Solving Circuit Problems

Series Circuit Analysis

A 4v battery is placed in a series circuit with a 2W resistor.

What is the total current that will flow through the circuit?

V = IR
2W
4V = I (2 W)

I = 2A 4v I=?
 Series Circuit Analysis
What voltage is required to produce 2 amps through a
circuit with a 3W resistor?

V = IR

V = 2A ( 3W) 3W

V = 6V ? I = 2amps
 Series Circuit Analysis
What resistance is required to limit the current to 4amps if
a 12 V battery is in the circuit?

V = IR

12 =(4A)R R=?

R = 3W 12v I = 4amps
 Series Circuit Analysis
Resistance in series sum together when calculating total
resistance

What is the current in the circuit below?

V = IR

12 = I (2W + 4W)
2W 4W
I = 2A
12v I=?
 Series Circuit Analysis
Resistance in series sum together when calculating total
resistance

What is the resistance of the light bulb?

V = IR

12V = 4A (2W + R) R=?

2W
R = 1W
12v I = 4A
 Voltage

o What is the voltage drop across each resistor?

2W 4W

12v I = 2A
 Voltage
o The voltage drop across each resistor can be
calculated with Ohm’s law

o The algebraic sum of all voltages in a complete

circuit is equal to the total voltage at the power
source

4v 8v
2W 4v 4W 12v
0v
12v I = 2A

12v
 Kirchhoff’s Law of Voltages
o Calculate the total current flow and the voltage drop
across each resistor

o What will be the voltage drops at points, a, b, c and d

At a : 0V
b : 9V
c : 21V 3v 12v
d : 24 V 1W c 4W
d
24v I = 3A b
9v
a 3W
 Parallel Circuits
What is the total current below?
1. First calculate total resistance 2. Then use V = IR
1 = 1 + 1 + 1 30v = I ( 3 W)
Rtot 5 10 30 I = 10A

1 = 1_
Rtot 3

Rtot = 3 W 5W

10W

30v
30W
 Parallel Circuit
What is the total current below?
1. First calculate total resistance 2. Then use V = IR
1 = 1 + 1 + 1 30V = I ( 3 W)
Rtot 5 10 30 I = 10A

1 = 1
Rtot 3

Rtot = (1/3)-1 5W

Rtot = 3 W
10W

30V
30W
 Parallel Circuits
What is the current through a? 10A

What is the current through e? 10A

What is the current thru each branch b-d?

Same voltage is across each path
b: V = IR 30V = I(5W), I= 6A b
c: 30V= I(10W) , I= 3A
d: 30V= I(30W) , I= 1A 5W
e c
10W
d a
30V
30W
Itot = 10A
 Compound (or Complex) Circuits
What is the:
o Total resistance?
o Total current flow?
o Current flow through b
o Current flow through c
o Current flow through d
o Voltage between b and d
o Voltage between c and d b
o Voltage between d and e 3W
e d a
2W
c
20V 6W
 Compound Circuits
Total resistance:
o In compound circuits, reduce all parallel parts to a single
resistance until you have a simpler series circuit

o The resistance between a and d is 2 W

o Therefore, total resistance is 4 W… (2 + 2)
b
3W
e d a
2W
c
20V 6W
 Compound Circuits
What is the:
o Total resistance?
o Total current flow?
o Current flow through b
o Current flow through c
o Current flow through d
o Voltage between b and d
o Voltage between c and d b
o Voltage between d and e 3W
e d a
2W
c
20V 6W
 Compound Circuits
Total current:
V=IR
20V = I (4 W)
Itot = 5A

b
3W
e d a
2W
c
20V 6W
 Compound Circuits
Current flow through b
o We need to know the voltage drop across b-d
o Voltage drop across e-d will be 10V (V = 5A Ÿ 2 W)
o Therefore, voltage drop across each parallel branch (c
and b) must be 10V
o Current flow in b: 10 = I Ÿ 3 W; = 3.33A
o Current flow in c: 10 = I Ÿ 6 W; = 1.67A
b
3W
e d a
2W
c
20V 6W

