Module On Electric Circuits and Electrical Power AY 2014-2015
Module On Electric Circuits and Electrical Power AY 2014-2015
Module On Electric Circuits and Electrical Power AY 2014-2015
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MODULE ON ELECTRIC CIRCUITS AND ELECTRICAL POWER
Learning Objectives
After reading and working on this module on electric circuits and electrical power, you are
expected to
1. Relate voltage, current and resistance in a circuit.
2. Differentiate the ways on how loads can be connected in a circuit.
3. Apply Ohms Law in resolving series, parallel and combination circuits.
4. Calculate the amount of electrical power dissipated by an electric device.
What is an electric circuit?
It is a closed path that allows passage
of electric current.
It is composed of two major
components: the source (battery or
other related devices) and the
connecting wire. The source provides
energy that will push the stream of
electrons from higher to lower
potential.
A third component called load is
connected to the circuit for the
purpose of harnessing electrical
energy for practical use.
Three
Major
Electrical
Related to Electric Circuits
Quantities
Ohms Law
A law formulated by German physicist
and mathematician Georg Simon Ohm
It
describes
mathematically
the
relationship
among
voltage
(E),
current (I) and resistance (R) in a
circuit.
According to this law, at constant
resistance, voltage varies directly with
current. (Ibig sabihin pag malakas ang
boltahe ng kuryente, mabilis ang
daloy)
Likewise, at constant voltage, current
varies inversely with resistance.
(Bumabagal ang takbo ng kuryente
pag mataas ang resistance ng isang
material sa circuit.)
In equation form: E = IR
1. Voltage (E)
This refers to the amount of work
done per unit charge.
AY 2014-2015
R1
R2
IT = I 1 = I 2 = I 3 = = I n
Parallel Circuit
A circuit characterized by the
presence of junctions.
Each junction has a line where one
load is connected.
It has more than one loop. Loads are
connected through lines that resemble
as parallel lines.
RT = R1 + R2 + R3 + + R n
ET = E 1 + E 2 + E 3 + + E n
Lets use these characteristics in resolving
the following series circuit.
R3
Module on Electric Circuits and Electrical Power
AY 2014-2015
ET = E 1 = E 2 = E 3 = = E n
4. As current from the positive terminal
of the circuit reaches every junction, it
decreases. But it is conserved as they
return to the negative terminal of the
circuit. Therefore, the total current in
a parallel circuit is the sum total of all
the current received by each load in a
circuit.
IT = I 1 + I 2 + I 3 + + I n
5. In parallel circuits, the reciprocal of
the total resistance is equal to the
sum of the reciprocals of the
individual resistances.
1
1 1 1
1
= + + +
R T R 1 R 2 R3
Rn
This equation implies that as more
loads are connected in a parallel
circuit, the total resistance of the
circuit decreases. Following Ohms
Law, as the resistance of the circuit
increases, more current flows in the
circuit. When too much current is
produced, the circuit might overheat.
Tips in Finding the Total Resistance
Instead of using the reciprocal formula
for finding the total resistance, you may use
the product over sum method. This is a
simplification of the reciprocal formula using
algebra. Here are examples.
AY 2014-2015
Electrical Power
Recall the concept of mechanical
power. It is the rate by which work is
done.
In electric circuits, it means how much
electrical work is done per unit time.
Mathematically, it is defined as the
product of voltage and current across
a load.
P = (voltage)(current) = IE
work
P=
charge
P=
)( charge
time )
work J
= =watt (W )
time s
AY 2014-2015
AY 2014-2015