Resistors (1)

Engr. M Abdul Rehman

Basics/Series/Parallel Circuits
M. Abdul Rehman
Types of Electronic Components
Electronic elements that make up a circuit are
connected together by conductors to form a
complete circuit. If these connecting conductors
are ideal conductors (i.e. they have no resistance)
then all parts of the circuit can be classified into
two main categories depending on whether they
deliver or absorb energy from the circuit:

 Active components
 Passive components
Active components
 An active component is an electronic component which
supplies energy to a circuit. Active elements have the
ability to electrically control electron flow (i.e. the flow of
charge).
 All electronic circuits must contain at least one active
component.
1. Voltage sources
2. Current sources
3. Generators (such as alternators & DC generators)
4. All different types of transistors 
5. Diodes
Passive Components
 A passive component is an electronic component which can only
receive energy, which it can either dissipate, absorb or store it in an
electric field or a magnetic field. Passive elements do not need any
form of electrical power to operate.
 As the name ‘passive’ suggests – passive devices do not provide
gain or amplification. Passive components cannot amplify, oscillate,
or generate an electrical signal.
 Common examples of passive components include:
• Resistors
• Inductors
• Capacitors
• Transformers
Resistors
 The resistance of any material is determined by the
following factors:
◦ Material
◦ Length
◦ Cross-sectional Area
◦ Temperature

M. Abdul Rehman
Types of Resistors
 Resistors are made in many forms but all belong in either
of two groups:
◦ Fixed resistors – are made of metal films, high-resistance wire
or carbon composition
◦ Variable resistors – have a terminal resistance that can be
varied by turning a dial, knob, screw

M. Abdul Rehman
Ohmmeters
 An Ohmmeter is used to perform the following
tasks:
◦ Measure the resistance of individual or combined
elements
◦ Detect open-circuit (high-resistance)
◦ Short-circuit (low-resistance) situations
◦ Check continuity of network connections.
 Resistance is measured by simply connecting the
two leads of the meter across the resistor. It
doesn’t matter which lead goes on which end.

M. Abdul Rehman
DC Series
Circuits

M. Abdul Rehman
Series Resistor DC Circuit

 Two types of current are readily available, direct

current (dc) and sinusoidal alternating current (ac)
 We will first consider direct current (dc)
 If a wire is an ideal conductor, the potential
difference (V) across the resistor will equal the
applied voltage of the battery.
V (volts) = E (volts)
 Current is limited only by the resistor (R). The
higher the resistance, the less the current.

M. Abdul Rehman
Resistors in Series
 The total resistance of a series configuration is the
sum of the resistance levels.
RT  R1  R2  R3  R4  ...  RN
 The more resistors we add in series, the greater
the resistance (no matter what their value).
 The total series resistance is not affected by the
order in which the components are connected.
Current in Series Circuits
Current is always the same across series elements.

I1 = I2 = Is

 The current passes from resistor 1 equals the

current passes from resistor 2, and current from
resistor 1 and 2 will be same as the total current in
the circuit.

M. Abdul Rehman
Voltage in Series Circuits

 For single-source series networks, the

source voltage is equal to the sum of the
voltage across individual branches.
V1 + V2 = V
 For a series circuit, the applied voltage
equals the sum of the voltage drops.
Power Distribution &
Interchanging Series Elements

 The power applied by the dc supply must equal

that dissipated by the resistive elements.
PE  PR  PR  ...  PR
1 2 N

 Elements of a series circuit can be interchanged

without affecting the total resistance, current, or
power to each element
Example # 01
Example # 02
Example # 03
Voltage Sources in Series
(Example # 04&05 )
Interchanging Series Elements
(Example # 06)
Voltage Divider Rule
Example # 07
Example # 08
 Example # 09
Find V1 and V3 from the Network
DC Parallel
Circuits

M. Abdul Rehman
Parallel Resistor DC Circuits

Three elements, branches, or circuits are in

parallel if they have two points in common as
in the figure below
Insert Fig 6.2
 For resistors in parallel, the total resistance is
determined from

 Note that the equation is for the reciprocal of RT

rather than for RT.
 Once the right side of the equation has been
determined, it is necessary to divide the result into 1
to determine the total resistance

M. Abdul Rehman
 The total resistance of any number of parallel resistors can be determined
using 1
RT 
1 1 1 1
   ... 
R1 R2 R3 RN
A special case: The total resistance of two resistors is the product of the
two divided by their sum.

