Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE)

BRAC University

Fall 2022

CSE250 – Circuits and Electronics

CIRCUIT CONFIGURATIONS

PURBAYAN DAS, LECTURER (ADJUNCT)

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (CSE)
BRAC UNIVERSITY
 Circuit Configurations
• Circuit elements can be connected to each other in two main ways: series connection and
parallel connection.
• In series configuration, components are connected end-to-end in a line. The same current
flows through all the components. If one component breaks down, the whole circuit will burn
out.
• In parallel configuration, all components are connected across each other leads forming
exactly two sets of electrically common points. There are many paths for current flow, but
only one voltage across all components.
• Another configuration occurs when the circuit components are not connected in series or
parallel but rather in a 'Y' or 'Δ' configuration. Wye-Delta transformation is required to
simplify such configuration.
• The majority of electric circuits use all configurations simultaneously.

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 Different arrangements of sources

It is not practical to connect voltage

sources of unequal ratings in parallel
and current sources of unequal currents
in series due to the direct violation of
KVL and KCL respectively.

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 Problem 1
• For each of the circuits shown below, calculate Vab

Ans: (a) 𝑽𝒂𝒃 = − 𝟏 𝑽; (b) 𝑽𝒂𝒃 = 𝟏𝟎 𝑽; (c) 𝑽𝒂𝒃 = −𝟑 𝑽; (d) 𝑽𝒂𝒃 = 𝟕 𝑽;

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 Series resistors
• Consider N number of resistors connected
in series with a power supply of 𝑣 volts.
• If the current flowing through the series circuit is 𝑖, then the voltage drops across the resistors
can be written as,
• 𝑣1 = 𝑖𝑅1 , 𝑣2 = 𝑖𝑅2 , 𝑣3 = 𝑖𝑅3 , … … , 𝑣𝑁 = 𝑖𝑅𝑁
• According to the KVL, 𝑣 = 𝑣1 + 𝑣2 + 𝑣3 + … … + 𝑣𝑁
 𝑣 = 𝑖(𝑅1 + 𝑅2 + 𝑅3 + … … + 𝑅𝑁 )
𝑣
 𝑖=
𝑅1 +𝑅2 + 𝑅3 + …
… + 𝑅𝑁
• It can be written as, 𝑣 = 𝑖𝑅𝑒𝑞 , implying that the series resistors can be replaced by an
equivalent resistor Req; that is,
𝑅𝑒𝑞 = 𝑅1 + 𝑅2 + 𝑅3 + … … + 𝑅𝑁
• The two circuits have the same voltage-current relationships at terminal a-b, hence, they are
equivalent to each other.
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 Parallel resistors
• Consider N number of resistors connected
in parallel with a power supply of 𝑣 volts.
• Therefore, they have the same voltage 𝑣 across them. So,
𝑣 = 𝑖1𝑅1 = 𝑖2𝑅2 = 𝑖3𝑅3 = … … = 𝑖𝑁𝑅𝑁
• According to the KCL, 𝑖 = 𝑖1 + 𝑖2 + 𝑖3 + … … + 𝑖𝑁
𝑣 𝑣 𝑣 𝑣
 𝑖 = + + + ……+
𝑅1 𝑅2 𝑅3 𝑅𝑁
1 1 1 1
 𝑖=𝑣 + + + ……+
𝑅1 𝑅2 𝑅3 𝑅𝑁
𝑣
• It can be written as, 𝑖 = , implying that the parallel resistors can be replaced by an
𝑅𝑒𝑞
equivalent resistor Req; that is,
1 1 1 1 1
= + + + ……+
𝑅𝑒𝑞 𝑅1 𝑅2 𝑅3 𝑅𝑁
• The two circuits have the same voltage-current relationships at terminal a-b, hence, are
equivalent to each other.
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 Example 1
• Using series/parallel resistance combination, find Rab for the circuit shown below.
1+5=6

3||6 = 2  12||4 = 3 

(2||3) + 10 = 11.2  (6||3) + 2 = 3 

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 Problem 2
• Using series/parallel resistance combination, find the equivalent resistance
seen by the source in the circuit below.

Ans: Req = 250 Ω

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 Problem 3
• Find the equivalent resistance between terminals a and b.

Ans: Rab = 12 Ω

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 Problem 4
• If Req = 50 Ω in the circuit, find R.

