ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT ANALYSIS 1

EMT 2232 (LECTURE 2)

GRACE WAMUTI gwamuti@jkuat.ac.ke

 OUTLINE

1. BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS (PART B)

• Active & passive devices, circuits and networks.
2. ANALYSIS OF A SIMPLE CIRCUIT (PART A)
• Conventions, ohm's law, power absorbed by a
resistor, energy dissipated by a resistor, nodes,
branches, loops and meshes, KCL, KVL, analysis of
series circuits & parallel circuits.
 BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS
Active and Passive devices
Passive Devices Active Devices

• These are components that do not • These are electronic components that
generate, oscillate or amplify can amplify or generate electrical
electrical signals. signals.

• Passive devices perform 'passive' • Examples: voltage sources, current

operations such as absorbing, sources, generators, transistors, diodes
dissipating, or storing electric and operational amplifiers.
power, which is supplied to them by
active components.

• Examples: resistors, capacitors, NOTE:

inductors, and transformers. We will delve more deeply into passive components in this unit.
 BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS
Passive devices

1. RESISTOR

• There are many different kinds of

resistors including carbon film,
carbon composition, metal film,
wire wound, and bulk metal
types.

.
 BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS
Passive devices
1. RESISTOR…..cont’d
• A resistor is characterized by its resistance value, power dissipation
capability, temperature coefficient, and manufacturing tolerances.
• Resistance is the capacity of materials to impede the flow of current or, more
specifically, the flow of electric charge. The reciprocal of the resistance is referred to
as conductance, is symbolized by the letter G, and is measured in siemens (S)
• The relationship between voltage and current for a resistor is known as
Ohm’s law.
 BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS
Passive devices
2. CAPACITOR

• There are many different kinds of

capacitors. The common types are film,
paper, ceramic, and electrolytic.

• An ideal capacitor blocks DC, and its

impedance is expected to drop with
the inverse of the frequency based on
the relationship
 BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS
Passive devices

3. INDUCTOR

• An ideal inductor is a simple magnetic

element that should pass DC without any
loss and at high frequencies creates an
impedance given by XL =2fπL.
BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS
Passive devices
 BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS
ACTIVE DEVICES : ELECTRICAL SOURCES

An electrical source is a device capable of converting nonelectric energy to

electric energy and vice versa.

Example:
• Discharging battery converts chemical energy to electric energy.
• Charging battery converts electric energy to chemical energy.

• Electric sources either deliver or absorb electric power while maintaining

either voltage or current. This behavior led to the creation of the ideal
voltage source and the ideal current source as circuit elements.
 BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS
ACTIVE DEVICES : ELECTRICAL SOURCES

• An ideal voltage source is a circuit element that maintains a prescribed

voltage across its terminals regardless of the current flowing in those
terminals.

• An ideal current source is a circuit element that maintains a prescribed

current through its terminals regardless of the voltage across those
terminals.

Ideal Independent Voltage Source Ideal Independent Current Source

 BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS
ACTIVE DEVICES : ELECTRICAL SOURCES

Ideal voltage and current sources can be further described as either

independent sources or dependent sources.

• Independent source- establishes a voltage or current in a circuit

without relying on voltages or currents elsewhere in the circuit.

• Dependent source*- establishes a voltage or current whose value

depends on the value of a voltage or current elsewhere in the circuit.

*Dependent sources are sometimes called controlled sources.

 BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS
ACTIVE DEVICES : ELECTRICAL SOURCES

DEPENDENT VOLTAGE AND CURRENT SOURCES

 BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS
ACTIVE DEVICES : ELECTRICAL SOURCES

Permissible Interconnections

1. When supplying voltage across the same pair of terminals a and b, it is

required that each source supply the same voltage with the same polarity

vx=5V vs=15V

Note:
Voltage sources can also be connected in series.
 BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS
ACTIVE DEVICES : ELECTRICAL SOURCES
Permissible Interconnections

2. When current sources supply current through the same pair of terminals,
marked a and b, it is required that each source supply the same current in the
same direction

ix=2A is=6A

Note:
While voltage sources can be connected in series to increase the total voltage, current sources should generally be connected in
parallel to increase the total current capacity.
 BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS
ACTIVE DEVICES : ELECTRICAL SOURCES

Permissible Interconnections

3. Voltage and current sources can be connected in a circuit as shown below.

This is because ideal voltage source supplies the same voltage regardless of
the current, and an ideal current source supplies the same current regardless
of the voltage

vx=5V is=15A ix=2A vs=8V

 BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS
ACTIVE DEVICES : ELECTRICAL SOURCES

Permissible Interconnections: Question

SOLUTION

a) ib = - 8 A.
vg = ib/4 = - 2V

b) P = VI.
P = - 2 V x 8 A= -16W (the current source
generated 16 W)
 BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS
Circuits and Networks
• An electrical circuits is a system of interconnected components that allow the flow of
electrical current.
• A network may be regarded as an interconnection of elements or devices, whereas a circuit
is a network providing one or more closed paths

Applications:
• Power systems: power generation, transmission, distribution.
• Electronic devices: Computers, phones, appliances.
• Control systems: Automation, robotics.
• Communication systems: Telephones, internet

Laws and theorems used in circuit analysis:

• Ohm's Law: Relates voltage, current, and resistance (V = IR).
• Kirchhoff's Laws: KVL (sum of voltages in a loop is 0) and KCL (sum of currents at a
node is 0).
• Circuit theorems: Thevenin's, Norton's, superposition.
 BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS
Circuits and Networks
Role of passive components in circuits:

• Passive components are often required as basic Input Output

elements in the design of most circuits. Vin Vout

• For example, good circuit design practice demands

that when an amplifier is used, it needs to be
accurate and stable. However, active devices (such Feedback network
as amplifiers) are by nature unstable, so they need
to be tamed using passive components.

