Chapter 6: Direct Current Circuits

6.1 Resistors in Series & Parallel

6.1.1 Resistor in Series

Figure 6.1

 The current flowing through all the resistors is the same.

 Charge flows through one resistor must flow through other resistors and the battery
(principle of conservation of charge)
 Voltage drops across R1 , R2 and R3 can be expressed as
V1  IR1
V2  IR2
V3  IR3
 The sum of the potential difference across the resistors is equal to the potential difference
output of the source,
V  V1  V2  V3
V  IR1  IR2  IR3
V  I ( R1  R2  R3 )
V
 R1  R2  R3
I
R  R1  R2  R3
where V is the total potential applied and I is the total current in the circuit.
V V
 is equal to the effective resistance of the circuit,  R , where it is the equivalent
I I
resistance of the circuit.
 The equivalent resistance for a number of n resistors connected in series can be written as
R  R1  R2  R3  ....  Rn
 The equivalent resistance is always greater than any individual resistance.

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 Example 1:

Figure 6.2
Resistors of resistances 1.0 , 2.0 and 3.0 are connected in series with a 12V battery.
Calculate
a) the equivalent resistance
R  R1  R2  R3
R  1 2  3
R  6
b) the current in the circuit
V 12
I   2A
R 6
c) the potential difference across each resistor
V1  IR1  (2)(1)  2V
V2  IR2  (2)(2)  4V
V3  IR3  (2)(3)  6V
d) the power dissipated from the 2.0 resistor
P  I 2 R2  (2 2 )(2)  8W
e) the total power dissipated
P  I 2 R  (2 2 )(6)  24W

6.1.2 Resistor in Parallel

Figure 6.3

 The potential difference across the resistors is the same because each resistor is connected
across the same battery terminals.
V  V1  V2  V3

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  The current flow through each resistor is not the same, the sum of the current that flows
through each resistor is equal to the current provided by the battery.
I  I1  I 2  I 3
 Potential difference across the resistors is the same.
V
V  I1 R1 which gives I 1 
R1
V
V  I 2 R2 which gives I 2 
R2
V
V  I 3 R3 which gives I 3 
R3
V 1 1 1 1
 Substitute I1 , I 2 and I 3 and taking I  , we get   
R R R1 R2 R3
 The inverse of equivalent resistance for a number of n resistors connected in parallel is given
as
1 1 1 1 1
    ... 
R R1 R2 R3 Rn
Example 2:
In the following arrangement of six identical resistors, each of resistance 5 , calculate the
total resistance.

Figure 6.4
Solution:
B and C are in series: Total  10 . Let G  10
D, E and F are in series: Total  15 . Let H  15
A, G and H are in parallel:
1 1 1 1
  
R R A RG RH
1 1 1 1
  
R 5 10 15
R  2.73

6.2 Kirchhoff’s Law

 Simple circuits can be analysed using Ohm’s Law and the rules of series and parallel
combination of resistors.
 Complicated circuits cannot be analysed with series-parallel method but require the use of
two circuit rules known as Kirchhoff’s rules.

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6.2.1 Kirchhoff’s Junction Rule

Figure 6.5

 Kirchhoff’s first rule or junction rule states that the sum of the currents at any junction is
zero, that is
I  0
 The junction rule states that the sum of currents that goes into junctions must equal to the
currents leaving the junction.
 At junction P, taking the current flows into a junction as +ve and the current flows out of the
junction as –ve, it can be written as
( I 1 )  ( I 2 )  ( I 3 )  0
or
I1  I 2  I 3  0

6.2.2 Kirchhoff’s Loop Rule

Figure 6.6

 Kirchhoff’s second rule or loop rule states that the sum of the potential differences across
elements in any closed loop is zero, that is the sum of the potential differences rises is equal
to the sum of voltage drops around a closed loop.
V   IR
 Applying the loop rule to a closed loop in clockwise direction as shown in figure
 1  IR1  IR2   2  0

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6.2.3 Application of Kirchhoff’s Rule Loop

 Identify a closed loop and decide in which direction to go around it (clockwise or counter
clockwise).
 As transverse a loop, record all potential difference rises and drops.
 Plus or minus sign when applying this rule.

Table 6.1
 If transverse through a resistor in
the same direction as the current,
the change in potential across
resistor is  IR .

 If transverse through a resistor in

the direction opposite to that of
the current, the change in
potential across the resistor is
 IR .
 If transverse from the +ve terminal
to the –ve terminal of an emf
source (opposite direction it
moves a positive charge), the
change in potential across the
terminal is   .
 If transverse from the –ve terminal
to the +ve terminal of an emf
source (the same direction it
moves a positive charge), the
change in potential across the
resistor is +.

