CH (5) - Series DC Circuits

Electric Circuit & Electronics
Chapter 5 Series dc Circuits
Jawdat Abu Taha
Electric Circuit and Applied Electronics Islamic University of Gaza Dr. Jawdat Abu Taha
(EMEC 4313) Electrical and Smart Systems Engineering Department 2022-1
OBJECTIVES
• Become familiar with the characteristics of a

series circuit and how to solve for the voltage,
current, and power to each of the elements.
• Develop a clear understanding of Kirchhoff ’ s
voltage law and how important it is to the
analysis of electric circuits.
• Become aware of how an applied voltage will
divide among series components and how to
properly apply the voltage divider rule.
(EMEC 4313)
2
Electrical and Smart Systems Engineering Department 2022-1
INTRODUCTION
Two types of current are readily available

to the consumer today.
▪ One is direct current (dc), in which ideally the
flow of charge (current) does not change in
magnitude (or direction) with time.
▪ The other is sinusoidal alternating current
(ac), in which the flow of charge is
continually changing in magnitude (and
direction) with time.
(EMEC 4313)
3
INTRODUCTION
Introducing the basic components of an electric circuit.
INTRODUCTION
Defining the direction of Defining the polarity resulting

conventional flow for from a conventional current I
single-source dc circuits. through a resistive element.
5.2 SERIES RESISTORS
Before the series connection is described, first

recognize that every fixed resistor has only two
terminals to connect in a configuration—it is
therefore referred to as a two-terminal device.
Series connection of resistors.
(EMEC 4313)
6
FIG. 5.5 Configuration in which none of the resistors are in series.
The total resistance of a series configuration is

the sum of the resistance levels.
In equation form for any number (N) of resistors,
The more resistors we add in series, the greater is the

resistance, no matter what their value.
The largest resistor in a series combination will have the

most impact on the total resistance
For the configuration in Fig. 5.4, the total resistance is
EXAMPLE 5.1 Determine the total resistance of the series

connection in Fig. 5.6. Note that all the resistors appearing
in this network are standard values.
EXAMPLE 5.2 Find the total resistance of the series

resistors in Fig. 5.7. Again, recognize 3.3 kΩ as a
standard value.
FIG. 5.8 Two series combinations of the same elements

with the same total resistance.
FIG. 5.9 Series combination

of resistors for Example 5.3.
FIG. 5.10 Series circuit of Fig.

5.9 redrawn to permit the use of
Eq. (5.2): RT = NR.
5.2 SERIES RESISTORS Analogies
• One analogy that works well for the series

combination of elements is connecting different
lengths of rope together to make the rope
longer.
• Adjoining pieces of rope are connected at only
one point, satisfying the definition of series
elements.
• Connecting a third rope to the common point
would mean that the sections of rope are no
longer in a series.
Electric Circuit and Applied Electronics Islamic University of Gaza Dr. Jawdat Abu 14
Taha
5.3 SERIES CIRCUITS
Resistance “seen” at the terminals of a series circuit.
5.3 SERIES CIRCUITS
A circuit is any combination of elements that will result in a
continuous flow of charge, or current, through the
configuration.
The direction of conventional current in a series dc circuit is

such that it leaves the positive terminal of the supply and
returns to the negative terminal, as shown in Fig. 5.12.
The current is the same at every point in a series circuit
5.3 SERIES CIRCUITS
The polarity of the voltage across a resistor is determined by

the direction of the current.
Current entering a resistor creates a drop in voltage with the
polarity indicated in Fig. 5.14(a). Reverse the direction of the
current, and the polarity will reverse as shown in Fig. 5.14(b).
Change the orientation of the resistor, and the same rules
apply as shown in Fig. 5.14(c).
5.3 SERIES CIRCUITS
EXAMPLE 5.4 For the series circuit in Fig. 5.15:
a. Find the total resistance RT.
b. Calculate the resulting source current Is.
c. Determine the voltage across each resistor.
Solution
5.3 SERIES CIRCUITS
EXAMPLE 5.5 For the series circuit in Fig. 5.16:
a. Find the total resistance RT.
b. Determine the source current Is and indicate its
direction on the circuit.
c. Find the voltage across resistor R2 and indicate its
polarity on the circuit
Solution
5.3 SERIES CIRCUITS
5.3 SERIES CIRCUITS
EXAMPLE 5.6 Given RT and I3,

calculate R1 and E for the circuit
in Fig. 5.18.
Solution: Since we are given the total resistance, it seems