• This is the reason why feedback networks, typically

composed of passive components, are commonly
incorporated into circuits containing active devices.
 ANALYSIS OF A SIMPLE CIRCUIT
Circuit design /analysis /simulation softwares

*This is not an exhaustive list

 ANALYSIS OF A SIMPLE CIRCUIT
Conventions
Passive sign convention
• Use to assign or determine the direction of current flow and the polarity
of voltage across elements in a circuit.
• It helps in consistent application of Kirchhoff’s laws (KVL and KCL) and
power calculations.
 ANALYSIS OF A SIMPLE CIRCUIT
Conventions
Passive sign convention

• Current Direction: The current is considered positive if it flows into the positive voltage
terminal of the element (the terminal with the higher voltage).

• Voltage Polarity: The voltage across the element is taken as positive if the potential at the
terminal where the current enters is higher.

• Power: When current enters through the positive terminal, the power absorbed by the
component is considered positive. When current flows out of the positive terminal (as it
would for a power supply), the element is generating or supplying power, and the power is
considered negative.
 ANALYSIS OF A SIMPLE CIRCUIT
Ohm’s law
Ohm’s law stipulates that voltage, or voltage drop, in a DC (or AC)
circuit is equal to the product of current flowing in the circuit and the
resistance (or impedance) in the electrical circuit.

Answer
 ANALYSIS OF A SIMPLE CIRCUIT
Power absorbed by a resistor

• Resistors are electrical devices that consume energy and the power in a resistor is given by
P = VI = I2 R = V 2 /R.
• When passive sign convention is used, the power consumed by a resistor is always positive.

• Determine the power dissipated in each resistor

Answers
a) 8W
b) 500 W
c) 20 W

d) 100 W
 ANALYSIS OF A SIMPLE CIRCUIT
Energy dissipated by a resistor

Remember this?

Energy dissipated by a resistor is given by P x t (time) = I x V x t = 𝐼 2 x R x t

A 10 Ω resistor and a 5 Ω resistor are connected in series to a current

source rated 4 A. How much energy do the resistors dissipate to the
surrounding after 20 s?

Answer
4800 J
 ANALYSIS OF A SIMPLE CIRCUIT
Nodes and Branches
A node is any point in a circuit where two or more components are connected.

A branch is a single path that connects two nodes and contains one or more circuit
elements (such as resistors, capacitors, inductors, voltage sources, etc.).

2
3

1
4 Nodes = A, B ,C and D
Branches = 1, 2, 3 , 4 and 5
 ANALYSIS OF A SIMPLE CIRCUIT
Loops and Meshes
A loop is any closed path in a circuit, meaning that starting from a particular
node, you can travel through a set of connected elements and return to the same
node without passing through any node more than once.

A mesh is a specific type of loop that does not enclose any other loops..
 ANALYSIS OF A SIMPLE CIRCUIT
Kirchoff’s Current Law
• Kirchoff’s current law (KCL) states that the algebraic sum of the
currents at a node is zero

Alternatively,
• The sum of the currents entering a node is equal to the sum of the
currents leaving that node
 ANALYSIS OF A SIMPLE CIRCUIT
Kirchoff’s Voltage Law (KVL)
• For any closed path in a network, Kirchhoff ’s voltage law (KVL)
states that the algebraic sum of the voltages is zero.
 ANALYSIS OF A SIMPLE CIRCUIT
Series circuits and Parallel circuits

You want to heat your small garage using a couple of electric radiators.

Should you use the wiring diagram on the left or the one on the right?
 ANALYSIS OF A SIMPLE CIRCUIT
Series circuits and Parallel circuits

Resistors in Series
From KVL on original cct,, Therefore,,

Generalizing to
Solving for I,,
any number resistors
connected in series,,

But from equivalent cct,,

 ANALYSIS OF A SIMPLE CIRCUIT
Series circuits and Parallel circuits

Resistors in Parallel
From KCL on original cct,, Therefore,,
1 1 1 1
= + +
𝑅𝑒𝑞 𝑅1 𝑅2 𝑅3

Generalizing to
any number resistors
connected in parallel,,

But from equivalent cct,,

 ANALYSIS OF A SIMPLE CIRCUIT
Series circuits and Parallel circuits
Further reading:
Derive the expression for equivalent capacitance and inductance, when capacitors
and inductors are connected in series and in parallel.
 TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING

1. What are passive and active devices? Give 2 examples of each.

2. Describe the difference between the following terms: (use diagrams
where applicable)
▪ Nodes and Branches
▪ Loops and Meshes
▪ Dependent and Independent current sources
3. Derive the expression for equivalent:
▪ resistance
▪ capacitance
▪ inductance
(in a series and parallel cct)
4. State the KVL and KCL laws.
 TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING

1.

State your observation ANS =

*In series connection, the
equivalent capacitance tends to
be near the value of the smaller
capacitor when the difference
between capacitance is large.

2.

ANS =

3.
*For N identical resistors in
State your observation parallel, the equivalent
ANS = resistance is given by R/N

*Greater resistance is
achievable when resistors are
connected in series. 2 resistors
60 ohms would have an equiv
resistance of 120 ohms
 OUTLINE FOR NEXT LECTURE

1. ANALYSIS OF A SIMPLE CIRCUIT (PART B)

• voltage and current source combinations,
resistance and conductance combinations, voltage
division and current division.

2. Nodal and mesh equations: (PART A)

• Analysis with nodal and mesh or loop equations,
transformation between voltage and current
sources.