electrical circuit

(noun)

An interconnection of electrical elements such as resistors, inductors, capacitors, transmission lines, voltage sources, current sources and switches that has a closed loop giving a return path for the current.

Related Terms

Examples of electrical circuit in the following topics:

  • Introduction and Importance

    • Kirchhoff's circuit laws are two equations that address the conservation of energy and charge in the context of electrical circuits.
    • Fundamentally, they address conservation of energy and charge in the context of electrical circuits.
    • Although Kirchhoff's Laws can be derived from the equations of James Clerk Maxwell, Maxwell did not publish his set of differential equations (which form the foundation of classical electrodynamics, optics, and electric circuits) until 1861 and 1862.
    • However, using Kirchhoff's rules, one can analyze the circuit to determine the parameters of this circuit using the values of the resistors (R1, R2, R3, r1 and r2).
    • Describe relationship between the Kirchhoff's circuit laws and the energy and charge in the electrical circuits

  • Different Types of Currents

    • An electrical circuit is an interconnection of electrical elements that has a closed loop giving a return path for the current.
    • The electric potential and current may also be labeled at various points of the circuit .
    • A number of electrical laws apply to all electrical networks.
    • A brief introduction to electric circuits and current flow for introductory physics students.
    • Describe structure of an electrical circuit and identify elements of a direct current circuit

  • Current and Voltage Measurements in Circuits

    • The electrical current is directly proportional to the voltage applied and inversely related to the resistance in a circuit.
    • To understand how to measure current and voltage in a circuit, you must also have a general understanding of how a circuit works and how its electrical measurements are related.
    • An electrical circuit is a type of network that has a closed loop, which provides a return path for the current.
    • A simple electric circuit made up of a voltage source and a resistor
    • Describe the relationship between the electrical current, voltage, and resistance in a circuit

  • Overview of Electric Current

    • From ceiling lights to circuit chips, from power steering to Internet browsing, electricity provides the basis for our technology and civilization.
    • In electric circuits, this charge is often carried by moving electrons in a wire.
    • A useful and practical way to learn about electric current and resistance is to study circuits .
    • (a) A simple electric circuit.
    • The schematic represents a wide variety of similar circuits.

  • Humans and Electric Hazards

    • A classic example of this is the short circuit, shown in .
    • A short circuit is a low-resistance path between terminals of a voltage source.
    • A thermal hazard can be created even when a short circuit is not present if the wires in a circuit are overloaded with too much current.
    • If an electrical circuit is established by electrodes introduced in the body, bypassing the skin, then the potential for lethality is much higher if a circuit through the heart is established.
    • (b) A schematic of the short circuit.

  • The Battery

    • When a battery is connected to a circuit, the electrons from the anode travel through the circuit toward the cathode in a direct circuit.
    • This force is responsible for the flow of charge through the circuit, known as the electric current .
    • A battery stores electrical potential from the chemical reaction.
    • When it is connected to a circuit, that electric potential is converted to kinetic energy as the electrons travel through the circuit.
    • This is the symbol for a battery in a circuit diagram.

  • Combinations of Capacitors: Series and Parallel

    • Like any other form of electrical circuitry device, capacitors can be used in series and/or in parallel within circuits.
    • Like any other form of electrical circuitry device, capacitors can be used in combination in circuits.
    • It is possible for a circuit to contain capacitors that are both in series and in parallel.
    • To find total capacitance of the circuit, simply break it into segments and solve piecewise .
    • The circuit shown in (a) contains C1 and C2 in series.

  • Sources of EMF

    • Formally, EMF is classified as the external work expended per unit of charge to produce an electric potential difference across two open-circuited terminals.
    • By separating positive and negative charges, electric potential difference is produced, generating an electric field.
    • The created electrical potential difference drives current flow if a circuit is attached to the source of EMF.
    • When current flows, however, the voltage across the terminals of the source of EMF is no longer the open-circuit value, due to voltage drops inside the device due to its internal resistance.
    • Charge separation takes place within the generator, with electrons flowing away from one terminal and toward the other, until, in the open-circuit case, sufficient electric field builds up to make further movement unfavorable.

  • Resistors in AC Circuits

    • Direct current (DC) is the flow of electric charge in only one direction.
    • It is the steady state of a constant-voltage circuit.
    • Alternating current (AC) is the flow of electric charge that periodically reverses direction.
    • If the source varies periodically, particularly sinusoidally, the circuit is known as an alternating-current circuit.
    • Ohm's law applies to AC circuits as well as to DC circuits.

  • Power

    • Power delivered to an RLC series AC circuit is dissipated by the resistance in the circuit, and is given as $P_{avg} = I_{rms} V_{rms} cos\phi$.
    • As seen in previous Atoms, voltage and current are out of phase in an RLC circuit.
    • Power delivered to an RLC series AC circuit is dissipated by the resistance alone.
    • Energy within the system goes back and forth between kinetic (analogous to maximum current, and energy stored in an inductor) and potential energy stored in the car spring (analogous to no current, and energy stored in the electric field of a capacitor).
    • Phasor diagram for an RLC series circuit.