Parallel resistors can be interchanged without changing the total

resistance or input current.
 For parallel resistors, the total resistance will always decrease as
additional parallel elements are added.

M. Abdul Rehman
Example # 10

M. Abdul Rehman
Example # 11

M. Abdul Rehman
Example # 12

M. Abdul Rehman
Voltage in Parallel Circuits
Voltage is always the same across parallel
elements.

V1 = V2 = E

 The voltage across resistor 1 equals the voltage

across resistor 2, and both equal the voltage
supplies by the source.

M. Abdul Rehman
Current in Parallel Circuits

 For single-source parallel networks, the

source current (I ) is equal to the sum of
s

the individual branch currents.

Is  I1  I 2
 For a parallel circuit, source current equals the
sum of the branch currents.
 For parallel circuits, the greatest current will
exist in the branch with the lowest resistance.

E E
Is  I1  I 2  
R1 R2
Power Distribution in a Parallel
Circuit

 For any resistive circuit, the power applied by

the battery will equal that dissipated by the
resistive elements.

PE  PR1  PR2  PR3  ...  PRN

 The power relationship for parallel resistive

circuits is identical to that for series resistive
circuits.
Example # 13

M. Abdul Rehman
M. Abdul Rehman
Example # 14

M. Abdul Rehman
M. Abdul Rehman
Current Divider Rule

 The current divider rule (CDR) is used to find the current

through a resistor in a parallel circuit.
 General points:
 For two parallel elements of equal value, the current will
divide equally.
 For parallel elements with different values, the smaller
the resistance, the greater the share of input current.
 For parallel elements of different values, the current will
split with a ratio equal to the inverse of their resistor
values.

M. Abdul Rehman
 RT
Ix  IT
Rx

M. Abdul Rehman
Example # 15

M. Abdul Rehman
Example # 16

M. Abdul Rehman
M. Abdul Rehman
Voltmeter Loading Effects

 Voltmeters are always placed across an element to

measure the potential difference.
 A good practice is to always check the meter resistance
against the resistive elements of the network before
making a measurement.
 Most DMMs have internal resistance which depends on
the scale chosen.

M. Abdul Rehman
Troubleshooting

 Troubleshooting is a process by which acquired

knowledge and experience are employed to localize a
problem and offer or implement a solution.
 Safety First
 Experience and a clear understanding of the basic laws
of electrical circuits is vital.
 First step should always be knowing what to
expect

M. Abdul Rehman
 The electrical system on a car is essentially a parallel system.
 The bus connectors in a computer are connected in parallel
with common connections to the power supply, address and
data buses, control signals, and ground.
 House wiring
 Except in some very special circumstances the basic
wiring of a house is done in a parallel configuration.
 Each parallel branch, however, can have a
combination of parallel and series elements.
 Each branch receives a full 220 V, with the current
determined by the applied load.

M. Abdul Rehman
 DC Open&
Short Circuits

M. Abdul Rehman
Open Circuit
 An open circuit can have a potential difference (voltage)
across its terminal, but the current is always zero
amperes.
Example # 17

M. Abdul Rehman
Short Circuit

 A short circuit can carry a current of a level determined

by the external circuit, but the potential difference
(voltage) across its terminals is always zero volts.
Example # 18

M. Abdul Rehman
 DC Series&
Parallel Circuits

M. Abdul Rehman
 Start from the opposite site of voltage source (if
possible)
 Solve any pure series and pure parallel elements
(resistors or batteries) in start

M. Abdul Rehman
Example # 19

M. Abdul Rehman
M. Abdul Rehman
M. Abdul Rehman
Y to Delta or Delta to Y

M. Abdul Rehman
Delta to Y

M. Abdul Rehman
Example # 20

M. Abdul Rehman
M. Abdul Rehman
Y to Delta

M. Abdul Rehman
Example # 21

M. Abdul Rehman
M. Abdul Rehman