CIRCUITS 1
(9.11 x 10−31kg.)
LECTURE 1
Electric circuit theory and electromagnetic theory are
the two fundamental theories upon which all branches of
electrical engineering are built.
Branches of electrical engineering -based on electric
circuit theory.
• power
• electric machines
• control
• electronics
• communications
• instrumentation
Circuit theory- valuable to students specializing in other
branches of the physical sciences because circuits are a
good model for the study of energy systems in general,
and because of the applied mathematics, physics, and
topology involved.
Electric circuit is an interconnection of electrical
elements.
- used in the generation, transmission, and
consumption of electric power and energy.
- used in the encoding, decoding, storage,
retrieval, transmission, and processing of
information.
Electricity is a natural phenomenon that occurs
throughout nature and takes many different forms. In this
tutorial we'll focus on current electricity: the stuff that
powers our electronic gadgets.
- defined as the flow of electric charge
Charge is a property of matter--just like mass, volume, or
density. It is measurable.
2 types of charge: Positive and Negative
If we separate them from each other they want to reform
and start to exert a potential of attraction called a
potential difference.
Electrical Current – flow of electrons
Resistance – the restriction to the flow of electron
Electrons – negatively charged particles that revolve
around the nucleus of an atom.
- one of the lightest particles with a known mass
Protons – positively charged particles that stays in the
nucleus of an atom.
- very small, but it is fairly massive compared to
the other particles that make up matter.
- Mass(1.673 x 10−27kg.)
Neutrons – particles having no charge.
- about same size as protons
- but their mass is slightly greater, 1.675 x
10−27kg.
Nucleus – the central part of the atom where the protons
and neutrons are located.
Atomic Number – represents the number of electrons or
protons of an atom.
Atomic Mass – represents the sum of protons and
neutrons of an atom.
Valence electrons – electrons found in the outermost
shell or orbit of an atom.
CLASSIFICATION OF MATERIALS ACCORDING TO THE
NUMBER OF VALENCE ELECTRONS
1. Conductors – materials having less than four (4)
valence electrons.
2. Semiconductors – materials having four (4) valence
electrons.
3. Insulators – materials having more than four (4)
valence electrons
Coulomb is the unit of electric charge; it was named in
honor of Charles Augustin de Coulomb (1736–1806), a
French physicist.
Coulomb’s law - definition of the electrostatic force of
attraction and repulsion, and the principle of charge
interactions
Faraday is the unit of capacitance; it was named in honor
of Michael Faraday (1791–1867).
Michael Faraday (1791–1867) - an English physicist and
chemist.
- He discovered that relative motion of the
magnetic field and conductor can produce
electric current
 - discovered that the electric current originates
from the chemical reaction that occurs between
two metallic conductors.
Ampere is the unit of electric current; it was named in
honor of Andre ́-Marie Ampe`re (1775–1836), a French
physicist.
Andre ́-Marie Ampe`re - discoverers of
electromagnetism and is best known for defining a
method to measure the flow of current.
Ohm is the unit of resistance; it was named in honor of
Georg Simon Ohm (1789– 1854), a German physicist.
Georg Simon Ohm- established the relationship between
voltage, current, and resistance, and formulated the
most famous electric circuit law—Ohm’s law.
Volt is the unit of voltage; it was named in honor of
Alessandro Volta (1745– 1827), an Italian physicist.
Alessandro Volta - constructed the first electric battery
that could produce a reliable, steady current.
Watt is the unit of power; it was named in honor of James
Watt (1736–1819), a Scottish engineer and an inventor.
James Watt- made great improvements in the steam
engine and made important contributions in the area of
magnetic fields
System of units used in engineering and science is the
Systeme Internationale d’Unites (International system of
units), usually abbreviated to SI units, and is based on the
metric system.
- introduced in 1960 and is now adopted by the
majority of countries as the official system of
measurement.
International System of Units (SI) is the modern form of
the metric system derived from the meter-kilogram-
second (MKS) system.
- Founded on seven base units for the seven
quantities assumed to be mutually independent.
6 BASIC SI UNITS
• Length
• Mass
• Time
• Electric current
• Thermodynamic temperature
• Luminous intensity
• Charge
Electric circuit or electric network is an interconnection
of electrical elements linked together in a closed path so
that an electric current may flow continuously.
Electric current flows in the circuit if a potential
difference exists.
- flows from the higher potential to the lower
potential.
Potential difference is the pressure that causes the flow
of charge, and the flow of charge eventually leads to the
flow of electric current in the circuit.
Flow of current is conventionally represented as a flow
of positive charges.
Two common types of current: a) direct current (dc), (b)
alternating current (ac).
Direct current (dc) flows only in one direction and can be
constant or time varying.
Alternating current (ac) is a current that changes
direction with respect to time.
Current and voltage - basic variables in an electrical
circuit
The voltage across an element is the work (energy)
required to move a unit positive charge from the -
terminal to the + terminal. The unit of voltage is the volt,
V.
Power and energy delivered to an element are of great
importance.
Power – time rate of supplying or receiving power
- simply the product of the voltage across an
element multiplied by the current through the
element.
Element is the basic building block of a circuit.
Circuit analysis is the process of determining voltages
across (or the currents through) the elements of the
circuit.
Two types of elements found in electric circuits: passive
elements and active elements.
- An active element is capable of generating
energy while a passive element is not.
Source is a voltage or current generator capable of
supplying energy to a circuit.