Itot= 5A
 Compound Circuits
Current flow through b
o Alternatively, we calculated earlier that the total
resistance of the parallel portion of the circuit was 2 W

o Therefore, the voltage drop across a-d is 10V (V = ItotR)

o We can now proceed

b
3W
e d a
2W
c
20V 6W

Itot= 5A
 Compound Circuits
What is the:
o Total resistance?
o Total current flow?
o Current flow through b
o Current flow through c
o Current flow through d
o Voltage between b and d
o Voltage between c and d b
o Voltage between d and e 3W
e d a
2W
c
20V 6W
 Compound Circuits
What is the:
o Total resistance? 4W
o Total current flow?
o Current flow through b?
o Current flow through c?
o Current flow through d?
o Voltage between b and d?
o Voltage between c and d? b
o Voltage between d and e? 3W
e d a
2W
c
20V 6W
 Compound Circuits
What is the:
o Total resistance? 4W
o Total current flow? 5A
o Current flow through b?
o Current flow through c?
o Current flow through d?
o Voltage between b and d?
o Voltage between c and d? b
o Voltage between d and e? 3W
e d a
2W
c
20V 6W
 Compound Circuits
What is the:
o Total resistance? 4W
o Total current flow? 5A
o Current flow through b? 3.33A
o Current flow through c?
o Current flow through d?
o Voltage between b and d?
o Voltage between c and d? b
o Voltage between d and e? 3W
e d a
2W
c
20V 6W
 Compound Circuits
What is the:
o Total resistance? 4W
o Total current flow? 5A
o Current flow through b? 3.33A
o Current flow through c? 1.67A
o Current flow through d?
o Voltage between b and d?
o Voltage between c and d? b
o Voltage between d and e? 3W
e d a
2W
c
20V 6W
 Compound Circuits
What is the:
o Total resistance? 4W
o Total current flow? 5A
o Current flow through b? 3.33A
o Current flow through c? 1.67A
o Current flow through d? 5A
o Voltage between b and d?
o Voltage between c and d? b
o Voltage between d and e? 3W
e d a
2W
c
20V 6W
 Compound Circuits
What is the:
o Total resistance? 4W
o Total current flow? 5A
o Current flow through b? 3.33A
o Current flow through c? 1.67A
o Current flow through d? 5A
o Voltage between b and d? 10V
o Voltage between c and d? b
o Voltage between d and e? 3W
e d a
2W
c
20V 6W
 Compound Circuits
What is the:
o Total resistance? 4W
o Total current flow? 5A
o Current flow through b? 3.33A
o Current flow through c? 1.67A
o Current flow through d? 5A
o Voltage between b and d? 10V
o Voltage between c and d? 10V b
o Voltage between d and e? 3W
e d a
2W
c
20V 6W
 Compound Circuits
What is the:
o Total resistance? 4W
o Total current flow? 5A
o Current flow through b? 3.33A
o Current flow through c? 1.67A
o Current flow through d? 5A
o Voltage between b and d? 10V
o Voltage between c and d? 10V b
o Voltage between d and e? 10V 3W
e d a
2W
c
20V 6W
More Practice Simplifying Parallel Circuits

2W 5W
1. 8W 9W

12W 10W

2W

2. 8W 24W

12W
More Practice Simplifying Parallel Circuits

2W

2. 8W 24W

12W

2W

3. 6W 4. 20W

12W
 Some Intuitive Questions (and Answers)
In the following circuit with source voltage V and total current I, which
resistor will have the greatest voltage across it?
The resistor with the largest resistance (30 W)

Which resistor has the greatest current flow through it?

Same for all because it’s a series circuit

If we re-ordered the resistors, what if any of this would change?

Nothing would change
10W 20W

V I

30W
 Some Intuitive Questions (and Answers)
If we added a resistor in series with these, what would happen to the
total resistance, total current, voltage across each resistor, and current
through each resistor?
Total resistance would increase
Total current would decrease
Voltage across each resistor would decrease (All voltage drops must
still sum to total in series circuit)
Current through each resistor would be lower (b/c total current
decreased. Total current is the current through each resistor.)
10W 20W

V I

30W
 Some Intuitive Questions (and Answers)
In the following circuit with source voltage V and Total current I, which
resistor will have the greatest voltage across it?
All the same in parallel branches

Which resistor has the greatest current flow through it?

The “path of least resistance” (10W)

What else can you tell me about the current through each branch?
They will sum to the total I (currents sum in parallel circuits; Kirchhoff’s
law of current)
10W

20W

V
30W
I
 Some Intuitive Questions (and Answers)
If we added a resistor in parallel with these, what would happen to the
total resistance, total current, voltage across each resistor, and current
through each resistor?
Total resistance would decrease
Total current would increase
Voltage across each resistor would still be V
Current through each resistor would be the same, and would sum to
new total I (remember, V is the same, and each R is the same, so each I must
also be the same).

10W

20W

V
30W