Electric Circuits

S UMMER 2 0 1 7

I N STRUC TOR : S U BI R G HOS H, P HD

Content

• EMF

• Resistors in series

• Resistors in parallel

• RC circuits

7/19/2017 PHY 107 2

Work, Energy, and EMF
EMF: Electromotive force

EMF devices are also called charge pumps. They can supply current by maintaining a potential difference
between two plates. For example, battery, generator, solar cell, fuel cell etc.

The emf of an emf device is the work done per unit charge that the device does in moving charge from its low-
potential terminal to its high-potential terminal.
𝑑𝑊 [J/C or V]
ℰ=
𝑑𝑞

An ideal emf device is one that lacks any internal resistance to the internal movement of charge from
terminal to terminal.

A real emf device has internal resistance to the internal movement of charge.

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Current Calculation: Single Loop
ENERGY METHOD: POTENTIAL METHOD:

𝑑𝑊 = ℰ 𝑑𝑞 = ℰ(𝑖𝑑𝑡) 𝑉𝑎 + ℰ − 𝑖𝑅 = 𝑉𝑎

ℰ 𝑖𝑑𝑡 = 𝑖 2 𝑅𝑑𝑡 ℰ − 𝑖𝑅 = 0

ℰ = 𝑖𝑅 ℰ = 𝑖𝑅

Resistance Rule: For a move through a resistance in the direction of the current, the change in potential is
− 𝑖𝑅; in the opposite direction it is + 𝑖𝑅.

EMF Rule: For a move through an ideal emf device in the direction of the emf arrow; the change in
potential is +ℰ; in the opposite direction it is − ℰ.

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Internal Resistance
The internal resistance of a battery is the electrical resistance of the conducting materials of the battery
and thus is an irremovable feature of the battery.

ℰ − 𝑖𝑟 − 𝑖𝑅 = 0

ℰ
𝑖= Current decreases
𝑅+𝑟

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Potential Difference Between Two Points
ℰ
𝑉𝑏 − 𝑉𝑎 = ×𝑅
𝑅+𝑟

GROUNDING A CIRCUIT :

Grounding a circuit means connecting the circuit to

a conducting path to Earth’s surface. Such a
connection only means that the potential is defined
to zero at the grounding point.

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Terminal Voltage of a Battery
Example #1

A battery has an emf of 12V and internal resistance of 0.05. Its terminal is connected to a load resistance
of 3.0 .
(a) Find the current in the circuit and terminal voltage of the battery.

(b) Calculate the power delivered by the battery.

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Resistance in Series
• When a potential difference V is applied across resistance s connected in series, the resistances have
identical currents i. The sum of the potential difference across the resistances is equal to the applied
potential difference V.

• Resistances connected in series can be replaced with an equivalent resistance Req that has the same
current i and the same total potential difference V as the actual resistance.

ℰ = 𝑖𝑅1 + 𝑖𝑅2 + 𝑖𝑅3

ℰ ℰ
𝑖= =
𝑅1 + 𝑅2 + 𝑅3 𝑅𝑒𝑞

𝑅𝑒𝑞 = 𝑅1 + 𝑅2 + 𝑅3

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Resistance in Series
• When a potential difference V is applied across resistances connected in series, the resistances have identical
currents i. The sum of the potential difference across the resistances is equal to the applied potential difference V.

• Resistances connected in series can be replaced with an equivalent resistance Req that has the same current i and
the same total potential difference V as the actual resistance.

ℰ = 𝑖𝑅1 + 𝑖𝑅2 + 𝑖𝑅3

ℰ ℰ
𝑖= =
𝑅1 + 𝑅2 + 𝑅3 𝑅𝑒𝑞

𝑅𝑒𝑞 = 𝑅1 + 𝑅2 + 𝑅3

The equivalent resistance of a series connection of resistors is always greater than any individual resistance.

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Resistances in Parallel
• The sum of the currents entering any junction must be equal to the sum of the currents entering the
junction.

𝑉 𝑉 𝑉
𝑖1 = 𝑖2 = 𝑖3 =
𝑅1 𝑅2 𝑅3

𝑖 = 𝑖1 + 𝑖2 + 𝑖3

1 1 1 1
= + +
𝑅𝑒𝑞 𝑅1 𝑅2 𝑅3

For a parallel circuit, the equivalent resistance is smaller than the smallest resistance in the network.

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Resistances in Parallel
Example #2

Three resistors (3.0 𝑘, 6.0 𝑘 , 𝑎𝑛𝑑 9.0 𝑘 ) are connected in parallel. Find the equivalent resistance of
the circuit.

If a potential difference of 12𝑉 is maintained across the terminals (connected in parallel), determine the
current through each resistor.

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Ammeter and Voltmeter
AMMETER

An instrument that is used to measure current is called an ammeter. To measure the current in a wire, you usually have to
break or cut the wire and insert the ammeter so that the current to be measured passes through the meter.

It is essential that the resistance of the ammeter must be very much smaller than other resistances in the circuit.

VOLTMETER

An instrument that is used to measure voltage is called an voltmeter. To measure the potential difference between two
points in a circuit, the voltmeter terminals are connected between those points without breaking and cutting the wire.

It is essential that the resistance of the voltmeter must be very much larger than the resistance of any circuit element
across which the voltmeter in connected.

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RC Circuits

At equilibrium:
𝑞
ℰ − 𝑖𝑅 − =0 𝑑𝑞 ℰ −𝑡
𝐶 𝑡
𝑖= = 𝑒 𝑅𝐶 𝑉𝑐 = ℰ 1 − 𝑒 − 𝑅𝐶
𝑑𝑞 𝑞 𝑑𝑡 𝑅
𝑅 + =ℰ
𝑑𝑡 𝐶
𝑡
−𝑅𝐶
𝑞 = 𝐶ℰ (1 − 𝑒 )

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RC Circuits : Charging
The product RC is called the time constant of the circuit.

𝜏 = 𝑅𝐶 [sec]

At t = 𝜏; 𝑉𝑐 = 0.63 ℰ

At t = 2𝜏; 𝑉𝑐 = 0.85 ℰ 𝑡
𝑉𝑐 = ℰ 1 − 𝑒 − 𝑅𝐶

• After 1𝜏 (in seconds) the capacitor charges to 63.2% of the supplied voltage.
• It takes 5𝜏 to charge the capacitor above 99% of the supplied voltage (effectively a full charge)

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RC Circuits : Discharging
A charged capacitor is allowed to discharge through a resistor.

𝑑𝑞 𝑞
𝑅 + =0
𝑑𝑡 𝐶
𝑡
𝑞 = 𝑞0 𝑒 − 𝑅𝐶

𝑑𝑞 𝑞0 −𝑡
𝑖= =− 𝑒 𝑅𝐶
𝑑𝑡 𝑅𝐶
𝑡
𝑉𝑐 = ℰ𝑒 − 𝑅𝐶

• After 1𝜏 (in seconds) the capacitor discharges to 37% of the supplied voltage.
• It takes 5𝜏 to almost discharge a capacitor completely.

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