CHAPTER VII

DIRECT CURRENT CIRCUITS

A. DEFINITION OF ELECTRIC CURRENT
Electric current illustrated as a motion of positive charges
passing through from the higher potential to the lower
potential.
Electric current (i) defined as the amount of charge
passing through in every unit of time ( second ).

q i = Electric current ( ampere )

i  q = charge ( coulomb )
t t = unit of time ( second )

q
n  n = the amount of electron

e e = the electron charge/the elementary charge

= 1,6 x 10 -19 C
Direction of electric
current

Direction of moving
electrons

Direct current
source
B. RESISTANCE OF CONDUCTING WIRE
The resistance of a conducting wire depends on :
 Length of the wire
 Cross section Area
 Kind of the wire
 Temperature
Formula :
R = Resistance ( Ohm, Ω )
 ρ = Resistivity of the material ( Ω m)
Rρ A = Cross-section Area ( m2)
Α L = Length (m)
 Resistivities and TemperaturecCoefficients of Resistivity fo
various Materials
RESISTIVITY TEMPERATURE
MATERIALS
ρ(Ωm) COEFFICIENT(1/OC)
Silver 1,59 x 10-8 3,8 x 10-3
Copper 1,7 x 10-8 3,9 x 10-3
Gold 2,44 x 10-8 3,4 x 10-3
Aluminum 2,82 x 10-8 3,9 x 10-3
Tungsten 5,6 x 10-8 4,5 x 10-3
Iron 10 x 10-8 5,0 x 10-3
Platinum 11 x 10-8 3,92 x 10-3
Lead 22 x 10-8 3,9 x 10-3
Nichrome 1,50 x 10-6 0,4 x 10-3
Carbon 3,5 x 10-5 -0,5 x 10-3
Germanium 0,46 -48 x 10-3
Silicon 640 -75 x 10-3
Glass 1010 - 1014
Temperature Influence for resistivity and
resistance
If temperature of wire is increase, so the resistivity and the resistance of it is
increase

Rt  Ro (1   .T ) or R  RO . .T

t  o (1   .T ) or   O . .T
ρO = initial of resistivity (Ωm)
ρt = final of resistivity (Ωm)
Ro = initial of resistance(Ω)
Rt = final of resistance (Ω)
ΔT = the change of temperature (oC)
α = temperature coefficient of resistivity (/oC)
∆R = The change of resistance
∆ρ = The change of resistivity
C. OHM’S LAW
The ratio of the voltage (V) across a conductor to the
current (i) that flows through it is equal to a constant.
This constant is called resistance (R)
V
V
i
R V  iR A
L
A = Ammeter
V = Voltmeter
L = Lamp

i = Current (A) V
V
V = Voltage/the potential difference (V)
R = Resistance (Ω)

R = tan α
 i
Graph of V - i
MEASUREMENT OF CURRENT
AND VOLTAGE
D. SERIES AND PARALLEL CIRCUIT
Kirchhoff’s first rule:
The sum of the currents entering the any
junction must equal the sum of the currents
leaving the junction.
Example : i5
i6
I1
i4
I2 i3

i1 + i2 + i4 = i3 + i5 + i6
 SERIES CIRCUIT (VOLTAGE DIVIDER)
R1 R2 R3
Characteristic :
I
 The current passing
V
through every resistor is
equal.
i1 = i2 = i3 = I  The potential difference
RS = R1 + R 2 + R3
on every resistor is
different.
V = V1 + V2 + V3
V1 : V2 : V3 = R1 : R2 : R3

V  I  RS
R1 R2 R3
V1  V V2  V V3  V
RS RS RS
PARALLEL CIRCUIT (ELECTRIC CURRENT DIVIDER)
R1
i1

I
Characteristics :
i2 R2
 The current passing
i3
through the junction is
R3
different.
V
 The potential difference
1

1

1

1 of every junction is
RP R R R equal.
1 2 3
V1  V 2  V 3  V
1 1 1
i1 : i2 : i3  : :
R1 R 2 R 3

Rp Rp Rp V
i1  I i2  I i3  I I 
R1 R2 R3 Rp
E. WHEAT STONE’S BRIDGE

If in the galvanometer R1 R2
(G) there are no electric G

current passed, called a LA LB

galvanometer in Conducting wire
equilibrium condition
R1 . RB = R2 . RA because 
R ρ
Α
so;
RA= wire resistance of part A
R1 . LB = R2 . LA RB= wire resistance of part B
LA= wire length of part A
LB= wire length of part B
The forms of Wheat stone bridge:
R1 R2 If:
@ R5 R1 . R3 = R2 . R4
R4 R3 so, R5 can reduced
and then the wheat
R1 R2 stone bridge circuit
can simplify to be:
@ R5
R3 R4
R1 R2

R1
R4 R3
R4 R5 R2
@

R3
If R1 . R3 ≠ R2 . R4
so, the circuits can be transforms to Y form (transformation of ∆ to
Y forms)
R1 R2 R2
Rb Rb
R5
Ra Ra
Rc Rc
R3 R3
R4

R1  R4 R4  R5
Ra  Rc 
R1  R4  R5 R1  R4  R5

R1  R5
Rb 
R1  R4  R5
F. SOURCE OF ELECTROMOTIVE FORCE (EMF)
Current in conductor is produced by an electric field, and
electric field is formed by the potential difference, devices
such as batteries and dynamos should be connected to the
circuit. These sources of electric energy are called source of
electromotive force (ε)
R
K
● ●
i
ε
r

• When the switch K is open, the voltmeter reads is EMF (ε)

• When the switch K is closed, the voltmeter reads is clamping voltage (V)

V= i R V= clamping voltage = potential difference on the

external resistance
 ε=iR+ir ε=i(R+r)

ε = EMF (volt)
r = internal resistor (Ω )
R = external resistor (Ω )

 Batteries connected in series

ε1 ε2 ε3

Σε = ε1 + ε2 +ε3
r1 r2 r3
i
Σr = r1 + r2 + r3

If the batteries are identical, and

each has an EMF ε, and an Σε = n ε
internal resistance r
Σr = n r
 Batteries connected in parallel
ε1
r1
ε2
r2
ε3
i
r3

For identical batteries:

Σε = ε
G. KIRCHHOFF’S SECOND RULES
The sum of the drops in potential difference in a close circuit is
equal to zero.

Σε + Σ (i . R) = 0 or Σε = Σ (i. R)

Σ(i.R) = Dropping Potential difference

ε = EMF ( electromotive force )

 In applying Kirchhoff’s rules, the following rules should be noted:

1. Assign a symbol and direction to the currents in each part of the circuit
2. Loops are chosen and the direction around each loop is designated
3. The sign of the current are taken “+” when they are in the same direction
of loops, and taken “-” when they are in the opposite direction of loops
4. The sign of the EMF are taken “+” when loops inside polar (+) of
elements, and taken “-” when loops inside polar (-) of elements
G. WORK DONE BY THE ELECTRIC CURRENT ( JOULE’S LAW)
The amount of heat dissipated from a current carrying
conductor is proportional to the resistance of the
conductor, the square of current and the time needed
for the current to pass trough the conductor
W=qV
V2
Since q = i t, W=Vit i
V
W
R R
And V= I R W = i2 R t

W = electrical energy (J)

V = potential difference (volt)
q = charge (C)
i = electric current (A)
t = time ( s )
The electrical energy dissipated per unit time (second) is called
electrical power.

Vit
P PVi
t
W
P P
i 2 Rt
Pi R 2

t V2
t
t
V 2
P R P
t R
P = Electric Power (Watt)