Fundamentals of Electrical Circuits I

3rd Lecture
Series dc Circuits

By:
Dr. Ali Albu-Rghaif

Ref: Robert L. Boylestad, INTRODUCTORY CIRCUIT ANALYSIS, Pearson

Prentice Hall, Eleventh Edition, 2007
 Series dc Circuits
Series Circuits
A circuit consists of any number of elements joined at terminal point, providing at least one
closed path through which charge can flow.
The circuit of Fig. below, has three elements joined at three terminal points (a, b, c) to provide

a closed path for the current I.

The current is the same through series elements

 Series dc Circuits
Series Resistors
The total resistance of a series configuration is the sum of the resistance levels..

For the special case where resistors are the same values can be modified as follows:

The current is the same at every point in a series circuit, and can be determined using Ohm’s
law:
 Series dc Circuits
Series Resistors
The voltage across each resistor with the total resistance, using ohm’s law:

𝑽𝟏 = 𝑰𝑹𝟏 , 𝑽𝟐 = 𝑰𝑹𝟐 , 𝑽𝟑 = 𝑰𝑹𝟑 , … 𝑽𝑵 = 𝑰𝑹𝑵

The power delivered to each resistor can then be determined using any one of three equations
as listed below (shown for resistor 𝑹𝟏 only):

The power delivered by the supply can be determined using

The power applied by the dc supply must equal that dissipated by the resistive elements.
Example (1) Series dc Circuits
Determine the total resistance for the series resistors?

Solution:

Example (2)
Find the total resistance of the series resistors

Solution:
Example (3) Series dc Circuits
For the series circuit:
a. Find the total resistance 𝑹𝑻 .
b. Calculate the resulting source current I.
c. Determine the voltage across each resistor.
d. Calculate the power dissipated by 𝑹𝟏 , 𝑹𝟐 , 𝑹𝟑
e. Determine the power delivered by the source, and compare it to the sum of the
power levels of part (d)
Solution:
Example (3) Series dc Circuits
For the series circuit:
d. Calculate the power dissipated by 𝑹𝟏 , 𝑹𝟐 , 𝑹𝟑
e. Determine the power delivered by the source, and compare it to the sum of the
power levels of part (d)

Solution:
d. 𝑃1 = 𝑉1 𝐼 = 5𝑉 2.5 𝐴 = 12.5 𝑊
𝑃2 = 𝐼 2 𝑅2 = (2.5 𝐴)2 1Ω = 6.25 𝑊
𝑃3 = 𝑉3 2 /𝑅3 = (12.5 𝑉)2 / 5Ω = 31.25 𝑊

e. 𝑃𝐸 = 𝐸𝐼 = 20𝑉 2.5𝐴 = 50 𝑊
𝑃𝑑𝑒𝑙 = 𝑃1 + 𝑃2 + 𝑃3
50 𝑊 = 12.5 𝑊 + 6.25 𝑊 + 31.5 𝑊
50 𝑊 = 50 𝑊 (checks)
Example (4) Series dc Circuits
For the series circuit:
a. Find the total resistance 𝑹𝑻 .
b. Determine the source current 𝑰𝑺 .
c. Find the voltage across resistor 𝑹𝟐 .

Solution:
 Series dc Circuits
Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law (KVL)
KVL states that the algebraic sum of the potential rises and drops around a closed path (or
closed loop) is zero.

A closed loop: is any continuous path that leaves a point in one direction and return to that
same point from another direction without leaving the circuit.
As shown in the circuit below, we can trace a continuous path that leaves point a through 𝑹𝟏
and returns through E without leaving the circuit. Therefore, abcda is a closed loop. For us to
be able to apply KVL, the summation of potential rises and drops must be made in one
direction around the closed loop.

In symbolic form it can be written as

(Kirchhoff’s voltage law in

symbolic form)

Writing out the sequence with the voltages and the

signs results in the following:
 Series dc Circuits
Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law (KVL)
The applied voltage of a series dc circuit will equal the sum of the voltage drops of the circuit.

Kirchhoff’s voltage law can also be written in the following form:

revealing that
the sum of the voltage rises around a closed path will always equal the sum of the voltage
drops.

To demonstrate that the direction that you take around the loop has no effect on the results,
let’s take the counter-clockwise path and compare results.
The resulting sequence appears as
Example (5) Series dc Circuits
Use Kirchhoff’s voltage law to determine the unknown voltage for the circuit
Solution:

Example (6)
Use Kirchhoff’s voltage law to determine the unknown voltage for the circuit
Solution:

For the clockwise path, including resistor 𝑹𝟑 , the

following results:
Example (7) Series dc Circuits
Use Kirchhoff’s voltage law to determine the unknown voltage for the circuit
Solution:

Example (8)
Use Kirchhoff’s voltage law to find thevoltage 𝑽𝒙 for the circuit
Solution:
Example (9) Series dc Circuits
For the series circuit:
a. Determine 𝑽𝟐 using Kirchhoff’s voltage law.
b. Determine current 𝑰𝟐 .
c. Find 𝑹𝟏 and 𝑹𝟑 .

Solution:
 Series dc Circuits
Voltage Divider Rule (VDR)
The voltage divider rule (VDR) permits the determination of the voltage across a series resistor
without first having to determine the current of the circuit.

The rule itself can be derived by analysing the simple series circuit shown:

Apply Ohm’s law to each resistor:

The resulting format for V1 and V2 is

 Series dc Circuits
Voltage Divider Rule (VDR)
where 𝑽𝒙 is the voltage across the resistor 𝑹𝒙 , E is the impressed voltage
across the series elements, and 𝑹𝑻 is the total resistance of the series
circuit.

The voltage divider rule states that:

the voltage across a resistor in a series circuit is equal to the value of that resistor times the
total applied voltage divided by the total resistance of the series configuration.
Example (10) Series dc Circuits
Using the voltage divider rule, determine voltages 𝑽𝟏 and 𝑽𝟑 for the series circuit?

Solution:
Example (11) Series dc Circuits
For the series circuit:
a. Without making any calculations, how much larger would you expect the voltage
across R2 to be compared to that across 𝑹𝟏 ?
b. Find the voltage 𝑽𝟏 using only the voltage divider rule.
c. Using the conclusion of part (a), determine the voltage across 𝑹𝟐 .
d. Use the voltage divider rule to determine the voltage across 𝑹𝟐 , and compare your
answer to your conclusion in part (c).
e. How does the sum of 𝑽𝟏 and 𝑽𝟐 compare to the applied voltage?
Solution: