EE2003

Circuit Theory
Chapter 1
Basic Concepts
Copyright The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.

Electric circuit theory and electromagnetic theory are

the two fundamental theories upon which all branches of
electrical engineering are built.
Many branches of electrical engineering, such as power,
electric machines, control, electronics, communications, and
instrumentation, are based on electric circuit theory.
Therefore, the basic electric circuit theory course is the most
important course for an electrical engineering student, and
always an excellent starting point for a beginning student
in electrical engineering education.

Basic Concepts - Chapter 1

1.1 Systems of Units.
1.2 Electric Charge.
1.3 Current.
1.4 Voltage.
1.5 Power and Energy.
1.6 Circuit Elements.
8

1.1 System of Units (1)

Six basic units

Quantity
Length
Mass
Time
Electric current
Thermodynamic
temperature
Luminous intensity

Basic unit
meter
kilogram
second
ampere
kelvin

Symbol
m
Kg
s
A
K

candela

cd
10

1.1 System of Units (2)

The derived units commonly used in electric circuit theory

Decimal multiples and

submultiples of SI units

11

12

13

14

1.2 Electric Charges

Charge is an electrical property of the atomic
particles of which matter consists, measured in
coulombs (C) **.
The charge e on one electron is negative and
equal in magnitude to 1.602 10-19 C which is
called as electronic charge. The charges that
occur in nature are integral multiples of the
electronic charge.
15

1.3 Current (1)

Electric current i = dq/dt. The unit of
ampere can be derived as 1 A = 1C/s.
A direct current (dc) is a current that
remains constant with time.
An alternating current (ac) is a current
that varies sinusoidally with time.
(reverse direction)
The quantity symbol is I for a constant
current and i for a time-varying current.
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1.3 Current (2)

The direction of current flow

Positive ions

Negative ions
17

When a conducting wire (consisting of several atoms) is connected

to a battery (a source of electromotive force), the charges are
compelled to move; positive charges move in one direction while
negative charges move in the opposite direction. This motion of charges
creates electric current. It is conventional to take the current flow as
the movement of positive charges, that is, opposite to the flow of
negative charges. This convention was introduced by Benjamin Franklin
(17061790), the American scientist and inventor. Although we now
know that current in metallic conductors is due to negatively charged
electrons, we will follow the universally accepted convention that
current is the net flow of positive charges.

18

1.3 Current (3)

Example 1

A conductor has a constant current of

5 A.
How many electrons pass a fixed point
on the conductor in one minute?

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1.3 Current (4)

Solution

Total no. of charges pass in 1 min is given by

5 A = (5 C/s)(60 s/min) = 300 C/min
Total no. of electronics pass in 1 min is given
300 C/min
21

1
.
87
x
10
electrons/min
19
1.602x10 C/electron
20

Find the charge in coulombs

of ( a ) 5.31 x 1020 electrons,
and ( b) 2.9 x 1022 protons.

Find the charge in coulombs

of ( a ) 5.31 x 1020 electrons,
and ( b) 2.9 x 1022 protons.

How many protons have a combined

charge of 6.8 pC?

How many protons have a combined

charge of 6.8 pC?

= 42.447x106 protons

Will a 10-A fuse blow for a steady rate of charge

flow through it of 45 000 C/h?

Will a 10-A fuse blow for a steady rate of charge

flow through it of 45 000 C/h?

1.4 Voltage (1)

Voltage (or potential difference) is the energy
required to move a unit charge through an
element, measured in volts (V).
Mathematically,

vab dw / dq

(volt)

w is energy in joules (J) and q is charge in coulomb (C).

Electric voltage, vab, is always across the circuit

element or between two points in a circuit.
vab > 0 means the potential of a is higher than potential
of b.
vab < 0 means the potential of a is lower than potential
27
of b.

1.5 Power and Energy (1)

Power is the time rate of expending or absorbing
energy, measured in watts (W).

dw dw dq

vi
Mathematical expression: p
dt dq dt
i

i
+

Passive sign convention

P = +vi
absorbing power

p = vi
supplying power

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1.5 Power and Energy (2)

The law of conservation of energy

p0
Energy is the capacity to do work, measured
in joules (J) ***.
Mathematical expression

t0

t0

w pdt vidt
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1.6 Circuit Elements (1)

Active Elements

Passive Elements

A dependent source is an active

element in which the source quantity
is controlled by another voltage or
current.

Independent Dependant
sources
sources

They have four different types: VCVS,

CCVS, VCCS, CCCS. Keep in minds the
signs of dependent sources.
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1.6 Circuit Elements (2)

Example 2
Obtain the voltage v in the branch shown in Figure 2.1.1P for i2 = 1A.

