4 | DIRECT

CURRENT
SERIES &
PARALLEL
CIRCUITS
“
You will never always
be motivated.
You have to learn to be
DISCIPLINED.
DC-CURRENT SERIES CIRCUITS

A series circuit is a
circuit in which there is
only one path for current to
flow along.
 The current I is the same
in all parts of the circuits.

I
 
 The total resistance in the
circuit is equal to the sum
of the resistance of all the
  parts of the circuit.

 
 The total voltage across a
series circuit is equal to
the sum of the voltages
  across each resistance of
the circuit.
 
 The total power across a
series circuit is equal to
the sum of the power
  across each resistance of
the circuit.
 
PROBLEM A series circuit has a 50-Ω, a
75- Ω, and a 100- Ω resistor
1 in series shown on the figure
below. Find the total
resistance of the circuit.
PROBLEM A series circuit has a 6V
across R1, 30V across R2,
2 and 54V across R3. What
is the total voltage across
the circuit?
PROBLEM A resistor of 45-Ω and a bell
of 60- Ω are connected in
3 series shown below. What
voltage is required across this
combination to produce a
current of 0.3A?
PROBLEM A 95V battery is connected
in series with three
4 resistors: 20-Ω, 50-Ω, and
120- Ω. Find the voltage
across each resistor.
PROBLEM In the circuit shown
below, find the total
5 power Pt and power
dissipated by R1, R2 and
R3.
POLARITY OF VOLTAGE DROPS

The polarity of the voltage

drop is determined by the
direction of conventional
current from positive to a
more negative potential.
The nearer to the positive
terminal of the voltage
source is more positive;
while the point nearer to the
negative terminal of the
applied voltage is more
negative.
 V1 =
A 10V B V1, V2, V3 are
• + - • voltage drops.

+
V2 =  Va = 95V
25V
-  Vb = 85V
V3 =  Vc = 60V
-
• •
60V +
 Vd = 0V
D C
CONDUCTORS

• Conductor is a material having many free electrons.

• Generally most metals are good conductors but top 3 good
electrical conductors are COPPER, SILVER, and ALUMINUM.
• Conductors have very low resistance. Copper wire has a
typical resistance of <1Ω for 10feet.
• Function of a wire conductor is to connect a source of applied
voltage to a load resistance with minimum IR voltage drop in
the conductor.
 WIRE
MEASUREM
ENT

RESISTIVIT
Y

TEMPERATU
RE
COEFFICIEN
T
WIRE MEASUREMENT

• Standard wire sizes corresponds to the American Wire Gauge

(AWG).
• Gauge numbers specify the size of round wire in terms of its
diameter and cross-sectional circular area.
 Cross-sectional area of round wire is measure in CIRCULAR MILS
(CMIL or CM) where 1 mil is one-thousandth of an inch (0.001 inch).
 
cmil = CM =
COPPER
WIRE
TABLE
WIRE MEASUREMENT
1. Gage numbers increase (1 to
Gauge# 5 40), the diameter & circular
area decrease.
Gauge#
12
2. The circular area doubles for
every 3 gauge sizes.
3. The higher the gauge
number and the smaller the
Gauge# wire, the greater the
15 resistance of the wire for any
given length.
RESISTIVITY

• Resistance of a given length (of any conductor) depends

upon the resistivity of the material, length of the wire, and
the cross-sectional area of the wire.
 
R=ρ

  = resistance of the conductor, Ω

R
l = length of the wire, ft
A = cross-sectional area of the wire, CM
Ρ = specific resistance or resistivity, CM.Ω/
PROBLEM What is the resistance of
500-ft of No.20 and No.23
5 copper wires?
TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT

• The temperature coefficient of resistance, , indicates how

much the resistance changes for a change in temperature.
• A positive value means R increases with temperature; a
negative means R decreases; and a zero means R is constant
(not varying with changes in temperature.

= + ( T)
 

  = resistance of the conductor, Ω

R
l = length of the wire, ft
A = cross-sectional area of the wire, CM
Ρ = specific resistance or resistivity, CM.Ω/
PROBLEM A tungsten wire has a 10-
Ω resistance at 20ºC. Find
5 its resistance at 120ºC.
DC-CURRENT PARALLEL CIRCUITS

A parallel circuit is a
circuit in which two or more
components are connected
across the same voltage
source.
 The voltage V is the
same in all parts of
the circuits.

V V V  
1 2 3
  
The total current
is equal to the
I
I1 I2 I3 sum of all
branch currents.
 
  
The total power
   
equals the sum
 
of the individual
values of power
  in each branch.

 
PROBLEM Two lamps each drawing 2A
and third lamp drawing 1A
6 are connected in parallel
across a 10-V line. What is
the total current?
PROBLEM •   branches and across
Two
a 110-V power line draw a
7 total line current of 20A.
Branch takes 12A. What
is the current in branch ?

I    
PROBLEM A parallel circuit consists of
a coffee maker, a toaster,
8 and a frying pan plugged
into a kitchen appliance
circuit on a 120-V line. What
currents will flow in each
branch of the circuit and
what is the total current
drawn by all appliances?
 The total
 
resistance in
parallel is given
by the general
reciprocal
  formula:
 Total resistance
 
of EQUAL
resistors in
parallel is equal
to the resistance
of 1 resistor
divided by the
number of
 
resistors.

SIMPLIFIED FORMULAS
 Total resistance
 
of NONEQUAL
resistors in
parallel is equal
to:
 

SIMPLIFIED FORMULAS
 OPEN CIRCUIT

X
Open in main
line
OPEN CIRCUIT

X
Open in parallel
branch
SHORT CIRCUIT

Open in parallel
branch
PROBLEM Find the current in each
parallel branch below. If the
9 resistor in the second
branch burns out, causing
an open circuit, find the new
branch currents.

X
 CONDUCTANCES IN PARALLEL

• Conductance is the opposite of resistance.

• The less the resistance, the higher the conductance.
• The symbol for conductance is G and its units is SIEMENS (S).

 
 
PROBLEM •   and expressing it with
Find
, and .
10

     
PROBLEM •   and the of the
Find
circuit?
11
BOARD •   and of the circuit?
Find

WORK 1
 10A
PROBLEM •   and the of the
Find
circuit?
12
PROBLEM •   of the circuit?
Find

13
 10A
END