CHAPTER

1
Introduction to
Electrical Engineering
References:

1.

G. Rizzoni, Principles and Applications of Electrical
Engineering, Fifth

Edition, McGraw-Hill Inc., 2007.
2. Allan R. Hambley

,Electrical Engineering: Principles and
Applications, Fourth Edition, , Prentice Hall Pearson
Education, 2008.
These notes are only to be used in class presentations.
Electrical systems have two
main objectives:

To gather, store, process, transport and
present information

To distribute and convert energy between
various forms
Electrical engineering
disciplines
Systems of Units
International System of Units

(SI)

In this system, there are six principal units from which the units
of all other physical quantities can be derived.
Quantity
Basic
Unit
Symbol
Length
Mass
Time
Electric current
Temperature
Luminous
Intensity
Meter
Kilogram
Second
Ampere
Kelvin
Candela
m
kg
s
A
K
cd

One great advantage of SI unit is that it uses prefixes

based on
the

power

of 10 to relate larger and smaller units to the basic
unit.
Prefix Symbol Power
atto
femto
pico
nano
micro
mili
centi
deci
deka
kilo
mega
giga
tera
a
f
p
n

m
c
d
da
k
M
G
T
10
-18
10
-15
10
-12
10
-9
10
-6
10
-3
10
-2
10
-1
10
10
3
10
6
10
9
10
12
Brief information on electricity
The word electricity was derived from the Latin electrum, came
from the Greek word electron which means amber.
In ancient times, Greeks was noticed that when an amber rubbed
with hair, it attracted small objects. This was because of charge
accumulated in the amber. This phenomena is called static electric .
Electricity is a form of energy. It also denotes flow of electrons, the
negative particles surround the nucleus of an atom.
All matters are constituted from atoms. When an atom lost electron,
then free movement (or flow) of the electron caused electric current.
Conductors, mostly metals, are rich of free electrons.
Electric Charge
Definition:

electrical property of the atomic particles of which

matter
consists.
Its effect appears as a force between matters.
Electrical effects are caused by

separation of electric charges electric force

charges in motion electric flow, current
Symbol : q
Units : Coulomb (C)
Elementary charges : electrons and protons
q
e

=-1.602 x10
-19

C
q
p

= 1.602 x10
-19

C
In 1C of charge, there are 6.25x10
24

electrons.
Law of Conservation of Charge: Charge can neither be created

nor
destroyed,

only

transferred.
Electric current
Definition: time rate of electric charge flowing through a
conductor or a circuit element
Symbol: i
q= charge (in Coulombs)
t= time (in seconds)
Note: Current has polarity.
dt
t dq
t i
) (
) ( =
Unit: Coulombs per second

(C/s)

Amperes (A)
Two types of currents:
A direct current

(DC)

is a current that remains constant with

time.
t
q
I =
dt
dq
i =
An alternating current

(AC)

is a current that varies with time,
reversing direction periodically.
Magnitude and direction of the current changes with time
Such AC current is used in your household, to run the air
conditioner, refrigerator, washing machine, and other electric
appliances.
) sin( ) (
max
wt I t i =
Electric potential (voltage)
Definition: the energy required to move a unit charge through an
element (from one point to another).
Symbol: v
dq
dw
v =
w= energy

(in Joules)
q= charge

(in Coulombs)
Unit: Joules

per Coulomb (J/C)

Volts (V)
v
ab
: the voltage (potential difference)
between two points a and b
higher potential
lower potential
The plus (+) and minus (-) signs at the
points a and b are used to denote
reference direction or voltage polarity.
v
ab
can be interpreted in two ways:
point a is at a potential of v
ab

volts higher than point b
the potential at point a with respect to point b is v
ab
b a ab
v v v =
Note: Potential is always referenced to some point
the potential at a minus the potential at b
Ground is usually taken as reference and v
g

=0 symbol for ground
Point b is grounded
0 =
b
v
a b a ab
v v v v = =
ba ab
v v =
DC

voltage

is constant with

time.
q
W
V =
V
AC

voltage

changes

with time.
dq
dw
v =
v
) sin( ) (
max
wt V t v =
Electric power
Definition: time rate of expending or absorbing energy
Symbol: p
vi
i dq
dq v
dt
dw
p = = =
/
The electric power of a circuit element is the product of the
voltage across the element and the current flowing through it.
Unit: Joules per second Watts (W)
A power can be generated or

dissipated by a circuit element
If

a positive charge q moves through a drop
in voltage v, it loses energy. So the circuit
element absorbs power.
If

a positive charge q moves through a rise
in voltage v, it gains energy. So the circuit
element supplies power.
How can a circuit element absorb
power?
By converting electrical energy into heat
(resistors in toasters), light (light bulbs)
+
-
v
i
Passive sign convention:

simply states that the power

dissipated by a circuit element is a positive quantity

If the current enters through the positive polarity of the
voltage,

p = vi
Power is absorbed by the element

If the current enters through the negative polarity of the
voltage, p= -vi
Power is supplied by the element
Law of Conservation of Energy: Energy can neither be

created nor destroyed, only transferred.

The algebraic sum of power in a circuit, at any

instant of time,
must be zero.

The total power supplied to the circuit must balance the total
power

absorbed.