October 2023

Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering

Exercise
Sheet 1

1. Speed of Electrons
Which (average) speed v have electrons in a copper wire of an cross area
𝐴 2,5mm and a current 𝐼 12A?

2. Electrons and Current

How many electrons pass through a conductor in 1 minute and 30 seconds, if the
current is 𝐼 4mA.

3. Electric Circuit

Figure 1

Express an electric current of 4.0mC/min in appropriate SI units.

4. (a) How many coulombs of electric charge pass through the lamp in
Figure 1 in 1 min if the current is a steady 300 mA?
(b) How long will it take for 8C of electric charge to flow through the switch in
Figure 1 if the current is 250 mA?

5. How long will it take for 10 chlorine ions to combine with the zinc of the battery if
the current through the lamp in Figure 1 is a steady 300 mA?

6. Ohms law –Calculation of Current

A battery delivers a voltage of 𝑈 3.9V at the terminals, if you connect a consumer (for
example a light bulb) of 𝑅 7.5Ω.
What current I flows through the consumer?

7. Fuse
Will a fuse rated at 1 Ampere “blow” if 86C pass through a conductor in 1.2 minutes?

8. Current
The potential difference between two points is 24V. If 0.4J of energy were dissipated in
a period of 5ms, what would the current be between the two points?

9. Energy
A 12V battery supplies 100mA to a radio. How much energy does the battery supply in
4 hours?
October 2023

10. Specific Resistance

For weight reasons we want to replace a copper wire of a high-voltage transmission line
with an aluminum wire of the same resistance. Does it make sense?

What wire is necessary, if we want to replace a copper wire of 𝐴 10mm ?

Data: 𝜅 56 Sm/mm , 𝜅 36 S m/mm , Density 𝜌 8.9g/cm ,
Density 𝜌 2.7g/cm .

11. Replacement circuit of a battery

A battery delivers the voltage 𝑈 24.5V without load and with a load of the nominal
current 𝐼 80A the nominal voltage 𝑈 23.6V.
Model the battery as a linear source from these two points.
Calculate the short circuit current 𝐼 and the internal Resistor 𝑅 .
Is the result physically plausible?

12. Calculate the resistance of a copper line on a printed circuit board.

Dimensions: Width 𝑤 1mm, Length 𝑙 10cm, Thickness 𝑡 35µm.

13. Given the following network:

Calculate the total resistance between both terminals!

Some important constants:

Elementary Charge 𝑒 1,602 ⋅ 10 As ( 1C 6,241,509,629,152,650,000 e )
Coulomb constant 𝑘 8.9875517873681764 ⋅ 10 Nm C
Density of free electrons in Copper 𝑛 8.47 ⋅ 10 mm
Specific conductivity of Copper 𝜌 0,01786
October 2023

Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering

Exercise
Sheet 2

1. Resistor
There is a current of 1.0 A in the circuit shown here.
What is the resistance of the unknown circuit element?

2. Current calulation
The diagram below shows a segment of a circuit.
What is the current in the 200 Ω resistor?

3. Calculate current.

Given the network, which value has 𝐼 ?

Values: 𝑅 90 Ω, 𝑅 50 Ω, 𝑅 40 Ω, 𝑅 60 Ω, 𝑈
48V.

4. Calculate the resistance between both points A and B

October 2023

5. Resistor Values

If the switch S1 is closed, the current

increases to the fivefold value of the
current before (R=10 Ω).
If both switches are closed, the current is
ten times as large as the first current.
Calculate the values for 𝑅 and 𝑅 !

6. Resistor Values

Determine the equivalent resistances of the network shown below.

7. Thevenin theorem
Use the source transformation
method to calculate and draw the
Thevenin and Norton equivalent
circuits for the circuit below. What
load resistance should be placed
across the terminals for maximum
power transfer and what will the
power be?

