Electrical Circuits 1

Circuits, Current, And Voltages

Summary of the simple electric circuit discussed.
• The battery voltage is a measure of the energy gained by a unit of
charge as it moves through the battery.
• Electrons readily move through copper but not through plastic
insulation.
• Electrons experience collisions with the atoms of the tungsten
wires, resulting in heating of the tungsten.
• Energy is transferred by the chemical action in the battery to the
electrons and then to the tungsten.
Flow of Fluid Analysis
Electrical Circuits
It consists of various electrical elements
connected in closed paths of conductors.

Examples of electrical elements are

resistances, inductances, capacitances, and
voltage sources.
Electrical Current
• It is define as the time rate of charge flow through a conductor or
circuit element.
• Unit of current is ampere which is equal to one coulombs per
second (C/s).
• The charge of an electron is -1.602 x 10 -19 C

𝑑𝑞(𝑡)
Current formula: i(t) =
𝑑𝑡
𝑡
For charge : q(t) = ‫𝑖 𝑡׬‬ 𝑡 𝑑𝑡 + 𝑞(𝑡0)
0
Reference Direction for Currents
DC and AC
DC – a current that is constant with time
AC – current that varies with time and reversing
direction periodically
DOUBLE SUBSCRIPT FOR CURRENTS
EXERCISE:

1. A constant current flows of two amperes through a circuit element. In 10 seconds,

how much net charge passes through the element

2. The charge that passes through a circuit element is given by the equation q(t) = 0.01
sin (200t) C, in which the angle is in radians. Find the current as a function of time.
VOLTAGE
It is the measure of the energy transferred per unit of charge moves from one
point to another in the electrical circuit.
One volt is equivalent to joules per coulomb (J/C)
Consider the example given in the beginning of the presentation, the battery for
instance has a voltage of 9 volts. That means that 9 joules of energy is transferred
to or from the battery for each coulomb that flows through it.
When the charge flows in one direction, energy is supplied by the battery. It
can in the form of heat, light or perhaps mechanical energy.
When the charge moves through the battery in the opposite direction,
energy is absorbed by the battery where it appears as stored chemical
energy.
REFERENCE POLARITIES
In circuit analysis, we frequently assign reference polarities for voltages arbitrarily. If we find
that at the end of the analysis that the value of voltage is negative, then we know that the true
polarity is opposite of the polarity selected initially.

Example:

Constant voltage = dc voltage

Voltages that change in magnitude and alternate in polarity with time = ac voltage
DOUBLE SUBSCRIPT NOTATION
SWITCHES
It controls the current in the circuit.
Open switch – current is zero, voltage is determined by the remainder of the circuit.
Closed switch – voltage across it is zero, current is determined by the remainder of
the circuit.

Exercise:
The voltage across a given element is vab = 20 V. A positive charge of 2 C moves
through the circuit element from terminal b to a. How much energy is transferred? Is
the energy supplied by the circuit element or absorbed by it?
INDEPENDENT AND
DEPENDENT SOURCES

Ideal Reality
Independent dependent Voltage
Voltage source source

Independent dependent Current

Current source source