EE 131 Electric Circuit

Theory I
Lecture 2. Circuit Elements & Laws

• Resistance, Inductance,
Capacitance
• Kirchoff’s Current Law
• Kirchoff’s Voltage Law
• Resistors in Series and Parallel
• Voltage Division
• Current Division
Resistor (Resistance)

• V-I relationship (Ohm’s Law): v

iR
• Power in the resistor is always positive

p  vi 2i v2
R R
• Energy is the integral of the instantaneous power
t2 t2 1 t2 2
 p dt   i 
2
w dt v dt

t1
R
t1
 R t
1
Inductor (Inductance)
• Stores energy in a magnetic field for as long as
source is present
• V-I relationship: voltage is time-derivative of
current di
vL
dt
• Power & Energy stored in the inductor

di d
p  vi  L i  
dt dt  2
1 2 t 
w
L
Li
t1
2 t
1
2

2
2
 pdt  Li dt 1 L i2  i 2
1
 
t

Capacitor (Capacitance)
• Stores energy in an electric field and retains the
charge and the electric field even if source is
removed.
• V-I relationship: current is time-derivative of
voltage dv
iC
dt
• Power & Energy stored in the capacitor

dv d
p  vi  Cv  
dt dt  2
1 2t 
w
C
Cv
t1
2 t
1
2

2

 pdt  Cv dt 1 C v2  v2
2 1
 
Circuit Analysis

• For a given circuit, determine the voltage across

and current through each element in the circuit.

• Circuits may consist of:

- Voltage sources - Current sources
- Resistors - Capacitors
- Inductors - Other active elements
Voltage & Current Sources

• An ideal voltage source is a circuit element that

maintains a prescribed voltage across its terminals
• An ideal current source is a circuit element that
maintains a prescribed current across its terminals
• Both are models and are, therefore, not real.
– Independent sources
– Dependent sources i.e. value depends on voltage or
current elsewhere in the circuit
Voltage & Current Sources
• In series, voltage sources add

• In parallel, voltage sources have the same value

Voltage & Current Sources

• In parallel, current sources add

• In series, current sources have the same value

Basic Circuit Analysis
• Start with resistive elements only
• A branch represents a single element.
• The connections between two or more branches in a
circuit are called nodes.
• A loop is any closed path in the circuit.
• Independent if it contains a branch which is not in any
other loop.
• A network with b branches, n nodes, and l
independent loops will satisfy the fundamental
theorem of network topology: b  l  n
• Must have as many independent1equations as there
are unknowns
How Many Branches?
+
vs R1
-

R3 R2
 How Many Nodes?
+
vs R1
-

R3 R2
 How Many Loops?
+
vs R1
-

R3 R2
Kirchoff’s Current Law
The algebraic sum of all the currents at
any node in the circuit equals zero.

• First stated in 1848 by Gustav Kirchhoff

• Is essentially a conservation of energy
argument - electrons not created or destroyed
at a node
Kirchoff’s Current Law
The algebraic sum of all the currents at
any node in the circuit equals zero.

i1 i2
i1  i2  i3
i3
i1  i2  i3 
Or, 0
The sum of the currents entering a node is
equal to the sum of the currents leaving that
node.
Kirchoff’s Voltage Law
The algebraic sum of all the voltages around
any closed path in a circuit equals zero
• Closed path or loop: start at a node and trace a
closed path through circuit elements and return to
original node

+
vs R1
-

v s  v R  vR  v R  R3 R2
1 2
0
3
Circuit Diagrams
The first step is to draw a neat layout of the circuit!

R4 i
R1 R2

+
vs
- R3
R1 R2

+
vs
R3 R4 i
-
Exampl
e.
Find the currents and voltages in the circuit shown.
Circuit Elements in Series
• The same current, i, flows
through all elements in
series
• By KVL, the total voltage, v,
is the sum of all the
individual voltage drops
across the elements

v  v1  v2 
v3
Circuit Elements in Series
• If elements are resistors,
v  v1  v2  v3
 iR1  iR2 
iR3
 iReq
+
v i Req
-

Req  R1  R2 R3 ... 

Circuit Elements in Series
• If elements are inductors,
v  v1  v2  v3

di di di
L L L
1 2 2
dt dt dt
 L1 L2  L3 
di
dt
di

L eq dt

Leq  L1  L2  L3 ... 
LN
Circuit Elements in Series
• If elements are capacitors,
assume zero initial charges, i.e.

1 1 1
v  C1  i dt C2  3
i dt C 
i dt  
 1 1  1  i dt


 C1 C2 C3 
1
 
i dt C1eq 1 1 1
1     ... 
C1 C2 C3
C
Circuit Elements in Parallel
• By KCL, the current, i, entering the essential
node is the sum of the three currents leaving the
node.
• The voltage, v, across all the elements is the
same.

i  i1  i2 
i3
Circuit Elements in Parallel
• If elements are resistors,
i  i1  i2  i3

v


Two resistors in R1R2

 1 1 1  Req
  R2  v parallel:
R1  R2
 R1 R3  N resistors in 
v parallel:

1 1 1 1 1
 v  R  R  ...  R
v R1 Req 1 2 N

Req
R2
Circuit Elements in Parallel
• If elements are inductors,

1  1  1  ...  1
L1 L2
Leq LN
Two inductors in
parallel:
L1L2
Leq
L1  L2

Circuit Elements in Parallel
• If elements are capacitors,

dv dv dv
i  C dt  C dt  C dt
1 2 3

 C
1 C2  C3 
dv
dt
dv
 eq
C dt

Ceq  C1  C2  C3  ... 
CN
Which resistors are in
series/parallel?
Series Resistances & Voltage Division

• A set of series connected resistors

(or impedances)
• Since
v1  iR1 and v  iR1  R2 
R3 
R 
v1   1 
  R1  R2  R3 
v
Parallel Resistances and Current Division

• A parallel arrangement of
resistors (or impedances)
• Since

v  v  v v
i R R R and i R
1
1 2 3 1

R2 R3
i1 1 R1 

R1R2  R2 R3 
i 1 R1 1 R2 1 i1 R2R1R3
For a 2-branch current 
R3
divider,
i R1  R2
Exercise 1.
1. Find the equivalent resistance for the circuit shown:

R ab 
Exercise 1.
2. Using voltage division, find V1 and V2 in the network:
Quiz 1.
Refer to the circuit for the following problems:
1. If R = 0 and i1 and i2 are unknown, find i and vac.
2. If R = 1 ohm and i1 = 2 A, find i, i2, and vac.

Ans.
4A,24
V
5A,-