Module 2

Ohm’s Law and

Electric Circuits

Engr. Gerard Ang

School of EECE
 ELECTRIC CIRCUIT
Electric Circuit – it is a collection of electrical
elements interconnected in some specific way
through which electric current flows or it is intended
to flow.

A circuit consists of a
source, conducting parts
and a load.
 OHM’S LAW

According to Ohm’s Law, “At steady-state

condition, the voltage across a resistor is
directly proportional to the current
flowing through it with the temperature
remaining constant.”

Where:
V = applied voltage in volts Georg Simon Ohm
I = current drawn in amperes (1787 – 1854)
R = resistance in ohms
 CONDITIONS FOR OHM’S LAW

• Ohm’s law can be applied either to the entire circuit or

a part of a circuit
• When Ohm’s law is applied to a part circuit, part
resistance and the potential difference across that part
resistance should be used
• Ohm’s law can be applied to both dc and ac circuits
 LIMITATIONS OF OHM’S LAW
Ohm’s law is not applicable to the following:
• For metals which get heated up due to the flow of
current through them
• For electrolytes where enormous gases are produced
on either electrode
• For vacuum radio valves
• For arc lamps
• For semiconductors
• For gas-filled tubes, in which the ions are generated as
a result of current flow
• For appliances such as metal rectifier and crystal
detectors, in which the operation depends on the
direction of current
 ELECTRICAL POWER
Electrical Power (P) – it is defined as the
rate at which electrical energy is expended
or used up. It is the rate electric energy is
converted into another form, such as light,
heat or mechanical energy (or converted
from another form into electrical energy). Its
unit is the Watt (W) named after the Scottish
Engineer James Watt (1736 – 1819).

Where:
P = electrical power in watt
V = voltage in volt
I = current in amperes
R = resistance in ohm
James Watt
Note:
1 horsepower (HP) = 746 W
1 kilowatt (kW) = 1,000 W
1 megawatt (MW) = 1,000,000 W
 TYPES OF CIRCUIT CONNECTIONS

1. Series circuit
2. Parallel circuit
3. Combinational Circuit
a. Series-parallel circuit – it is a combinational
circuit when simplified will result into a series
circuit
b. Parallel-series circuit – it is a combinational
circuit when simplified will result into a parallel
circuit.
 SERIES CIRCUITS
1. Series Circuit – the circuit elements are
said to be connected in series when
they all carry the same current.
2. Properties of a Series Circuit:
The same current flows through all the
resistances.
There will be voltage drop across each
resistance.
The sum of the voltage drops is equal
to the applied voltage.
3. Equivalent Resistance of a Series
Circuit:

Where:
RT = total resistance
 Sample Problems
1. Four coils having resistances of 3, 5, 10 and 12 ohms are
connected in series across 120 V. Determine (a) equivalent
resistance of the circuit, (b) current flowing through the circuit
and (c) voltage drop across individual coils.
Solution:
(a) For the equivalent resistance of the circuit

(b) For the current flowing through the circuit

(c) For the voltage drop across individual coils.
 Sample Problems
2. An electric iron is rated as 1 kW, 250 V. Calculate the current taken
by it if it is connected to 220 V supply.
Solution:
For the electric iron, it is rated at 1 kW, 250 V

When the electric iron is connected to a 220 V supply

 Sample Problems
3. Three resistors are connected in series across a 12 V battery. The
first resistor has a value of 1 Ω, second has a voltage drop of 4 V
and the third has a power dissipation of 12 W. Calculate the value
of the circuit current.

Solution:
For V1,

For V3,

Substituting,
 Sample Problems
4. A coil of copper wire has a resistance of 90 Ω at 20°C and is
connected to a 230 V supply. By how much must the voltage be
increased in order to maintain the current constant if the
temperature of the coil rises to 60°C? Take the temperature
coefficient of resistance of copper as 0.00428 from 0°C.
Solution:
According to Ohm’s law, the current flowing in a resistor is
inversely proportional to its resistance. Since the temperature
rises from 20°C to 60°C, the resistance also rises and the
current decreases. Now, for the current to remain constant both
at 20°C and 60°C, the voltage at 60°C must be increase
 PARALLEL CIRCUITS
1. Parallel Circuit – circuit elements
are connected in parallel when the
same voltage is common to all of
them.
2. Properties of a Parallel Circuit:
The voltage across each
resistance of the parallel
combination is the same.
There are as many current paths
as the number of branches.
The current in each branch is
given by Ohm’s law.
The total current of the circuit is
equal to the sum of branch
currents.
3. Equivalent Resistance of a Parallel
Circuit

Where:
RT = total resistance
 Sample Problems
1. The equivalent resistance of four resistors joined in parallel
is 20 ohms. The currents flowing through them are 0.6, 0.3,
0.2 and 0.1 ampere. Find the value of each resistor.

