ECE 276

Prof. Khalid Mirza

Chapter 2
Basic Laws
ECE 276 Electric Circuits

ECE 276

Prof. Khalid Mirza

Resistivity
Materials tend to resist the flow
of electricity through them

This property is called

resistance

Variable Resistor / Potentiometer

Resistor

ECE 276

Prof. Khalid Mirza

Ohms Law

Measured in ohms ( )

(passive sign convention)

ECE 276

Prof. Khalid Mirza

Shorts and Open Circuits

Short circuit A connection
with almost zero resistance

Ideally, any current may flow

through the short

Open circuit A connection

with infinite resistance

No matter the voltage, no

current flows

ECE 276

Prof. Khalid Mirza

Conductance
Ability of an element to conduct electric current
1
=

Measured in mhos ( ) or Siemens (S)

ECE 276

Prof. Khalid Mirza

Linearity
Not all materials obey Ohms
Law

Resistors that do are called

linear resistors
Their current voltage

relationship is always linearly

proportional

Diodes and light bulbs are

examples of non-linear
elements

ECE 276

Prof. Khalid Mirza

Power Dissipation
Running current through a resistor dissipates
power

2
v
p vi i 2 R
R

The power dissipated is a non-linear function of

current or voltage

Power dissipated is always positive

A resistor can never generate power

ECE 276

Prof. Khalid Mirza

Nodes Branches and Loops

Branch Single element (voltage src., resistor, etc.)
Node Pt. of connection b/w 2 or more branches

Loop Any closed path in a circuit

Branches = 4

Nodes

Loops

= 2

=+

Node

Node

R1
Loop

R2

Loop

Node

R3

ECE 276

Prof. Khalid Mirza

Kirchoffs Laws
Kirchoffs Current Law (KCL)
Algebraic sum of currents entering a node is zero
N

i
n 1

1 2 + 3 + 4 5 = 0
(1 + 3 + 4 ) = (2 + 5 )
Current entering
the node

Current leaving
the node

ECE 276

Prof. Khalid Mirza

10

Kirchoffs Laws
Kirchoffs Voltage Law (KVL)
Algebraic sum of all voltages around a loop is zero
M

v
m 1

1 2 3 + 4 5 = 0
(1 + 4 ) = (2 + 3 + 5 )
Voltage
rises

Voltage
drops

ECE 276

Prof. Khalid Mirza

11

Series Resistors
R1

R2

RN

Req

= 1 + 2 + +

=0

ECE 276

Prof. Khalid Mirza

12

Parallel Resistors

G1

R1

G2

R2

GN

Geq

RN

Req

= 1 + 2 + +

=0

1
1
1
1
=
+
+ +
1 2

=
=0

ECE 276

Prof. Khalid Mirza

13

Voltage Division
= 1 + 2 = i(1 + 2 )

=
1 + 2
1
1 = 1 =

1 + 2
2
2 = 2 =

1 + 2

1 + 2 +

ECE 276

Prof. Khalid Mirza

Current Division

= 1 + 2 =
+
1 2
1 2
=

1 + 2

2
1 =
=

1 1 + 2

1
2 =
=

2 1 + 2

14

ECE 276

Prof. Khalid Mirza

Wye-Delta Transformations
There are cases where resistors are neither
parallel nor series

Consider the bridge circuit

15

ECE 276

Prof. Khalid Mirza

Wye-Delta Transformations
Two topologies can be interchanged:

Wye (Y) networks

Delta () networks

Transforming between these two topologies

often makes the solution of a circuit easier

16

ECE 276

Prof. Khalid Mirza

Delta to Wye
Rb Rc
R1
Ra Rb Rc
Rc Ra
R2
Ra Rb Rc
Ra Rb
R3
Ra Rb Rc

17

ECE 276

Prof. Khalid Mirza

18

Wye to Delta
R1 R2 R2 R3 R3 R1
Ra
R1
R1 R2 R2 R3 R3 R1
Rb
R2
R1 R2 R2 R3 R3 R1
Rc
R3

ECE 276

Prof. Khalid Mirza

19

Active Elements
Independent
Sources

Voltage Source

Current Source

Dependent
Sources

Source is controlled by

another voltage or current

4 types:
Voltage Current
Voltage Current
controlled controlled controlled controlled