Subject B-3a: Electrical

Fundamentals I

Topic 3.6:
DC Circuits
 INTRODUCTION
Subject B-3a
Electrical Fundamentals I
Topic 3.6 DC Circuits

On completion of this topic you should be able to:

3.6.1 Describe the following laws:

• Ohms Law
• Kirchoff’s voltage and current Laws
3.6.2 Using Ohms Law and Kirchoff’s Laws, perform calculations to find
resistance voltage and current in DC circuits.
3.6.3 Describe the significance of the internal resistance of a DC power
supply.

Issue B: January 2008 Revision 3 ☻ Slide No. 2

 OHM’S LAW
Subject B-3a
Electrical Fundamentals I
Topic 3.6 DC Circuits

Dr Georg Simon Ohm ( 1787 - 1854 )

German physicist of 19th century

Ohm discovered that:

Voltage, Current, and Resistance are related to each other in a definite way.
He developed a law that governs the operation of all DC circuits:
“The amount of current flowing in a circuit made up of pure resistances is directly
proportional to the potential difference or voltage impressed on the circuit and
inversely proportional to the total resistance of the circuit.” 

Where V = Voltage, I =
Current and R = Resistance.
Issue B: January 2008 Revision 3 ☻ Slide No. 3
 OHM'S LAW
Subject B-3a
Electrical Fundamentals I
Topic 3.6 DC Circuits

Equivalent expressions of Ohm's law are: V = IR or R = V/I.

An easy way to remember the formulas is by using this diagram.
Horizontal line in middle means to divide 2 remaining values.
"X" in bottom section of circle means to multiply I and R values:
• If calculating voltage, cover V and you have I X R remaining (V= I x R)
• If calculating current, cover I, and you have V divided by R (I=V/R)
• If calculating resistance, cover R, and you have V divide by I left (R=V/I)
Note: The letter E is sometimes used instead of V for voltage – E is for EMF.
Issue B: January 2008 Revision 3 ☻ Slide No. 4
 OHM'S LAW
Subject B-3a
Electrical Fundamentals I
Topic 3.6 DC Circuits

Problem:
A nine volt battery supplies power to an iron with a resistance of 18 ohms.
How much current is flowing through the curling iron?

Solution: 0.5 Amp

Issue B: January 2008 Revision 3 ☻ Slide No. 5

 OHM'S LAW
Subject B-3a
Electrical Fundamentals I
Topic 3.6 DC Circuits

Problem:
A 110 volt wall outlet supplies power to a light with a resistance of 2200 ohms.
How much current is flowing through the light?

Solution: 0.05 Amp

A component has a resistance of 40 ohms and a current flow of 0.1 amps.

How many volts are supplied to the component?
Solution: 4 Volts

Issue B: January 2008 Revision 3 ☻ Slide No. 6

 KIRCHOFF’S CURRENT LAW
Subject B-3a
Electrical Fundamentals I
Topic 3.6 DC Circuits

Gustav Robert Kirchoff (1824-1887)

German physicist of 19th century

Kirchoff's current law

The sum of currents flowing into a junction equals the sum of currents
flowing away from the junction

I 1 = I2 + I3

I1 is flowing into the junction whereas I2 and I3 are flowing out

If I1 was 20 Amps and I3 was 5 Amps, what would I2 equal?

Issue B: January 2008 Revision 3 ☻ Slide No. 7

 KIRCHOFF’S CURRENT LAW
Subject B-3a
Electrical Fundamentals I
Topic 3.6 DC Circuits

The sum of currents flowing into a junction equals the sum

of currents flowing away from the junction

8 Amps enter junction and 3 and 5 Amps leave junction.

Makes a total of 8 Amps entering and 8 Amps leaving.

8 Amps and 1 Amp enter junction and 9 Amps leave.

Makes a total of 9 Amps entering and 9 Amps leaving.

8 Amps and 1 Amp enter junction and 7 Amps and 2 Amps

leave.
Makes a total of 9 Amps entering and 9 Amps leaving.

The sum of currents flowing into a junction equals the sum

of currents flowing away from the junction.
Issue B: January 2008 Revision 3 ☻ Slide No. 8
 KIRCHOFF’S VOLTAGE LAW
Subject B-3a
Electrical Fundamentals I
Topic 3.6 DC Circuits

Kirchoff's voltage law

The algebraic sum of the voltage drops in any closed path in a circuit and the
electromotive forces in that path is equal to zero.

Also stated as the sum of voltage drops around a closed circuit is equal
to the sum of voltage sources.

Input Voltage(s) = sum of voltage drops.

