Lecture 2

Electrical Circuits
Engr. Gerard Ang
School of EECE
 Electric Circuit

• Electric Circuit – it is a collection of electrical elements

interconnected in some specific way through which electric current
flows or it is intended to flow.

An electrical circuit consists

of a source, conducting
parts and a load.
Closed, Open and Short Circuits

• Closed Circuit – it is an uninterrupted path that allows a

continuous flow of current through an electrical circuit. In a
building, the circuit is closed when a switch is turned on.
• Open Circuit. If the path of current flow is interrupted such as if
the switch in a circuit is open (turned off), an open circuit results.
• Short Circuit. If an inadvertent shortcut develops in a circuit that
permits current flow through an unintentional path, a short
circuit is created. A short circuit occurs when current leaks out of
the intended conductor path such as out of a wire with damaged
insulation.
Types of Circuit Connections

1. Series circuit
2. Parallel circuit
3. Combinational Circuit
• Series-parallel circuit – it is a combinational circuit when
simplified will result into a series circuit
• Parallel-series circuit – it is a combinational circuit when
simplified will result into a parallel circuit.
 Series Circuits
1. Series Circuit – the circuit elements are said to
be connected in series when they all carry the
same current.
2. Properties of a Series Circuit:
a. The same current flows through all the
resistances.
b. There will be voltage drop across each
resistance.
c. The sum of the voltage drops is equal to the
applied voltage.
3. Equivalent Resistance of a Series Circuit:
𝑰𝑻 = 𝑰𝟏 = 𝑰𝟐 = 𝑰𝟑
𝑵

𝑹𝑻 = 𝑹𝟏 + 𝑹𝟐 + 𝑹𝟑 + ⋯ + 𝑹𝑵 = ෍ 𝑹𝒏
𝒏=𝟏 𝑽𝑻 = 𝑽𝟏 + 𝑽𝟐 + 𝑽𝟑
Where: RT = total resistance
 Sample Problems
1. Four coils having resistances of 3, 5, 10 and 12 ohms are connected in
series across 120 V. Determine (a) equivalent resistance of the circuit, (b)
current flowing through the circuit and (c) voltage drop across individual
coils.
Solution: (a) For the equivalent resistance of the circuit

IT 3 𝑅𝑇 = 3 + 5 + 10 + 12
V1
𝑹𝑻 = 𝟑𝟎 𝛀
V2 5
VT (b) For the current flowing through the circuit
120 V
V3 10 𝑉𝑇 120
𝐼𝑇 = =
𝑅𝑇 30
V4 12
𝑰𝑻 = 𝟒 𝑨
(c) For the voltage drop across individual coils.

𝑉1 = 4 3 𝑽𝟏 = 𝟏𝟐 𝑽

𝑉2 = 4 5 𝑽𝟐 = 𝟐𝟎 𝑽

𝑉3 = 4 10 𝑽𝟑 = 𝟒𝟎 𝑽

𝑉4 = 4 12 𝑽𝟒 = 𝟒𝟖 𝑽
 Sample Problems
2. An electric iron is rated at 1 kW, 250 V. Calculate the current taken by it if it is
connected to 220 V supply.

Solution:
For the electric iron, it is rated at 1 kW, 250 V

𝑉2 250 2
𝑃= 1,000 = 𝑅 = 62.5 Ω
𝑅 𝑅
When the electric iron is connected a 220 V supply

𝑉 220
𝐼= 𝐼=
𝑅 62.5

𝑰 = 𝟑. 𝟓𝟐 𝑨
 Sample Problems
3. Three resistors are connected in series across a 12 V battery. The first
resistor has a value of 1 Ω, second has a voltage drop of 4 V and the third
has a power dissipation of 12 W. Calculate the value of the circuit
current.
Solution:
𝑉𝑇 = 𝑉1 + 𝑉2 + 𝑉3
IT R1
V1
1 12 = 𝑉1 + 4 + 𝑉3

VT
V2 𝑉1 + 𝑉3 = 8
R2
12 V
4V

V3 R3

P3 = 12 W
 For V1,

𝑉1 = 𝐼𝑅1 𝑉1 = 𝐼 1 𝑉1 = 𝐼 (numerically)

