EECE 210
Electric Circuits
Circuit Variables and Circuit Elements
Part II
Ideal Basic Circuit Elements
Five ideal basic circuit elements:
Voltage sources
Current sources
Resistors
Inductors – Chapter 6
Capacitors - Chapter 6
Electrical Sources
An electrical source is a device that is capable of converting non-
electric energy to electric energy or vice versa
Examples of electrical sources:
Mains electricity
Cells
Batteries (two or more cells connected together)
• A discharging battery converts chemical energy to electric energy
• A battery being charged converts electric energy to chemical energy
Electrical sources can either deliver or absorb electric power,
generally maintaining either voltage or current
Ideal voltage source
Ideal current source
Voltage and Current Sources
Ideal Voltage/current sources are active elements
Generate electrical energy
Otherwise would be passive elements
Ideal voltage source: a circuit element that maintains a prescribed
voltage across its terminals regardless of the current flowing in those
terminals
Ideal current source: a circuit element that maintains a prescribed
current through its terminals regardless of the voltage across those
terminals
They can be:
Independent: of other voltages/currents in the circuit
Dependent: on other voltages/currents in
the circuit (controlled sources)
Dependent (Controlled) Sources
Voltage-controlled voltage source (a) Current-controlled voltage source (b)
controlled
μ : dimensionless ρ: Volts/Amp
controlling
Voltage-controlled current source (c) Current-controlled current source (d)
α : Amp/Volts
β : dimensionless
Interconnection of
Sources: Constraints
Current sources in series or voltage
sources in parallel are forbidden
Except if the sources are pointing in
the same direction and have exactly
the same values
Similar concepts apply for
dependent sources
Apply KVL and KCL to validate the
connections
Interconnection of Sources: Constraints
Voltage/Current Sources: Example
What value of vg is required in order for the connection to be
valid?
For this value of vg, find the power associated with the 8A
source.
-2V
-16W (delivered)
Electrical Resistance
Resistance is the capacity of materials to impede the flow of
current or the flow of electric charge
During interaction of moving electrons with atomic structure of
materials, some amount of electric energy is converted to thermal
energy and dissipated in the form of heat
Might be undesirable: losses
• Copper wires or connections
Might be useful: electrical devices take advantage of this resistance
heating, including stoves, toasters, irons, and heaters
Electrical Resistance
Circuit element used to model this behavior is called the resistor
Resistance of resistor denoted by the variable R
Resistance measured in the unit ohms (Ω)
Ideally constant value (does not depend on time)
Resistivity
length
R
A
Cross-sectional Area
Reciprocal of resistance called conductance (G=1/R siemens)
Ohm’s Law
When a current flows in a resistor, a voltage drop across it will be
induced according to Ohm’s Law
Algebraic relationship between voltage and current for a resistor
v = Ri
• v = the voltage in volts
• i = the current in amperes
• R = the resistance in ohms
Power
P=vi=Ri2= v2 /R
Square of i or v independent of reference values
Power is consumed
Ohm’s Law: Example
If vg = 1 kV and ig = 5 mA, find the value of R and the
power absorbed by the resistor
R= 200kΩ
P= 5W
Circuit Terminology
Node is the junction of two or more circuit elements
Path is a set of one or more adjoining circuit elements that may be
traversed in succession without passing through the same node
more than once
If initial and final nodes are the same, the path is closed and
becomes a loop
Circuit Analysis
A circuit is said to be solved when the voltage across and
the current in every element have been determined
Flashlight circuit:
Seven unknowns to be determined
How?
Kirchhoff’s Laws
iC
Two Kirchhoff’s laws based on
conservation of charge and iA iB
conservation of energy:
N
Kirchhoff’s current law (KCL)
iD
Kirchhoff’s voltage law (KVL)
KCL: The algebraic sum of all – v3 +
the currents at any node in a + +
v2
v4
circuit equals zero –
–
+q
KVL: The algebraic sum of all the
voltages around any closed path + +
v1 v5
–
in a circuit equals zero –
Kirchhoff’s Current Law (KCL)
KCL: The algebraic sum of all the currents at any node in
a circuit equals zero
An algebraic sign
corresponding to a
reference direction must
be assigned to every
current at the node ex:
Assigning a positive sign
to current leaving a node
and a negative sign to
current entering a node
Node a? b? c? d?
Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law (KVL)
KVL: The algebraic sum of all the voltages around any
closed path in a circuit equals zero
Circuit Analysis
A circuit is said to be solved when the voltage across and
the current in every element have been determined
Flashlight circuit:
Seven unknowns to be determined
How? Apply KCL and KVL
Circuit Analysis: Example I
Find i0
Find P in sources: delivered or absorbed?
i0=-3A, P delivered to 120V: 360W, P delivered by 6A: 900W
Circuit Analysis: Example II
idelta=4A, i0=24A, v0=480A