In above circuit – Voltage drops across R1, R2 and R3 must equal 10 V

10 V = V1 + V2 + V3
Issue B: January 2008 Revision 3 ☻ Slide No. 9
 KIRCHOFF’S VOLTAGE LAW
Subject B-3a
Electrical Fundamentals I
Topic 3.6 DC Circuits

Voltage drop across 3 resistors equals the supply voltage: E1 + E2 + E3 = EA

Issue B: January 2008 Revision 3 ☻ Slide No. 10
 SERIES AIDING AND OPPOSING SOURCES
Subject B-3a
Electrical Fundamentals I
Topic 3.6 DC Circuits

Circuit may contain more than one source of emf.

Emf sources in same direction – series aiding.

Emf sources in opposite direction – series opposing.

Effective source voltage is algebraic sum.

When 2 opposing sources are inserted into circuit.

current flow is in direction determined by larger source.

Issue B: January 2008 Revision 3 ☻ Slide No. 11

 SERIES AIDING AND OPPOSING SOURCES
Subject B-3a
Electrical Fundamentals I
Topic 3.6 DC Circuits

Using Kirchhoff's voltage equation, how much current is flowing in the circuit?

1.5 Amps
Issue B: January 2008 Revision 3 ☻ Slide No. 12
 KIRCHOFF’S LAW
Subject B-3a
Electrical Fundamentals I
Topic 3.6 DC Circuits

Current flow at a junction will divide into 2 parts.

Current through the respective branch can be worked out as shown.

Issue B: January 2008 Revision 3 ☻ Slide No. 13

 KIRCHOFF’S LAW
Subject B-3a
Electrical Fundamentals I
Topic 3.6 DC Circuits

The voltage across R1 can be found using:

The voltage across R2 can be found using:

Issue B: January 2008 Revision 3 ☻ Slide No. 14

 KIRCHOFF’S AND OHM’S LAWS
Subject B-3a
Electrical Fundamentals I
Topic 3.6 DC Circuits

I2, I3 and unknown resistance RX can all be calculated, using basic DC theory.

Voltage drop on R1 20 ohm resistor is (I1 x R1 ) or 8 volts.

By Kirchoff’s voltage law, p.d. across R2 is thus (20 – 8 or) 12 volts.

Using Ohms law, current through R2 10 ohm resistor (V ÷ R) is 1.2 Amps (I3).
Issue B: January 2008 Revision 3 ☻ Slide No. 15
 KIRCHOFF’S AND OHM’S LAWS
Subject B-3a
Electrical Fundamentals I
Topic 3.6 DC Circuits

Using Kirchoffs current law and now knowing I1 and I3, I2 is found.
I3 = I1 + I2 therefore I2 = 800 mA.
Using Kirchoffs voltage law, p.d. across RX can be calculated.
20 = (I2 x RX) + 12 or same voltage over parallel legs (R1//RX).
Voltage across RX (I2 x RX) is then 8 volts.

Issue B: January 2008

Value of RX is (V ÷ I) or 8 ÷ 0.8 or 10 ohms.
Revision 3 ☻ Slide No. 16
 DC POWER SUPPLY INTERNAL RESISTANCE
Subject B-3a
Electrical Fundamentals I
Topic 3.6 DC Circuits

All power sources have an internal resistance (usually small).

As more current is drawn – voltage drop across internal resistance increases.
This decreases output voltage from supply.
So when more current is drawn from power source – voltage provided drops.
Higher the internal resistance – the greater the connected load will affect output.

Issue B: January 2008 Revision 3 ☻ Slide No. 17

 DC POWER SUPPLY INTERNAL RESISTANCE
Subject B-3a
Electrical Fundamentals I
Topic 3.6 DC Circuits

0.2 Ω

12 Volts 1.8
1 kΩΩ

If a 1 kΩ load is connected to power supply, what is the voltage supplied to it?

Solution = 11.99 Volts (circuit current draw of 0.01199 amps)

If a 1.8 Ω load is connected to power supply, what is the voltage supplied to it?

Solution = 10.8 Volts (circuit current draw of 6 amps)

So when more current is drawn from power source – voltage provided drops

Higher the internal resistance – the greater the connected load will affect output
Issue B: January 2008 Revision 3 ☻ Slide No. 18
 CONCLUSION
Subject B-3a
Electrical Fundamentals I
Topic 3.6 DC Circuits

Now that you have completed this topic, you should be able to:

3.6.1 Describe the following laws:

• Ohms Law
• Kirchoff’s voltage and current Laws
3.6.2 Using Ohms Law and Kirchoff’s Laws, perform calculations to find
resistance voltage and current in DC circuits.
3.6.3 Describe the significance of the internal resistance of a DC power
supply.

Issue B: January 2008 Revision 3 ☻ Slide No. 19

 Subject B-3a: Electrical
Fundamentals I

This concludes:
Topic 3.6:
DC Circuits