For V3,
12
𝑃3 = 𝑉3 𝐼 12 = 𝑉3 𝐼 𝑉3 =
𝐼
Substituting,

𝑉1 + 𝑉3 = 8
12
𝐼+ =8 𝐼2 − 8𝐼 + 12 = 0
𝐼
𝑰=𝟔𝑨 𝑰=𝟐𝑨
 Parallel Circuits
1. Parallel Circuit – circuit elements are
connected in parallel when the same
voltage is common to all of them.
2. Properties of a Parallel Circuit:
a. The voltage across each resistance of
the parallel combination is the same.
b. There are as many current paths as
the number of branches.
c. The current in each branch is given
by Ohm’s law.
d. The total current of the circuit is
equal to the sum of branch currents. 𝑽𝑻 = 𝑽𝟏 = 𝑽𝟐 = 𝑽𝟑

𝑰𝑻 = 𝑰𝟏 + 𝑰𝟐 + 𝑰𝟑
 Parallel Circuits
3. Equivalent Resistance of a Parallel Circuit

𝟏
𝑹𝑻 =
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏 𝟏
+ + + ⋯+
𝑹𝟏 𝑹𝟐 𝑹𝟑 𝑹𝑵

𝟏
𝑹𝑻 =
𝟏
σ𝑵
𝒏=𝟏 𝑹𝒏

Where: RT = total resistance

 Sample Problems
1. The equivalent resistance of four resistors joined in parallel is 20 ohms. The
currents flowing through them are 0.6, 0.3, 0.2 and 0.1 ampere. Find the
value of each resistor.

Solution:
24
𝑅1 = 𝑹𝟏 = 𝟒𝟎 𝛀
0.6
IT
VT R1 R2 R3 R4 24
𝑅2 = 𝑹𝟐 = 𝟖𝟎 𝛀
0.3
I1 I2 I3 I4
24 𝑹𝟑 = 𝟏𝟐𝟎 𝛀
𝑅3 =
𝐼𝑇 = 0.6 + 0.3 + 0.2 + 0.1 = 1.2 A 0.2

𝑉𝑇 = 𝐼𝑇 𝑅𝑇 = 1.2 20 = 24 𝑉 24
𝑅4 = 𝑹𝟒 = 𝟐𝟒𝟎 𝛀
0.1
 Sample Problems
2. Two bulbs of 250 W, 230 V each, are connected across a 200 V supply.
Calculate the total power drawn from the supply if the bulbs are
connected (a) in parallel and (b) in series.

Solution:
For each bulb,

𝑉2 (230)2
𝑃= 250 = 𝑅𝑏𝑢𝑙𝑏 = 211.6 Ω
𝑅 𝑅𝑏𝑢𝑙𝑏
(a) When the bulbs are connected in parallel,
𝑅𝑏𝑢𝑙𝑏 211.6
𝑅𝑇 = = = 105.8 Ω
2 2
VT Rbulb Rbulb 𝑉𝑇2 200 2
200 V 𝑃𝑇 = =
𝑅𝑇 105.8

𝑷𝑻 = 𝟑𝟕𝟖. 𝟎𝟕 𝑾
(b) When the bulbs are connected in series,
Rbulb Rbulb 𝑅𝑇 = 2𝑅𝑏𝑢𝑙𝑏 = 2 211.6 = 423.2 Ω
𝑉𝑇2 200 2
𝑃𝑇 = =
VT 𝑅𝑇 423.2
200 V
𝑷𝑻 = 𝟗𝟒. 𝟓𝟐 𝑾
 Sample Problems
3. Two resistances, one of 30 ohms and another of unknown value are
connected in parallel, the total power dissipated in the circuit is 450
watts when the applied voltage is 90 volts. Find the value of the unknown
resistance.

Solution: 𝑉𝑇2 (90)2

𝑃𝑇 = 450 =
𝑅𝑇 𝑅𝑇
𝑅𝑇 = 18 Ω

1 1 1 1 1 1
= + = +
𝑅𝑇 30 𝑅 18 30 𝑅

𝑹 = 𝟒𝟓 𝛀