Grade 12 Electric Circuits Notes Summarized

Electric circuits
Definitions
Ohm’s Law – For a conductor at constant temperature, the current is directly
proportional to the potential difference across its ends and inversely proportional to
the resistance of the resistors.
Ohmic conductors – Conductors that obey ohm’s law.
Non-Ohmic conductors – Conductors that do not obey ohm’s law.
Internal resistance – The resistance within a battery that causes a drop in the
potential difference of the battery when there is a current in the circuit.
EMF (ℰ) (ElectroMotive Force) – The maximum energy dissipated by a battery per
unit charge passing through it OR the potential difference across the ends of a
battery when there is NO current in the circuit.
Equations and/or formulae:

1. (Calculating the Current, Resistance or Potential difference using ohm’s law)
𝑽
𝑹=
𝑰
2. (Calculating the Resistance of series resistors)
𝑹𝑠 = 𝑹𝟏 + 𝑹 𝟐 + 𝑹𝟑 + ⋯
3. (Calculating the Resistance of parallel resistors)

𝟏 𝟏 𝟏
𝑹∥ = + + +⋯
𝑹𝟏 𝑹 𝟐 𝑹𝟑
OR
ONLY WHEN THERE ARE ONLY 2
𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑫𝑼𝑪𝑻 RESISTORS IN PARALLEL
𝑹∥ =
𝑺𝑼𝑴
4. (Calculating the internal and external potential difference)

𝑽𝒊𝒏𝒕 = 𝑰𝒓
𝑽𝒆𝒙𝒕 = 𝑰𝑹
𝑽𝒊𝒏𝒕 being the potential difference lost in the battery due to the internal resistance(r).
𝑽𝒆𝒙𝒕 being the potential difference only in the external circuit. (But is not the EMF)
𝑬𝑴𝑭 is the sum/total of both the 𝑽𝒆𝒙𝒕 and the 𝑽𝒊𝒏𝒕 ,so 𝓔 = 𝑽𝒆𝒙𝒕 + 𝑽𝒊𝒏𝒕
5. (Calculating the 𝐸𝑀𝐹 of the battery)
𝓔 = 𝑰(𝑹 + 𝒓)
𝓔 = 𝑰𝑹 + 𝑰𝒓
𝓔 = 𝑽𝒆𝒙𝒕 + 𝑽𝒊𝒏𝒕
6. (Calculating the power dissipated by a battery)

𝑾
𝑷=
∆𝒕
𝑷 = 𝑽𝑰
Since 𝑽 = 𝑰𝑹
𝑷 = (𝑰𝑹)𝑰
𝑷 = 𝑰𝟐 𝑹
𝑽
Since 𝑰 =
𝑹
𝑽
𝑷=𝑽
𝑹
𝑽𝟐
𝑷=
𝑹
IMPORTANT TO KNOW: SAPD IMPORTANT TO KNOW: PAID

S – Series resistors P – Parallel resistors
A – Are A – Are
P – Potential I – Current
D – Dividers D - Dividers
Which means that in series Which means that in parallel
resistors the potential difference resistors the current splits … but
splits… but the current remains the potential difference remains
constant. constant.
Example:
S
2Ω
ℰ = 20𝑉
A1
7Ω
V1
8Ω A2
V2
6Ω 5Ω
Given that EMF = 20 V, r = 2 Ω and the reading on A1 is 2 A.
(i) What is the total current flowing through the circuit?
Calculate:
(ii) The reading on voltmeter V1.

(iii) The Total external resistance.
(iv) The reading on A2.
Solution: Since PAID and SAPD, and because the current hasn’t
(i) 2A experienced any resistance yet, A1 reads the total current.
(ii) 𝓔 = 𝑰(𝑹 + 𝒓) Since PAID and SAPD, V1 and V2 have the same
𝓔 = 𝑰𝑹 + 𝑰𝒓 reading which is the External Potential difference
𝓔 = 𝑽𝒆𝒙𝒕 + 𝑰𝒓
20 = 𝑽𝒆𝒙𝒕 + (2)(2)
20 = 𝑽𝒆𝒙𝒕 + 4
𝑽𝒆𝒙𝒕 = 16 𝑉
𝑽𝟕 = 𝑰𝑹𝟕 Since PAID and SAPD, the ‖ resistors are series to the 7Ω,
𝑽𝟕 = (𝟐)(𝟕) which causes the potential difference to split between them so
𝑽𝟕 = 14 Ω finding V7 will help us find V‖ and then since V is the same for ‖
∴ 𝑽∥ = 16 − 14 resistors it’s easy to calculate for 8Ω resistor.
𝑽∥ = 2 𝑉
𝑉𝑒𝑥𝑡
To calculate the external resistance we can only use the
(iii) 𝑅𝑒𝑥𝑡 = external Potential difference but the current in the inside
𝐼
16 of the battery and in the external circuit is the same.
𝑅𝑒𝑥𝑡 =
2
𝑅𝑒𝑥𝑡 = 8 Ω
Since PAID and SAPD, A2 will not read the total current but it
(iv) can be calculated by using the potential difference which is the
𝑽 same in parallel resistors
𝑰𝟐 = 𝑹
2
𝑰𝟐 = 8
𝑰𝟐 = 0.25 𝐴
Elaboration of the difference between EMF and Vext:
Example
𝑬𝑴𝑭 = 𝟏𝟓 𝑽 When the battery is bought it

initially can provide 15V but
𝒓=𝟐Ω
when you use it for an
electronic that needs 15V it
won’t work because of the
internal resistance inside the
battery, the V that it now
produces is, for example, 10V.
That 10V is THE external
potential difference and the
lost 5V was lost due to
internal resistance

Grade 12 Electric Circuits Notes Summarized

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Grade 12 Electric Circuits Notes Summarized

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Electric circuits

Equations and/or formulae:

3. (Calculating the Resistance of parallel resistors)

4. (Calculating the internal and external potential difference)

6. (Calculating the power dissipated by a battery)

IMPORTANT TO KNOW: SAPD IMPORTANT TO KNOW: PAID

Given that EMF = 20 V, r = 2 Ω and the reading on A1 is 2 A.

(i) What is the total current flowing through the circuit?

(ii) The reading on voltmeter V1.

Elaboration of the difference between EMF and Vext:

𝑬𝑴𝑭 = 𝟏𝟓 𝑽 When the battery is bought it

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