8. Calculate voltage 𝑼𝒙

Given the network, we want to know the

value for 𝑈 .
a) Transform the network and give the
necessary formulas.
b) Insert the following values: U=12V,
R1=R4=R5=9Ω, R2=R3=R6=18Ω
October 2023

9. Superposition

Calculate Ix!
Values U=120V, I=2.4A, R1=60 Ω, R2=30 Ω, R3=20 Ω, R4= 40 Ω

10. Equivalent circuit

a) b)

Transform the circuit from a) in the circuit of b)

Both should behave the same in relation to the clamps A and B.
Values given: U=48V, R1=50Ω, R2=40 Ω, R3=30 Ω, R4=60 Ω

11. Power adjustment

The given circuit contains two voltage sources U1 and U2. The variable resistor 𝑅
should be chosen, so that the consumed power P in this resistor 𝑅 is maximal.
a) What value is required for 𝑅 ?
b) How big is the power P, which is consumed with the chosen value of 𝑅 ?
Values: 𝑈 60V, 𝑈 12V, 𝑅 75Ω, 𝑅 65Ω.
Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering

Exercise
Sheet 3

1. Calculating current
In the two circuits calculate the current flowing in the mesh!
Values:
For circuit a: 𝑈 8𝑉, 𝑈 16𝑉, 𝑈 20𝑉, 𝑅 4.7Ω, 𝑅 5.6Ω
For circuit b: 𝑈 4𝑉, 𝑈 18𝑉, 𝑈 12𝑉 𝑅 5.6Ω, 𝑅 4.7Ω, 𝑅 1.2Ω

a) b)

2. Loaded Voltage Divider

A voltage divider is set up with
𝑈 50V, 𝑅 120Ω, 𝑅 360Ω
R1
a) Calculate the voltage 𝑈 , when there is no
load connected to the terminals.
R2
Now we connect a resistor 𝑅 to the terminal.

b) What is the minimal required value for the

resistor, if the voltage 𝑈 may not change
more than 10% of the unloaded state?

3. Superposition

Calculate the current Ix in the given network.

a) Draw the separated networks
b) Calculate the current for every part
c) Give the total current.

Values: U=120V, I=1.5A, R1=60 Ω, R2=90 Ω, R3=100 Ω

 4. Equivalent replacement circuit

Given the circuit (a).

Simplify the circuit, that the effective circuit (b) behaves exactly like (a) for any
observer measuring between clamps A and B.
That means: Calculate Ri and Uq.

(a) (b)

Values: U=120V, R1=40Ω, R2=50 Ω, R3=60 Ω and R4= 30Ω.

5. Maximizing Power
The given circuit contains a variable resistor 𝑅 . This
resistor should be adjusted, so that the dissipated
power in 𝑅 is maximized.
Values: 𝑈 36V, 𝑅 80Ω, 𝑅 100Ω,
𝑅 120Ω, 𝑅 150Ω.
a) What value is necessary for 𝑅 ?
b) What is the power dissipated in 𝑅 for that
operation point?

6. Capacitor calculation

A capacitor with an area

A=800cm2 is filled with two
different isolating plates.
Plate 1 has a permittivity
εr1=2.5 and a thickness
d1=3.0mm, plate 2 a
permittivity εr2=4.0 and a
thickness d2=4.0mm. The
capacitor is connected to a
voltage source with U=5kV.

What capacitance value has the capacitor?

How does the voltage distribute over the two materials?
 7. Capacitor charge

For the given circuit with

𝑈 20V, 𝑅 100kΩ, 𝐶 5.6µF
a) Give the time constant of the circuit
b) Write the equation for the voltage
𝑢 following closing of the switch
c) Determine 𝑢 after one, three, five time
constants
d) Write down the equation for 𝑖 and the voltage 𝑢
e) Sketch the waveforms for 𝑢 and 𝑖

8. Thévenin theorem applied to a capacitor

For the circuit with
𝑈 20V, 𝑅 8𝑘Ω, 𝑅 24𝑘Ω, 𝑅 4𝑘Ω,
𝐶 15µ𝐹

a) Find the expression for the transient

behavior of the voltage 𝑢 and the current
𝑖 following the closing of the switch
b) Sketch the waveforms of 𝑢 and 𝑖

9. Cap : Precharged charge

On the capacitor shown in the circuit
there is an initial charge, which
delivers 𝑈 10V before closing the
switch.

The other values are

𝐼 4mA, 𝑅 6.8kΩ, 𝑅 1.5kΩ,
𝐶 2.2µF

a) Calculate the current 𝑖 and the voltage 𝑢 over time, if the switch closed at
𝑡 0. (It is open previously.)
b) Draw a sketch giving both values over time and mark the calculated values for
time constant and significant values.
Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering
Exercise
Sheet 4

1. Superposition
Using this circuit calculate the voltage over the
current source (𝑈 ) using the principle of
Superposition.
𝑅 6Ω, 𝑅 4Ω, 𝑅 30Ω, 𝑅 12Ω,
𝑅 4Ω, 𝑈 12V, 𝑈 8V, 𝐼 6A

2. Charging a capacitor

A capacitor with the capacitance C=100nF is charged

with a voltage UC0=50V.
By closing the switch the capacitor is connected to the
voltage source U=200V over the resistor R=20kΩ.