natural to first write the equation for the total resistance
and then insert what we know:
5.4 POWER DISTRIBUTION IN A
SERIES CIRCUIT
• In any electrical system, the power
applied will equal the power dissipated or
absorbed.
• For any series circuit the power applied by
the dc supply must equal that dissipated
by the resistive elements.
Taha
SERIES CIRCUIT
SERIES CIRCUIT
EXAMPLE 5.7 For the series circuit
in Fig. 5.22 (all standard values):
a. Determine the total resistance RT.
b. Calculate the current Is.
c. Determine the voltage across
each resistor.
d. Find the power supplied by the
battery.
e. Determine the power dissipated
by each resistor.
f. Comment on whether the total
power supplied equals the total
power dissipated
SERIES CIRCUIT
5.5 VOLTAGE SOURCES IN SERIES
• Voltage sources can be connected in

series, to increase or decrease the total
voltage applied to a system.
• The net voltage is determined by summing
the sources with the same polarity and
subtracting the total of the sources with
the opposite polarity.
• The net polarity is the polarity of the
larger sum.
Taha
Reducing series dc voltage sources to a single source.
Instrumentation
Series connection of dc supplies: Example.

5.6 KIRCHHOFF’S VOLTAGE LAW
• The law, called Kirchhoff ’ s voltage law

(KVL), was developed by Gustav Kirchhoff
in the mid-1800s.
• It is a corner stone of the entire field and,
in fact, will never be outdated or replaced.
• The law specifies that the algebraic sum
of the potential rises and drops around a
closed path (or closed loop) is zero.
Taha
FIG. 5.26 Applying Kirchhoff ’s voltage law to a series dc circuit.
EXAMPLE 5.8 Use Kirchhoff’s voltage law to determine
the unknown voltage for the circuit in Fig. 5.27.
Solution
Applying Kirchhoff’s voltage law
to the circuit in Fig. 5.27 in the
clockwise direction results in
EXAMPLE 5.9 Determine the unknown voltage for the
circuit in Fig. 5.28.
Solution
For the clockwise path, including resistor R3, the following results:
EXAMPLE 5.10 Using Kirchhoff’s voltage law, determine

voltages V1 and V2 for the network in Fig. 5.29.
Solution: For path 1, starting at

point a in a clockwise direction,
For path 2, starting at point a in a

clockwise direction,
EXAMPLE 5.11 Using Kirchhoff’s voltage law, determine

the unknown voltage for the circuit in Fig. 5.30.
Solution: Note that in this circuit, there
are various polarities across the
unknown elements since they can
contain any mixture of components.
Applying Kirchhoff’s voltage law in the
clockwise direction results in
EXAMPLE 5.12 Determine the voltage Vx for the circuit in
Fig. 5.31. Note that the polarity of Vx was not provided.
Solution: For cases where the polarity is not
included, make an assumption about the
polarity, and apply KVL. If the result has a
positive sign, the assumed polarity was
correct. If the result has a minus sign, the
magnitude is correct, but the assumed
polarity must be reversed. In this case, if we
assume point a to be positive and point b to
be negative, KVL in the clockwise direction
results in
Since the result is negative, we know that point a should be negative and
point b should be positive, but the magnitude of 18 V is correct.
EXAMPLE 5.13 For the series circuit in Fig. 5.32.
a. Determine V2 using Kirchhoff’s voltage law
b. Determine current I2
c. Find R1 and R3
Solution
5.7 VOLTAGE DIVISION IN A SERIES CIRCUIT
• The previous section demonstrated that the

sum of the voltages across the resistors of a
series circuit will always equal the applied
voltage.
• It cannot be more or less than that value.
• The next question is, how will a resistor’s value
affect the voltage across the resistor?
• It turns out that the voltage across series
resistive elements will divide as the magnitude
of the resistance levels.
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• In other words, in a series resistive circuit, the larger

the resistance, the more of the applied voltage it will
capture.
• In addition, the ratio of the voltages across series

resistors will be the same as the ratio of their
resistance levels.
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EXAMPLE 5.15 Using the information

provided in Fig. 5.33, find
a. The voltage V1 using the ratio rule
b. The voltage V3 using the ratio rule
c. The applied voltage E using KVL.
Note that if the resistance levels of all the resistors in