Figure 2.1.1P
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1.6 Circuit Elements (3)

Solution

Voltage v is the sum of the current-independent

10-V source and the current-dependent voltage
source vx.
Note that the factor 15 multiplying the control
current carries the units .
Therefore, v = 10 + vx = 10 + 15(1) = 25 V
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EFFICIENCY

EFFICIENCY
Poor efficiency results in wasted energy and higher costs. For
example, an inefficient motor costs more to run than an
efficient one for the same output. An inefficient piece of
electronic gear generates more heat than an efficient one, and
this heat must be removed, resulting in increased costs for
fans, heat sinks, and the like. Efficiency can be expressed in
terms of either energy or power. Power is generally easier to
measure, so we usually use power.

The efficiency of equipment and machines varies greatly. Large

power
transformers, for example, have efficiencies of 98% or better, while
many electronic amplifiers have efficiencies lower than 50%. Note
that efficiency will always be less than 100%.

What is the operating efficiency of a dc electric motor that

delivers 1 hp while drawing 7.45 A from a 115-V
line?
Ans.
Find the current drawn by a 100-V dc electric motor that
operates at 85 percent efficiency while delivering
0.5 hp.
Ans.
What horsepower must an electric motor develop to operate a
pump that pumps water at a rate of 24 000 liters per hour (L/h)
up a vertical distance of 50 m if the efficiency of the pump is 90
percent? The gravitational force on 1 L of water is 9.78 N.
Ans.

What is the operating efficiency of a dc electric motor that

delivers 1 hp while drawing 7.45 A from a 115-V
line?
Ans. 87 percent
Find the current drawn by a 100-V dc electric motor that
operates at 85 percent efficiency while delivering
0.5 hp.
Ans. 4.39 A
What horsepower must an electric motor develop to operate a
pump that pumps water at a rate of 24 000 liters per hour (L/h)
up a vertical distance of 50 m if the efficiency of the pump is 90
percent? The gravitational force on 1 L of water is 9.78 N.
% Efficiency = Pout/Pin
24000 L/hr * 9.78N/1L*50m
Ans. 4.86 hp

RESISTANCE OF
CONDUCTORS

RESISTANCE OF CONDUCTORS
Conductors are materials which permit the flow of charge.
However, conductors do not all behave the same way. Rather, we
find that the resistance of a material is dependent upon several
factors:
Type of material
Length of the conductor
Cross-sectional area
Temperature

RESISTIVITY
The resistance of a conductor of uniform cross section is
directly proportional to the length of the conductor and
inversely proportional to the cross-sectional area.
Resistance is also a function of the temperature of the
conductor. At a fixed temperature the resistance of a
conductor is

A copper wire of unknown length has a resistance of 0.80. By successive

passses through drawing dies, the length of the wire is increased to 2.5 times
its original value. Assuming that resistivity remains unchanged during the
drawing process, determine the new value of its resistance.

The fourth band indicates the tolerance and

is either gold- or silver-colored, or is
missing. Gold corresponds to a tolerance of
5 percent, silver to 10 percent, and a
missing band to 20 percent.

Wire Sizing
The American Wire Gauge system for specifying wire
diameters was developed using a unit called the circular
mil (CM), which is defined as the area contained within a
circle having a diameter of 1 mil (1 mil = 0.001 inch). A
square mil is defined as the area contained in a square
having side dimensions
of 1 mil.

Wire Sizing

EXAMPLE Determine the cross-sectional area in circular

mils of a
wire having the following diameters:
a. 0.0159 inch (AWG 26 wire)
b. 0.500 inch
Solution
a. d 0.0159 inch
(0.0159 inch)(1000 mils/inch)
15.9 mils

EXAMPLE Determine the cross-sectional area in circular

mils of a
wire having the following diameters:
a. 0.0159 inch (AWG 26 wire)
b. 0.500 inch
Solution
a. d 0.0159 inch
(0.0159 inch)(1000 mils/inch)
15.9 mils

Temperature Effects
The resistances of most good conducting materials increase
almost linearly with temperature over the range of normal
operating temperatures, as shown by the solid line in following
figure. However, some materials, and common semiconductors in
particular, have resistances that decrease with temperature
increases.
If the straight-line portion in Figure is extended to the left, it
crosses the temperature axis at a temperature To at which the
resistance appears to be zero. This temperature To is the
inferred zero resistance temperature. (The actual zero
resistance temperature is -273 'C.) If To is known and if the
resistance R , at another temperature T, is known, then the
resistance R , at another temperature T2 is, from straight-line
geometry,

Tungsten wire is used as filaments in incandescent light

bulbs. Current in the wire causes the wire to reach
extremely high temperatures. Determine the temperature of
the filament of a 100-W light bulb if the resistance at room
temperature is measured to be 11.7 and when the light is
on, the resistance is determined to be 144 .