Ideal independent source is an active element that

provides a specified voltage or current that is completely
independent of other circuit elements.

Four possible types of dependent sources:

1. A voltage-controlled voltage source (VCVS).

2. A current-controlled voltage source (CCVS).

3. A voltage-controlled current source (VCCS).

4. A current-controlled current source (CCCS).

MODULE 2 Parallel circuit has more than one resistor and gets its
name from having parallel paths to move along.
PART 1
Series-parallel circuit is a combinational circuit which
Resistance (R) is an electrical circuit element which
when simplified will result into a series circuit.
opposes the flow of current.
PART 4
Resistance depends upon the kind of material, length of
material, cross sectional area and temperature. Three-terminal equivalent networks. These are the wye
(Y) or tee (T) network and the delta (Δ) or pi (π) network
Resistivity is given the symbol ρ.
DELTA TO WYE CONVERSION - each resistor in the Y
PART 2
network is the product of the resistors in the two
George Simon Ohm - a German physicist, derived a adjacent Δ branches, divided by the sum of the three Δ
relationship between electric current and potential resistors.
difference.
WYE TO DELTA CONVERSION - each resistor in the Δ
Ohm’s law states that “the current flowing through a network is the sum of all possible products of Y resistors
conductor is directly proportional to the potential taken two at a time, divided by the opposite Y resistor.
difference applied across its ends, provided the
temperature and other physical conditions remain
unchanged.”

Network as an interconnection of elements or devices

Circuit is a network providing one or more closed paths

Branch represents a single element such as a voltage

source or a resistor.

Node is the point of connection between two or more

branches.

Loop is any closed path in a circuit.

PART 3

Kirchhoff’s first law is based on the law of conservation

of charge, which requires that the algebraic sum of
charges within a system cannot change.

- first introduced in 1847 by the German physicist

Gustav Robert Kirchhoff (1824–1887).

Kirchhoff’s current law (KCL) states that the algebraic

sum of currents entering a node (or a closed boundary)
is zero.

Kirchhoff’s second law is based on the principle of

conservation of energy:

Kirchhoff’s voltage law (KVL) states that the algebraic

sum of all voltages around a closed path (or loop) is zero.

Series circuit has more than one resistor (anything that

uses electricity to do work) and gets its name from only
having one path for the charges to move along.
MODULE 3

Node - A point where two or more circuit elements are

joined.

Essential/ Principal Node - A node where three or more

circuit elements are joined

Path - A trace of adjoining basic elements with no

elements included more than once

Branch - A path that connects two nodes.

Essential Branch - A path which connects two essential

nodes without passing through an essential node

Loop - A path whose last node is the same as the starting

node

Mesh - A loop that does not enclose any other loops.

Nodal Analysis - known as Node-Voltage method is a

technique which provides a general procedure for
analyzing circuits using node voltages as circuit variables.

If we are to solve a circuit involving voltage sources, we

will be considering two possibilities:

Case 1: If a voltage source is connected between the

reference and the principal node, simply set the voltage
of the principal node equal to that of the voltage source.

Case 2: If the voltage source (dependent or independent)

is connected between two principal nodes, the two
principal nodes form a generalized node or supernode

Supernode is formed by enclosing a (dependent or

independent) voltage source connected between two
principal nodes and any element connected in parallel
with it.

Mesh Analysis (sometimes called as Loop Analysis, Mesh

Current Analysis, Maxwell Mesh Analysis) is another
general procedure for analyzing circuits, with the use of
mesh currents as the circuit variables.

A circuit is said to be Planar if it can be drawn in two-

dimensional space without wires crossing over other
wires.

Supermesh – results when two meshes have a

(dependent or independent) current source in common