Example 5.15 are increased by the same amount, as
shown in Fig. 5.34, the voltage levels all remain the
same. In other words, even though the resistance levels
were increased by a factor of 1 million,
the voltage ratios remained the same.
Clearly, therefore, it is the ratio of resistor
values that counts when it comes to voltage
division, not the magnitude of the resistors.
The current level of the network will be
severely affected by this change in
resistance level, but the voltage levels
remain unaffected.
To continue with the above, since 1 MΩ is 1000 times

larger than 1 kΩ, voltage V1 will be 1000 times larger
than V2. In addition, voltage V2 will be 10 times larger
than V3. Finally, the voltage across the largest resistor of
1 MΩ will be (10)(1000) = 10,000 times larger than V3.
Now for some details. The total resistance is
5.7 VOLTAGE DIVISION IN A SERIES CIRCUIT:
Voltage Divider Rule
The voltage divider rule

(VDR) permits the
determination of the voltage
across a series resistor
without first having to
determine the current of the
circuit.
FIG. 5.36 Developing the

voltage divider rule.
Taha
5.7 VOLTAGE DIVISION IN A SERIES
CIRCUIT: Voltage Divider Rule
The voltage divider rule states that the
voltage across a resistor in a series circuit
is equal to the value of that resistor times
the total applied voltage divided by the
total resistance of the series configuration.
The resulting format for V1 and V2 is
Taha
EXAMPLE 5.16 For the series circuit in Fig. 5.37.
a. Without making any calculations, how much larger
would you expect the voltage across R2 to be
compared to that across R1?
b) Find the voltage V1 using only the voltage
divider rule.
c) Using the conclusion of part (a), determine
the voltage across R2
d) Use the voltage divider rule to determine
the voltage across R2, and compare your
answer to your conclusion in part (c).
e) How does the sum of V1 and V2 compare to the applied
voltage?
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Taha
EXAMPLE 5.17 Using the voltage divider rule, determine
voltages V1 and V3 for the series circuit in Fig. 5.38.
Solution:
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EXAMPLE 5.20 Design the voltage divider circuit in Fig.
5.40 such that the voltage across R1 will be four times
the voltage across R2; that is, VR1 = 4VR2.
Solution: The total resistance is defined by
Applying Ohm’s law, we can determine the total resistance of the circuit:
Taha
5.8 INTERCHANGING SERIES ELEMENTS
The elements of a series circuit can be interchanged
without affecting the total resistance, current, or power to
each element. For instance, the network in Fig. 5.41 can
be redrawn as shown in Fig. 5.42 without affecting I or V2.
The total resistance RT is 35 Ω in both cases, and I = 70
V/35 Ω = 2 A. The voltage V2 = IR2 = (2 A)(5 Ω) = 10 V
for both configurations.
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5.8 INTERCHANGING SERIES ELEMENTS
EXAMPLE 5.21 Determine I and the voltage across

the 7 Ω resistor for the network in Fig. 5.43.
Solution: The network is redrawn in Fig. 5.44
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5.9 NOTATION Voltage Sources and Ground
Except for a few special cases, electrical and

electronic systems are grounded for reference
and safety purposes.
FIG. 5.45 Ground potential.
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A grounded circuit may appear as shown in Fig. 5.46(a), (b), or

(c). In any case, it is understood that the negative terminal of
the battery and the bottom of the resistor R2 are at ground
potential. Although Fig. 5.46(c) shows no connection between
the two grounds, it is recognized that such a connection exists
for the continuous flow of charge
FIG. 5.46 Three ways to sketch the same series dc circuit.
On large schematics where space is at a premium and

clarity is important, voltage sources may be indicated as
shown in Figs. 5.47(a) and 5.48(a) rather than as
illustrated in Figs. 5.47(b) and 5.48(b).
In addition, potential levels may be indicated as in Fig. 5.49, to

permit a rapid check of the potential levels at various points in a
network with respect to ground to ensure that the system is
operating properly.
5.9 NOTATION Double-Subscript Notation
The fact that voltage is an across variable and
exists between two points has resulted in a
double-subscript notation that defines the first
subscript as the higher potential.
FIG. 5.50 Defining the sign for double-subscript notation.
Taha
5.9 NOTATION Double-Subscript Notation
• The double-subscript notation Vab

specifies point a as the higher potential.
• If this is not the case, a negative sign
must be associated with the magnitude of
Vab.
• In other words, the voltage Vab is the
voltage at point a with respect to (w.r.t.)
point b.
Taha
5.9 NOTATION Single-Subscript Notation
If point b of the notation Vab is specified as

ground potential (zero volts), then a single-
subscript notation can be used that provides the
voltage at a point with respect to ground.
FIG. 5.51 Defining the use of

single-subscript notation for
voltage levels.
Taha
General Comments
For the above notational standards,
the following relationship exists:
In other words, if the voltage at points a and b is

known with respect to ground, then the voltage
Vab can be determined using Eq. (5.13). In Fig
5.51, for example,
Taha
EXAMPLE 5.22 Find the voltage Vab for the

conditions in Fig. 5.52.
Solution: Applying Eq. (5.13) gives
Note the negative sign to reflect the fact that point b is at a

higher potential than point a.
Taha
EXAMPLE 5.23 Find the voltage Va for the

configuration in Fig. 5.53.
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EXAMPLE 5.24 Find the voltage Vab for the

configuration in Fig. 5.54.
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EXAMPLE 5.26 Determine Vab,