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Example 3:
Calculate I 1 , I 2 and I 3 shown in the circuit below.

Figure 6.7
Solution:
Applying Kirchhoff’s junction rule at junction B
( I 1 )  ( I 2 )  ( I 3 )  0
I1  I 2  I 3 --------------(1)
Applying Kirchhoff’s rule to loop ABEFA
3( I1 )  4( I 2 )  (2)  (4)
3I1  4I 2  6 ---------------(2)
Replace equation (1) into equation (2)
3( I 2  I 3 )  4I 2  6
7 I 2  3I 3  6 --------------(3)
Applying Kirchhoff’s loop rule to loop BCDEB
4( I 2 )  5( I 3 )  (6)  (4)
 4I 2  5I 3  2 --------------(4)
Equation (3)  4 : 28I 2  12I 3  24 --------------(5)
Equation (4)  7 : 28I 2  35I 3  14 -------------(6)
Equation (5) + Equation (6):
47 I 3  38
38
I3   0.81A
47
From equation (3):
7 I 2  3(0.81)  6
I 2  0.51A
From equation (1):
I1  I 2  I 3  0.81  0.51  1.32 A
Therefore, I1  1.32 A , I 2  0.51A and I 3  0.81A

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Example 4:

Figure 6.8
Two cells A and B of e.m.f. of 6.0V and 4.0V , and internal resistance 3.0 and 2.0
respectively are connected to a 8.0 resistor as shown in the Figure 6.8.
Calculate the potential difference across the 8.0 resistor.
Solution:
Using Kirchhoff’s first law for the point F,
I1  I 2  I  0
I  I1  I 2 --------------(1)
Using Kirchhoff’s second law for the loop CFGDC
 IR   V
3I 1  2 I 2  6  4
3I1  2I 2  2 -----------(2)
For the loop FHJGF,
2 I 2  8I  4
2I 2  8( I1  I 2 )  4 (Sub I  I1  I 2 )
8I1  10I 2  4 ----------(3)
Equation (2)  5 :
15I1  10I 2  10 --------(4)
(3) + (4):
23I 1  14
I 1  0.609 A
From (2):
3(0.609)  2 I 2  2
I 2  0.0865 A
Hence,
I  I1  I 2  0.609  0.0865  0.5225 A
Potential difference across 8.0 resistor,
V  IR  0.5225  8  4.18V

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6.3 Derive Resistance formula from Kirchhoff’s Rules

 Kirchhoff’s laws are applied in the derivation of the expressions for the equivalent resistance
of resistors connected in series and in parallel.
 Figure 6.9 shows three resistors of resistances R1 , R2 and R3 connected in series to a voltage
V.

Figure 6.9
 According to Kirchhoff’s First Law, the same current I flows in all the resistors.
 According to Kirchhoff’s Second Law,
V  IR1  IR2  IR3
V
 R1  R2  R3
I
R  R1  R2  R3
 Figure 6.10 shows three resistors of resistance R1 , R2 and R3 connected in parallel to a
voltage V .

Figure 6.10
 Applying Kirchhoff’s Second Law,
V  I1 R1  I 2 R2  I 3 R3
V V V
 Hence, I 1  , I2  , I3 
R1 R2 R3
 Applying Kirchhoff’s First Law,
I  I1  I 2  I 3
V V V
I  
R1 R2 R3
I 1 1 1
  
V R1 R2 R3
1 1 1 1
  
R R1 R2 R3

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6.4 Electrical Measuring Instruments

Table 6.2

Name Picture Function

A device used to measure potential

Voltmeter
difference, must be put in parallel.

A device used to measure the current

Ammeter flowing through a circuit, must be put in
series.

A device used to measure resistance. A

Ohmmeter resistor must be removed from a circuit to
attach an ohmmeter.

The galvanometer is a sensitive current-

Galvanometer
reading meter.

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6.5 Resistance-Capacitance Circuits

Figure 6.11

 An RC circuit is one containing a resistor R and a capacitor C. The capacitor is an electrical

component that stores electric charge.
 Figure shows a simple RC circuit that employs a DC (direct current) voltage source. The
capacitor is initially uncharged. As soon as the switch is closed, current flows to and from the
initially uncharged capacitor. As charge increases on the capacitor plates, there is increasing
opposition to the flow of charge by the repulsion of like charges on each plate.

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