Ans: R = 16 Ω

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 Example 2
a a
• Find Rab
b b
a a
b
Shorted
a
b b
a a a
b
10
Rab = 10 || 10 || 10 = 
3

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 Problem 5
• Find the equivalent resistance between terminals A and B.

Ans: RAB = 1 Ω

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 Problem 6
• Find the equivalent resistance between terminals a and b.

Ans: Rab = 3.75 Ω

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 Voltage division rule
• The voltage division rule permits the determination of the voltage across a series resistor without
first having to determine the current of the circuit.
• The current through the series circuit can be found using Ohm's law as,
𝑉
𝐼=
𝑅1 + 𝑅2
• Applying Ohm's law to each of the resistors,
𝑉1 = 𝐼𝑅1 and 𝑉2 = 𝐼𝑅2
𝑉 𝑉
 𝑉1 = 𝑅 and 𝑉2 = 𝑅
𝑅1 +𝑅2 1 𝑅1 +𝑅2 2
𝑅1 𝑅
 𝑉1 = × 𝑉 and 𝑉2 = 2 × 𝑉
𝑅1 +𝑅2 𝑅1 +𝑅2

• In general, for any number of resistors connected in series to a supply voltage, the voltage
across any particular resistor 𝑅𝑥 is, 𝑅𝑥
𝑉𝑥 = ×𝑉
𝑅1 + 𝑅2 + 𝑅3 + … … + 𝑅𝑁

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 Example 3
• Using the voltage divider rule, find the voltages VA and VB. Don't calculate currents.

18 8
𝑉𝐵 = × 𝑉𝐴 = 7.5 𝑉 𝑉𝐴 = × 30 = 10 𝑉
18 + 6 8 + 16
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 Problem 7
• Using the voltage divider rule, find the indicated voltage. Don't calculate current.

Ans: V = 20 V

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 Problem 8
• Using the voltage divider rule, find the indicated voltage. Don't calculate current.

Ans: V = 0.36 V

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Department BRAC
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 Problem 9
• Using the voltage divider rule, find the voltages VA, VB, and VC. Don't calculate
currents.

+ + +
VA VB VC
− − −

Ans: VA = 3 V; VB = 1.5 V; VC = 1 V

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 Current division rule
• The current division rule permits the determination
of the currents through resistors connected in
parallel without first having to determine the
voltage across them.
• Since the voltage V is the same across parallel elements, the following is true:
𝑉 = 𝐼1𝑅1 = 𝐼2𝑅2 = 𝐼3𝑅3 = … … = 𝐼𝑁𝑅𝑁

• Substituting 𝑉 with 𝑉 = 𝐼𝑅𝑒𝑞 ,

𝐼𝑅𝑒𝑞 = 𝐼1𝑅1 = 𝐼2𝑅2 = 𝐼3𝑅3 = … … = 𝐼𝑁𝑅𝑁
𝑅𝑒𝑞 𝑅𝑒𝑞 𝑅𝑒𝑞
 𝐼1 = × 𝐼, 𝐼2 = × 𝐼, 𝐼3 = ×𝐼
𝑅1 𝑅2 𝑅3
• In general, for any number of resistors connected in parallel to a supply current, the current
through any particular resistor 𝑅𝑥 is, 𝑅𝑒𝑞 For two resistors in parallel,
𝐼𝑥 = ×I 𝑅2 𝑅1
𝑅𝑥 𝐼1 = ×I 𝐼2 = ×I
𝑅1 + 𝑅2 𝑅1 + 𝑅2
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 Example 4
• Calculate the current through the 5 k resistor using current division rule.

Solution
Current through the 5 k resistor is,
(1 + 4)
× 2 𝑚𝐴
1+4 +5
= 1 𝑚𝐴

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 Example 5
• Calculate the currents I1 to I4 using current division rule. Don't calculate voltage.

24 𝐼1 = 8 𝑚𝐴
𝐼3 = × 𝐼 = 1.5 𝑚𝐴
24 + 8 2 4
𝐼4 = 𝐼2 − 𝐼3 = 0.5 𝑚𝐴 𝐼2 = × 8 𝑚𝐴 = 2 𝑚𝐴
4 + 12

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 Problem 10
• Determine the currents i1 to i5 using current division rule.

Ans: i1 = 56 A; i2 = 8 A; i3 = 48 A; i4 = 32 A; i5 = 16 A.

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 Thank you for your attention

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