RESISTIVE CIRCUITS

Here we introduce the basic concepts and laws that are fundamental to
circuit analysis

LEARNING GOALS
• OHM’S LAW - DEFINES THE SIMPLEST PASSIVE ELEMENT: THE
RESISTOR
• KIRCHHOFF’S LAWS - THE FUNDAMENTAL CIRCUIT CONSERVATION
LAWS- KIRCHHOFF CURRENT (KCL) AND KIRCHHOFF VOLTAGE (KVL)
• LEARN TO ANALYZE THE SIMPLEST CIRCUITS
• SINGLE LOOP - THE VOLTAGE DIVIDER
• SINGLE NODE-PAIR - THE CURRENT DIVIDER
• SERIES/PARALLEL RESISTOR COMBINATIONS - A TECHNIQUE TO
REDUCE THE COMPLEXITY OF SOME CIRCUITS

• WYE - DELTA TRANSFORMATION - A TECHNIQUE TO REDUCE

COMMON RESISTOR CONNECTIONS THAT ARE NEITHER SERIES NOR
PARALLEL
• CIRCUITS WITH DEPENDENT SOURCES - (NOTHING VERY SPECIAL)
 RESISTORS
Standard Multiples of Ohm
 v(t ) 
M Mega Ohm(106 )
i(t ) k Kilo Ohm(103 )

A resistor is a passive element

Volt
A common occurrence is
characterized by an algebraic mA
relation between the voltage across resulting in resistance in k
its terminals and the current
through it
Conductance
v(t )  F (i (t )) General Model for a Resistor If instead of expressing voltage as
A linear resistor obeys OHM’s Law a function of current one expresses
current in terms of voltage, OHM’s
v(t )  Ri (t ) law can be written
The constant, R, is called the 1
i v
resistance of the component and R
is measured in units of Ohm () 1
We define G  as Conductance
From a dimensional point of view
R
Ohms is a derived unit of Volt/Amp of the component and write
i  Gv
Since the equation is algebraic
the time dependence can be omitted The unit of conductance is
Siemens
 Some practical resistors

Symbol
 i Notice passive sign Two special resistor values
 convention
v R  i0
v0


Circuit Represent ation
Short Open
Circuit Circuit
i
R0 R
“A touch of
G G0
reality”

Linear approximation

v
Linear range Ohm’s Law is an approximation valid
while voltages and currents remain
Actual v-I relationship in the Linear Range
 OHM’S LAW PROBLEM SOLVING TIP G ive n V olta g e a n d R e sista n c e
C o m p u te C u rre n t
v  Ri i  Gv OHM' s Law I
V

One equation and three variables.

 R
Given ANY two the third can be found 12[V ] R  3
G ive n c u rre n t a n d re sista n c e  I  4[ A]
F in d th e volta g e
Notice use of Determine direction of the current
passive sign using passive sign convention
I  2A  convention
R  5 V  10[V ]

Table 1 Keeping Units Straight
Voltage Current Resistance
G ive n C u rre n t a n d V olta g e
F in d R e sista n c e Volts Amps Ohms
 I  4[ A]
Volts mA k
20[V ] R  5 mV A m

mV mA 
V
R
I
 



GIVEN VOLTAGE AND CONDUCTANCE OHM’S LAW v (t )  Ri (t ) UNITS?

REFERENCE DIRECTIONS SATISFY  4[V ]  (2)i (t )  i (t )  2[ A]
PASSIVE SIGN CONVENTION
i (t )  Gv (t ) OHM’S LAW

UNITS?

CONDUCTANCE IN SIEMENS, VOLTAGE 4V
IN VOLTS. HENCE CURRENT IN AMPERES
 v (t )   Ri (t )
i (t )  8[ A] 
OHM’S LAW
THE EXAMPLE COULD BE
GIVEN LIKE THIS
 RESISTORS AND ELECTRIC POWER A MATTER OF UNITS

Resistors are passive components Working with SI units Volt, Ampere

that can only absorb energy.
Combining Ohm’s law and the
expressions for power we can derive
several useful expressions
P  vi (Power)
v  Ri , or i  Gv (Ohm' s Law)
Watt, Ohm, there is never a problem.
One must be careful when using
multiples or sub multiples.
EXAMPLE : R  40 k, i  2mA
The basic strategy is to express
all given variables in SI units

Problem solving tip: There are four v  (40 *103 ) * (2 *10 3 A)  80[V ]
variables (P,v,i,R) and two equations. P  Ri 2  (40 *103 ) * (2 *10 3 A) 2 
Given any two variables one can find 160 *10 3 [W ]
the other two.
Given P , i Given v, R
P v v v2
v  ,R  i  , P  vi 
i i R R

Given i, R Given P, R
v  Ri , P  vi  Ri 2 P
i , v  Ri  PR
R
If not given, the reference
direction for voltage or current
can be chosen and the other is
given by the passive sign convention
DETERMINE CURRENT AND POWER ABSORBED
BY RESISTOR


P ?

I 0.5  10 3
[ A]
VS  IR  VS  VS   10[V ]
G 50  106 [ S ]
 6mA
2
PI R
I2
P

0.5  103[ A]
 0

2
. 5  10 2
[W ]
V 2 P  (12[V ])(6[mA]) G 6
50  10 [ S ]
2
P  VI  I R  5[mW ]
R  72[mW ]

0.6[mA]
V 6[V ]
I 
R 10k

P  I 2R
80  103[W ]
VS2 P  VS I R
P
R 80[mW ]  3
4  10 A 
2

VS   20[V ]
R  5k 
VS2 3 3
 (10  10 )(3.6  10 W ) VS  6[V ] 4[mA]
 R = V/I = 2.4 Ohms
Re s is t a nc e o f La mp __________
P  60W
 I = P/V = 5A
+
Curre nt t hro ug h La mp ________
12V -
q   current
HALOGEN
 LAM P
Cha rg e s up p lie d b y
b a t t e ry in 1 min Q=5*60[C]
________

SAMPLE PROBLEM

Recognizing the type of problem: Possibly useful relationships

This is an application of Ohm’s Law
V2
We are given Power and Voltage. P  VI   I 2R
We are asked for Resistance, Current R
V  IR
and Charge
qa (t )  10 cos(t )[mC ] is the charge entering at a
Given: charge. Required: current
(time is in seconds) i
dq
 10 sin(t )[mA]
a iab (1)  dt
i (1)  10 sin(1)
Given: current. Required: voltage
V  Ri  2 * 10 sin   0
R  2 vab (t   ) 
Given: current, resistor, voltage. Required: power
b pR (t )  p  Ri 2  2[]*(102 ) 2 *sin 2 (t )[ A]2
2
 p  200 sin (t ) W
For  t   ,Substitute if positive from a to b (meaning the
2 direction of current is wrong) , if negative from b to
a

the current flows from___ to ___ 

point ___ has higher vol tage than point ____

Sketch for -sin(t)
On the time interval, current from a to b is negative.
Current flows from b to a
SAMPLE QUESTION and point b has the higher voltage