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Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

Nov 25, 2

Chapter 5

Series Circuits
-Objectives-

Identify a series resistive circuit

Determine the current throughout a series circuit
Determine total series resistance
Apply Ohm's law in series circuits
Determine the total effect of voltage sources
connected in series
Apply Kirchhoff's voltage law
Use a series circuit as a voltage divider
Determine power in a series circuit
Measure voltage with respect to ground

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

Chapter 5
Series circuits
Allcircuitshavethreecommon
attributes.Theseare:
1. A source of voltage.
2. A load.
3. A complete path.
Aseriescircuitisonethathas
only one current path.

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

R1
R2

VS +
R3

Chapter 5
Series circuit rule for current:
Because there is only one path, the current everywhere
is the same.

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

Chapter 5
Series circuits
The total resistance of resistors in series is
the sum of the individual resistors.
For example, the resistors in a series circuit are 680
, 1.5 k, and 2.2 k. What is the total resistance?
R
V

680
S

12 V
R

2 .2 k
Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

R2
1 .5 k

4.38 k

Chapter 5

R
V

Series circuit

6
1

680
S

12 V
R

2 .2 k

Tabulating current, resistance, voltage and power is a

useful way to summarize parameters in a series circuit.
Continuing with the previous example, complete the
parameters listed in the Table.
I1= 2.74 mA
I2= 2.74 mA
I3= 2.74 mA
IT= 2.74 mA

R1= 0.68 k
R2= 1.50 k
R3= 2.20 k
RT= 4.38 k

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

V1= 1.86 V
V2= 4.11 V
V3= 6.03 V
VS= 12 V

P1=
P2=
P3=
PT=

5.1 mW
11.3 mW
16.5 mW
32.9 mW

R2
1 .5 k

Chapter 5

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

Example

Chapter 5

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

Example

Chapter 5

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

Example

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Chapter 5
Example

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

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Chapter 5
Example

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

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Chapter 5
Example

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

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Chapter 5
Solution

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

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Chapter 5
Voltage sources in series
Voltage sources in series add algebraically.
For example, the total voltage of the sources
shown is 27 V
What is the total voltage if one battery is
reversed? 9 V

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

9V

9V

9V

+
+

Chapter 5
Kirchhoffsvoltagelaw isgenerallystatedas:
Thesumofallthevoltagedropsaroundasingleclosed
pathinacircuitisequaltothetotalsourcevoltagein
thatclosedpath.
KVL applies to all circuits, but you must apply it to
only one closed path. In a series circuit, this is (of
course) the entire circuit.

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

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Chapter 5

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

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Chapter 5

R
V

Kirchhoffsvoltagelaw

17
1

680
S

12 V
R

2 .2 k

Notice in the series example given earlier that the sum

of the resistor voltages is equal to the source voltage.
I1= 2.74 mA
I2= 2.74 mA
I3= 2.74 mA
IT= 2.74 mA

R1= 0.68 k
R2= 1.50 k
R3= 2.20 k
RT= 4.38 k

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

V1= 1.86 V
V2= 4.11 V
V3= 6.03 V
VS= 12 V

P1=
P2=
P3=
PT=

5.1 mW
11.3 mW
16.5 mW
32.9 mW

R2
1 .5 k

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Chapter 5
Example

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

Chapter 5
Voltagedividerrule
Thevoltagedropacrossanygivenresistorinaseries
circuitisequaltotheratioofthatresistortothetotal
resistance,multipliedbysourcevoltage.

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

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Chapter 5
R1

Voltage divider

15 k
VS +
20 V

R2
10 k

What is the voltage across R2?

The total resistance is 25 k

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

Notice that 40% of

the source voltage is
across R2, which
represents 40% of
the total resistance.

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Chapter 5
Voltage divider
Voltage dividers can be set up for a variable output using
a potentiometer. In the circuit shown, the output voltage
is variable.
VS +
15 V

What is the largest output

voltage available? 5.0 V

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

R1
20 k
R2
10 k

VOUT

Chapter 5

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

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Chapter 5

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

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Chapter 5

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

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Chapter 5

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

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Chapter 5
Power in Series Circuits

R1
470

Applying the voltage

divider rule:

470
V1 20 V
11.75 V
800
330
V2 20 V
8.25 V
800

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

R2
330

VS +
20 V

Use the voltage divider rule to

find V1 and V2. Then find the
power in R1 and R2 and PT.

The power dissipated by each

resistor is:
11.75 V

P
1

0.29 W

470 2
8.25 V

P2
0.21 W
330

PT =
0.5 W

Chapter 5

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

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Chapter 5

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

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Chapter 5

Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd

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Chapter 5
A

Circuit Ground
The term ground typically means a
common or reference point in the circuit.

VS +
12 V

R1
5.0 k
B
R2
10 k
C

Voltages that are given with respect to

ground are shown with a single subscript. For
example, VA means the voltage at point A with
respect to ground. VB means the voltage at point B
with respect to ground. VAB means the voltage
between points A and B.
What are VA, VB, and VAB for the circuit shown?
VA = 12 V VB = 8 V VAB = 4 V
Principles of Electric Circuits - Floyd