Circuit Elements

Dr. Lindsey Napier

1
 What are circuits?
• A circuit consists of electrical or electronic components
interconnected with metal wires

• Every electrical or electronic device is a circuit

• The function of the circuit is determined by which

components are used and how they are interconnected

2
Breadboard Printed Integrated
Example of Breadboard

3
Examples of Printed Circuit Boards (PCB)

4
Examples of Integrated Circuits (IC)

5
 Circuit Diagram
• A circuit diagram shows the way in which the
components are connected

• Each component has a special symbol

• The interconnecting wires are shown as lines

• A node in a circuit is the point where two or more

circuit elements meet. Black dots in the following
diagram are nodes

6
 Charge (q)
• Charge is measured in Coulombs (abbreviated C)

• An electron has a charge −1.6022 × 10−19C

• A proton has a charge +1.6022 × 10−19 C

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 Voltage

• Two like charges will repel

• If you want to push two charges together, you need to put in
work.
• The amount of work you put in per unit charge is defined as
voltage

• Similarly, two unlike charges will attract

• If you want to separate the two charges, you need to put in
work
• The amount of work you put in per unit charge to separate the
two is defined as voltage
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 Voltage

• Voltage is the energy per unit charge created by

the separation

• where,

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 Voltage
• Voltage is always between two points.
• That is why it is also called Voltage Difference or
Potential Difference

• Voltage is measured using a “Voltmeter”

Current
• Current is the flow of charged particles
• Using an “Ammeter ”, we measure current in Amperes
(A): 1 A = 1 C/s
• The arrow in a circuit diagram indicates the direction
we choose to measure the current.
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 Current

It follows that,
t
q (t )   i (t )dt  q (0)
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0
 Current
The unit of current is the ampere (A). We note that

1 ampere = 1 coulomb/second

We normally refer to current as being either direct (dc) or

alternating (ac).

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

i(t) i(t) 0

-0.2

-0.4

-0.6

t -0.8 t
a c c urre nt
d c cu rren t
-1
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5

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a c c u rre n t
 Difference Between Voltage and Current
• A voltage can exist without a current; however a
current requires voltage to exist.

• For example, look at the power socket in a room.

• If nothing is plugged into this socket, there is no

current but you cannot insert your fingers into the
socket otherwise you will get a big shock that can
kill you!

• As soon as you plug in something into this socket,

current starts flowing. 13
The Ideal Basic Circuit Element

• It has only two terminals, which are points

of connection to other circuit components
• It cannot be subdivided into other elements
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 Positive and Negative Voltage

v is positive (voltage drop v is negative (voltage drop

from terminal 1 to terminal 2) from terminal 2 to terminal 1)

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Positive and Negative Current

i is positive i is negative

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17
18
 Current, Charge Examles:
Ex.1:
Find the current in an element if the charge flowing through
the element is
q(t) = 3t3 + 6t2 +8t –4

dq d (3t  6t  8t  4)
3 2
i (t )  
dt dt
It follows that,

i (t )  9t  12t  8
2

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 Current, Charge Examles:
Ex.2

If the current in an electrical device is given by,

i(t) = 2t + 4
With q(0) = 1.5 C

Find the charge flowing through the device.

t t
q (t )   i (t )dt  q (0)   (2t  4)dt 1.5
0 0

q (t )  t 2  4t  1.5

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Example 1.2

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Assessment Problem 1.3

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 Practice Problem
• The current at the terminals of the element shown is:
i(t) = 0 for t ≤ 0
i(t) = 5(1 – e –2t ), A for t ≥ 0

• Derive the expression for the charge accumulating at the

upper terminal for t ≥ 0
• How much charge is accumulated at t = 1 s?

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24
Power and Energy

t t
w   pdt  t vidt
to o
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Power

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 Polarity of Power
• Power is positive if the current enters the positive terminal
and leaves the negative terminal.
• Power is negative if the current enters the negative terminal
and leaves the positive terminal

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In any closed electric circuit, power is both supplied and
absorbed.
The amount that is supplied must be equal to the amount that
is absorbed.

Therefore, in any electric circuit the algebraic sum of the

power must be zero.

 p0

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 Example 1.3
(i = 20e–5000t A)

9.08 W
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Assessment problem 1.5

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Problem 1.17

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H.W.

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 Circuit Elements:

We classify circuit elements as passive and active.

Passive elements cannot generate energy. Common examples of

passive elements are resistors, capacitors and inductors. We will
see later that capacitors and inductors can store energy but cannot
generate energy.

Active elements can generate energy. Common examples of active

elements are power supplies, batteries, operational amplifiers.

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 dq dw dw
i (t )  v p
dt dq dt
dw dq
p  vi
dq dt
t t
w   pdt  t vidt
to o

 p0 35
 H.W.

1.11, 1.12, 1.14

21.6kJ 17.28kJ

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