Draw the voltage uc over time. (Switch will close at

time t=0).

3. Inductance: Storage phase

For the given circuit…
a) Determine the time constant
b) Write the mathematical expression for the
current 𝑖 and for the voltages 𝑢 and 𝑢
following the closing of the switch. Note the
magnitude and the direction of the initial
current.
c) Determine 𝑖 and 𝑢 at one, three and five
time constants
d) Sketch the waveforms 𝑖 , 𝑢 and 𝑢
𝑈 20V, 𝑅 20𝑘Ω, 𝐿 300mH

4. Inductance: Transient switching

a) Determine the mathematical

expression for the current 𝑖 and the voltage
𝑢 following the closing of the switch.
b) Repeat part a) if the switch is open at
𝑡 1 µs.
c) Sketch the waveform for both cases.
 5. Phase shift calculation
Given the circuit with a capacitor C=3.0µF and a voltage
source with U=100V, f=50Hz.
Calculate the maximum voltage 𝑢 and the effective current I.

6. Calculation of phase shift and current

A voltage source is connected to the serial connection of

resistor and inductor.

Calculate the current and the phase shift, if the components

are connected to the alternating source with effective voltage
U=230V and f=50Hz.

Component values: R=40 Ω, L=175mH.

7. Capacitor calculation

A electric heater designed for the voltage U=230V should be

connected to a power outlet with U’=400V (f=50Hz). The
heater has a resistance value of R=53Ω.
For adaption of the voltage we can use a set of different
capacitance values.
What capacitor value is required?

8. Capacitive voltage divider

A voltage divider for AC is designed using two capacitors C1=5.0nF, C2=45nF. The
power supply has U=60V and f=1.0kHz.
a) Calculate the voltage at the output U2.
b) We want to add a resistor with R=10kΩ resistance. What voltage 𝑈 can be
measured at the resistor?
 9. Calculation of phase shift

A resistor is in series to a capacitor as shown in the picture

to the right.
The current I has the effective value of 50mA and the
frequency f=800Hz. The capacitor has C=250nF and the
resistor R=750Ω.
a) Calculate UR, UC and U.
b) Which angle φ is between the Voltage UC and U?

10. Phase shift and voltages

A coil with inductivity L=50mH is in series to a resistor

R=150Ω. The circuit should be extended with an
additional resistor RV as shown in the picture. The voltage
source has an effective value U=48V and frequency
f=800Hz.
Which value for RV is required, so that the voltage over R
and L URL =30V.

11. Voltage divider with additional capacitor

The given voltage divider with R1=900Ω and

R2=100Ω has additional the capacitor
C=1.25µF. The voltage source delivers
U=100V at f=400Hz.
a. Calculate the voltage U2.
b. Which angle φ has the phase shift between U2 and U.
Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering
Exercise
Sheet 5

1. Loaded Filter
The shown low pass is loaded with a
resistor 𝑅 .
Give the corner frequency 𝑓 for the loaded
state!
𝑅 2.3kΩ, 𝐶 75nF, 𝑅 5.2 kΩ

2. RL-Low Pass
The shown low pass contains of a resistor 𝑅 1.8kΩ and
a coil with 𝐿 75mH
What is the ratio of the input and the output voltage
(𝑈 /𝑈 at the frequency 𝑓 15kHz.

3. Resonance Circuit

The given circuit contains

the four elements
𝑅 400Ω, 𝑅 100Ω,
𝐿 32mH, 𝐶 1.0µF.
a) What is the resonance frequency 𝑓 of the circuit
b) What is the impedance 𝑍 in the resonance state?

4. Switched Network
The given circuit contains a switch. The power
supply delivers a constant alternating voltage
𝑈 with frequency 𝑓 400Hz. The component
values are 𝑅 150Ω, 𝐶 3.5µF. Determine
the value of the inductivity 𝐿, so that the
amount (effective value) of the current 𝐼 does
not change.