Vcb, and Vc for the network in
Fig. 5.59.
Solution: There are two ways to approach this
problem. The first is to sketch the diagram in
Fig. 5.60 and note that there is a 54 V drop
across the series resistors R1 and R2. The
current can then be determined using Ohm’s
law and the voltage levels as follows:
Taha
The other approach is to redraw the network as

shown in Fig. 5.61 to clearly establish the aiding
effect of E1 and E2 and then solve the resulting
series circuit:
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EXAMPLE 5.27 Using the voltage divider

rule, determine the voltages V1 and V2
of Fig. 5.62.
Solution: Redrawing the network with
the standard battery symbol results in
the network in Fig. 5.63. Applying the
voltage divider rule gives
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EXAMPLE 5.28 For the

network in Fig. 5.64.
a. Calculate Vab.
b. Determine Vb.
c. Calculate Vc.
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5.10 GROUND CONNECTION AWARENESS
The placement of the ground connection

will not affect the magnitude or polarity of
the voltage across an element but it may
have a significant impact on the voltage
from any point in the network to ground.
EXAMPLE 5.31
a. For the series circuit of Fig. 5.67
find the voltages Va, Vb, and Vc.
b. Determine the voltage Vad.
Taha
5.10 GROUND CONNECTION AWARENESS
Taha

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Electric Circuit & Electronics

Chapter 5 Series dc Circuits

Jawdat Abu Taha

• Become familiar with the characteristics of a

Two types of current are readily available

Introducing the basic components of an electric circuit.

Defining the direction of Defining the polarity resulting

Before the series connection is described, first

Series connection of resistors.

FIG. 5.5 Configuration in which none of the resistors are in series.

The total resistance of a series configuration is

The more resistors we add in series, the greater is the

The largest resistor in a series combination will have the

For the configuration in Fig. 5.4, the total resistance is

EXAMPLE 5.1 Determine the total resistance of the series

EXAMPLE 5.2 Find the total resistance of the series

FIG. 5.8 Two series combinations of the same elements

FIG. 5.9 Series combination

FIG. 5.10 Series circuit of Fig.

• One analogy that works well for the series

Resistance “seen” at the terminals of a series circuit.

The direction of conventional current in a series dc circuit is

The polarity of the voltage across a resistor is determined by

EXAMPLE 5.6 Given RT and I3,

Solution: Since we are given the total resistance, it seems

• Voltage sources can be connected in

Reducing series dc voltage sources to a single source.

Series connection of dc supplies: Example.

• The law, called Kirchhoff ’ s voltage law

FIG. 5.26 Applying Kirchhoff ’s voltage law to a series dc circuit.

EXAMPLE 5.10 Using Kirchhoff’s voltage law, determine

Solution: For path 1, starting at

For path 2, starting at point a in a

EXAMPLE 5.11 Using Kirchhoff’s voltage law, determine

• The previous section demonstrated that the

• In other words, in a series resistive circuit, the larger

• In addition, the ratio of the voltages across series

EXAMPLE 5.15 Using the information

Note that if the resistance levels of all the resistors in

To continue with the above, since 1 MΩ is 1000 times

The voltage divider rule

FIG. 5.36 Developing the

EXAMPLE 5.21 Determine I and the voltage across

Except for a few special cases, electrical and

FIG. 5.45 Ground potential.

A grounded circuit may appear as shown in Fig. 5.46(a), (b), or

FIG. 5.46 Three ways to sketch the same series dc circuit.

On large schematics where space is at a premium and

In addition, potential levels may be indicated as in Fig. 5.49, to

FIG. 5.50 Defining the sign for double-subscript notation.

• The double-subscript notation Vab

If point b of the notation Vab is specified as

FIG. 5.51 Defining the use of

In other words, if the voltage at points a and b is

EXAMPLE 5.22 Find the voltage Vab for the

Note the negative sign to reflect the fact that point b is at a

EXAMPLE 5.23 Find the voltage Va for the

EXAMPLE 5.24 Find the voltage Vab for the

Solution: Applying Eq. (5.13) gives