Solution:
 Sample Problems
2. Two bulbs of 250 W, 230 V each, are connected across a
200 V supply. Calculate the total power drawn from the
supply. If the bulbs are now connected in series, find the
total power drawn from the supply.
Solution:

For each bulb,

When the bulbs are connected in parallel,

When the bulbs are connected in series,

 Sample Problems
3. Two resistances, one of 30 ohms and another of unknown
value are connected in parallel, the total power dissipated
in the circuit is 450 watts when the applied voltage is 90
volts. Find the value of the unknown resistance.
Solution:
 Sample Problems

4. Find the equivalent resistance of the circuit given in figure 1

between the following points (a) A and B (b) C and D (c) E and F
(d) A and F and (e) A and C.
Solution:

(a) Between A and B

(b) Between C and D
(c) Between E and F
(d) Between A and F

By inspection,
(e) Between A and C
 Sample Problems

5. What is the value of the unknown resistor R in figure 2 if the

voltage drop across the 500-Ω resistor is 2.5 volts?
 Sample Problems
6. A resistance R is connected in series with a parallel
combination of two resistances 12 Ω and 8 Ω. Calculate
R if the power dissipated in the circuit is 70 W when the
applied voltage is 20 V across the circuit.
Solution:
 Sample Problems

7. If 20 V be applied across AB
shown in figure 3, calculate
the total current, the power
dissipated in each resistor and
the value of the series resistor
to halve the total current.
Solution:
Let Rx be the combination of the 2, 4, 6 and 8 ohms

Let Ry be the combination of the 3 and 6 ohms

 VOLTAGE DIVIDER THEOREM
Voltage Divider Circuit – it is a
series circuit which is used to
feed other networks with a
number of different voltages and
derived from a single input
voltage source. It also called as
a potential divider.
 Sample Problems

1. Find the values of

the different voltages
that can be obtained
from a 12-V battery
with the help of voltage
divider circuit of Fig. 3.
Solution:
 CURRENT DIVIDER THEOREM
Current division – it refers to the
splitting of current between the
branches of the divider. The
currents in the various branches of
such a circuit will always divide in
such a way as to minimize the total
energy expended.
 Sample Problems
1. Two resistances of 20 Ω and 30 Ω respectively are
connected in parallel. These two parallel resistances
are further connected in series with a resistance of 15
Ω. If the current through the 15 Ω resistance is 3 A, find
(a) the current through the 20 Ω and 30 Ω resistances
respectively, (b) the voltage across the whole circuit,
(c) the total power consumed.
Solution:
(a) For the current through the 20 Ω and 30 Ω resistances
Using current divider rule,

(b) For the voltage across the whole circuit

(c) For the total power consumed.

 Sample Problems
2. A resistance of 10 Ω is connected in series with two
resistances of 15 Ω arranged in parallel. What resistance
must be shunted across this parallel combination so that
the total current taken shall be 1.5 A with 20 V applied?
Solution:
 Sample Problems
3. Calculate the value of different currents for the circuit
shown in figure 5. What is the total circuit conductance
and resistance?
Solution:
 ELECTRICAL AND HEAT ENERGY

Joule’s Law of Electrical Heating

According to Joule’s law, “The heat
energy produced by the flow of current
is directly proportional to the
resistance and to the square of the
current.”

James Prescott Joule

Where: (1818 – 1889)
Q = heat energy in calories
m = mass of the material in gram
c = specific heat of the material (calorie per gram-°C)
t = time or duration in which the current flows through a
material
Δt = change in temperature of the material
ELECTRICAL AND HEAT ENERGY
Specific heat (c) – it is the measure of the heat energy required to
raise the temperature one gram of a substance by one Kelvin (or
degree Celsius). It is also known as specific heat capacity.

Relationship of Heat and Electrical Energy

The relationship of heat and electrical energy is given as:

Where:
W = electrical energy in Joules (pronounced as “jewl”)
Q = heat energy in calories
Note:
1 calorie = 4.186 joules
1 BTU = 252 calories
1 joule = 107 ergs
1 watt-second = 0.24 gram-calorie
 Sample Problems
1. The heater element of an electric kettle has a constant
resistance of 100 Ω and the applied voltage is 250 V. Calculate
the time taken to raise the temperature of one liter of water
from 15°C to 90°C assuming that 85% of the power input to the
kettle is usefully employed. If the water equivalent of the kettle
is 100 cal/g-deg C, find how long will it take to raise a second
liter of water through the same temperature range immediately
after the first.
Solution:
For the second liter of water
 Sample Problems
2. Two heaters A and B are in parallel across supply voltage V.
Heater A produces 500 kcal in 20 min and B produces 1000
kcal in 10 min. The resistance of A is 10 ohm. What is the
resistance of B? If the same heaters are connected in series
across the voltage V, how much heat will be produced in kcal in
5 min?
Solution:
Dividing eq. (2) by (1)

When the same heaters are connected in series across the

voltage V.

Dividing eq. (3) by (1)

 Sample Problems
3. An electric kettle needs six minutes to boil 2 kg of water from
the initial temperature of 20°C. The cost of electrical energy
required for this operation is 12 cents, the rate being 40 cents
per kWh. Find the kW-rating and the over-all efficiency of the
kettle.
Solution: