all series-connected resistors carry the
same current.
3
Equivalent resistor

 By (1) KVL, (2) all series resistors share a

common current is, and (3) Ohm’s law,  vs =
isR1 + isR2 +…+ isR7 = is(R1+R2+…+R7) = isReq,
k

 Req   Ri  R1  R2  ...  Rk .
4
Section 3.2
Resistors in Parallel

5
Definition

 Two elements are in parallel if they are

connected at a single node pair.
 By KVL, all parallel-connected elements have
the same voltage across their terminals.
6
Equivalent resistor

 By (1) KCL, (2) all parallel resistors share a

common voltage vs, and (3) Ohm’s law, is = vs/R1 +
vs/R2 +…+
1 vs/R =
1 1
4 vs(1/R1 +1/R
1 2 +…+1/R4 ) = vs/Req ,
     ... 
1
. R1 R2
Req i1 Ri 7
Comments about resistors in parallel

 Req is always smaller than any resistance in

parallel connection.
 The smallest resistance dominates the
equivalent value.

R1R2
Req 
R1  R2

8
Section 3.3
The Voltage-Divider &
Current-Divider Circuits

9
The voltage-divider circuit

By KVL, vs = iR1 + iR2,

 i = vs /(R1+R2),
R1
 1 vs ,
v  iR  R1  R2
1

 R2
v 2  iR1  vs .
 R1  R2

 v1 , v2 are fractions of vs depending only on the
ratio of resistance.
10
Practical concern: Load resistance

R2 RL
Req  vo  Req vs
R2  RL R1  eq
R R
2
vs ,
 1  aR1 

R 2
R
where a  RL2 .

 The effect of R1 is amplified by a factor of a =

R2/RL, reducing the output voltage vo.
 Large load resistance RL >> R2 is preferred. 11
Example: output voltage vs. load resistance

Let R1  R2  R,  open - circuit output voltage vo 

0.5vs .

12
Practical concern: Tolerance of resistance

(10%: 22.5-27.5 k)

ideal
voltage100
:
vo 100
(10%: 90-110 k) 25 
 80100
110 V
v o,max  100  83.02 V  (1  0
22.5  3.78%)v ;
11090
v o,min  100  76.60 V  (1  4.25%)vo .
27.5  14
Current-divider circuit

By Ohm’s law & resistors in parallel,

v = i1R1 = i2R2 = isReq = is[R1R2/(R1+R2)],
R2 R1
 i1 is , i 2 is .
 R1  R2  R1  R2
15
Example 3.3 (1)

 Q: Find the power dissipated at the 6-resistor.

 Strategy: Find the current i6, then use p = i2R

to calculate the power.
16
Example 3.3 (2)

Step 1: Simplifying the circuit with series-parallel

reductions. 4

2.4

io = [16/(16+4)]10 = 8 A,
i6 = [4/(6+4)]8 = 3.2 A,
 p = (3.2)2 6 = 61.44 W.
17
Section 3.6
The Wheatstone Bridge

18
The Wheatstone bridge

 Goal: Measuring a resistor’s value.

 Apparatus: Fixed-value resistors 2, variable
resistor 1, current meter 1.

Current meter

Variable
Unknown

19
The working principle

Tune R3 until
iab = 0,  vab = 0,
terminals ab
become both
open and short!

Open: i1 = i3, i2 = ix …(1) (2) R 1 R2

 ,
Short: i1R1 = i2R2, i3R3 = ixRx …(2) (3) R3
R R2
(1) into (2): i1R3 = i2Rx …(3)  Rx x R3
R1
20
Section 3.7
-to-Y (-to-T) Equivalent
Circuits

21
Definition of -to-Y (-to-T) transformation

 Two circuits of Δ and Y configurations are

equivalent if the terminal behavior of the two
configurations are the same.  Rab, = Rab,Y;
Rbc, 22
Terminal resistances
+ - + -

Rc (Ra  Rb )
Rab  Rc //(Ra  Rb )   R1  R2 (1)
Ra  Rb  c
Rbc  Ra //(Rb  Rb )  R2  R3 (2)
Rca  Rb //(Rc  Ra )  R3  R1 (3)
23
Transformation formulas

 Solving simultaneous equations (1-3),

Rb Rc 
 1
R  R  Rb 
,  Ra  R1R2  R2 R3  R3R1 ,
 a  R1
Rc Rc Ra , 
 2
R  R  Rb   Rb  R1R2  R2 R3  R3R1 ,
 a  R2
 
R c Ra Rb
 R3 .  Rc  R1R2  R2 R3  R3R1 .
 Ra  Rb   R3
Rc
(-to-Y) (Y-to-)
24
Example 3.7 (1)

 Q: Find the source current i.

i=?

100
R1   50 , R2  12.5 , R3  10
25125
 100 
. 26
Example 3.7 (2)

i
50  50 

Req  (5 )  (50 )  (50 // 50)  80

,
i  (40 V) (80 )  0.5 A. 27
END OF TOPIC