Lecture 3

Circuit Elements and

Network Topology

1
 Power
• The rate at which energy is converted or
work is performed.

• The unit of power is watt (W).

• A watt is when one joule of energy is
converted or used in one second.
• Alternate expression for absorbed power 2
p = vi = i2R = v2/R
 Power

Power = voltage x current

P = vi

• Power is absorbed if the power is positive

• Power is generated if the power is negative
• The relative signs on voltage and current are according
to passive sign convention
- Positive current enters the positive voltage node
• Power is positive if voltage and current are consistent
with the passive sign convention 3
 Example
Question: Compute the power absorbed by
each part given below:

Answer:
a) P = 2Vx3A=6W
b) P = (-2V)x(-3A)=6W
4
c) P = (4V)x(-5A)=-20W
 Example

Question: Find the power for each elements

drawn on board !

5
 Example
Question: The resistor shown in figure below is
connected in a circuit that forces a current of 428mA to
flow through it. Calculate the voltage across the
terminals and power it is dissipating.

A 560Ω power resistor rated at up to 500 W

Solution:
Voltage across the terminals:
V=RI=560x428m=239.7V 6
Power dissipated:
P=VI=239.7x428m=102.6W
 Circuit Elements
• Circuit elements can be categorized as passive
elements and active elements.

• Passive elements cannot generate energy.

Common examples of passive elements are
resistors, capacitors and inductors. 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.
7
 Electrical Generator
• An electrical generator is a device that converts
mechanical energy to electrical energy.

Example: Turbine steam engine, water falling through

turbine or waterwheel or portable electric generator

8
 Current and Voltage Source
• There are two types of sources: current and voltage sources
• Sources can be classified as independent and dependent
sources
• Independent source establishes a
voltage or a current in a circuit without
relying on a voltage or current
elsewhere in the circuit
• Dependent sources establishes a
voltage or a current in a circuit whose
value depends on the value of a Independent source
voltage or a current elsewhere in the
circuit
• Circle to represent Independent
source and diamond shape to
represent Dependent sources 9

Dependent source
 Current and Voltage Source
• Independent and dependent voltage and current sources
can be represented as

5V 3A

Independent voltage source Independent current source

K ix gvx

10

Current controlled current source Voltage controlled current source

 Current and Voltage Source

K vx r ix

Voltage controlled voltage source Current controlled voltage source

11
 Current and Voltage Source
Example: For each of the following connections
establish which interconnections are permissible and
which violate the constrains by the ideal source

Connection is valid Connection is valid Connection is not permissible

12

Connection is not permissible Connection is valid

 Voltage and Current Sources
Question: Find power absorbed by each element in the circuit
and also verify conservation of power is satisfied by this
network:

Answer:
(Left to right)
• -56W
• 16W
• -60W
• 160W 13
• -60W
 Ohm’s Law
• Ohm’s law describes mathematically how voltage, current, and
resistance in a circuit are related
- If voltage across a resistor is increased, the current through
the resistor will increase
- If voltage is decreased, the current will decrease

were
V = the voltage in volts (V)
I = the current in amperes (A)
R = the resistance in ohms (Ω)

14
Ohm’s Law

15
 Ohm’s Law
• For purpose of circuit analysis, we must reference
the current in the resistor to the terminal voltage.
For the passive sign convention

v = Ri

• Otherwise we introduce a minuses sign similar to

what we did when we calculated power

v = − Ri 16
 Ohm’s Law
Examples:

2A
+ +
v v = −(3)(2) = −6 V
v 3 v = (3)(2) = 6 V 3

2A

2A +
+ v 3 v = −(3)(− 2) = 6 V
v = (3)(− 2) = −6 V
v 3
2A
17