Getting Started with Electrical Circuits

Last Updated : 15 Apr, 2024

Electrical Circuits are an integral part of engineering and are used in various domains. Their usage expands from circuits in energy transformations to circuits used in designing industrial equipment. Anyone who wants to pursue a career in engineering must be aware of the basics of these circuits used in today’s world to ensure better concepts. This article will help you to get started with electrical circuits so kindly read the article carefully.

In this article, we will talk about the different types of electrical circuits and the use of each circuit in different fields. We will try to enumerate the differences between series and parallel circuits in tabular format. The later part will cover the advantages, disadvantages, and applications of electrical circuits. To ensure better concept clarity some solutions will be provided. Readers are advised to visit the frequently asked questions in case of any doubt.

Table of Content

Electrical Circuit
Components
Classification
Characteristics
Solved Examples
Series Vs Parallel Circuits
Applications

What is an Electrical Circuit?

The term electrical circuit refers to a connection made from components and wires that can provide a path for electrons to pass. If you have worked with circuits, you must be aware that a primary circuit consists of a battery, some wires, and a load device. Note that an electrical circuit can either be a closed or an open circuit but current only flows in a closed circuit due to the complete path. Let us see the basic circuit diagram.

As shown in the figure, this is the basic electrical circuit. We will study the components used to make an electrical circuit.

Electrical Circuit

Components of an Electrical Circuit

Let us study the components used to make an electrical circuit along with their symbols given below in the image.

Switch: We all have seen switches in our households. They are used in households to turn a device on or off. Similarly, a switch in a circuit is used to open or close the circuit. An open breaks the circuit resulting in an open circuit and a closed switch ensures a closed circuit.

Battery or Power Source: A batter is also known as the power source since it is the component that is used to provide enough energy that cause the electrons to flow. A battery generates this electricity by converting the chemical energy into the required form.

Load: load as the name suggests is a component of the circuit which takes in the power from the circuit to generate some result. For example, a bulb is a load that takes in the current from a circuit to generate light.

Resistor: The resistor is derived from the word ‘resist’ and that is how we can derive the importance of resistor. Resistors are used to resist the current flowing through the circuit to ensure that the components don’t get damaged due to excess current.

Voltmeter: A Voltmeter is a device that is used in laboratories and places where researchers need to check the voltage level for testing purposes. By applying a voltmeter in parallel, we can measure the potential difference.

Ammeter: Ammeter is a device used in laboratories to, measure the current flowing across wires, diodes, or other components. It is usually placed in series with the components across which current flow is being measured in the circuit.

Components of an electric circuit

Classification of Electrical Circuits

Let us study the different types of electrical circuits.

Close Circuit
Open Circuit
Short Circuit
Series Circuit
Parallel Circuit

Close Circuit

A closed circuit as the name suggests is a circuit that is complete and hence the flow of current occurs in it. It is used for supplying a continuous flow of current since current flows in complete cycles. Here is a circuit diagram that denotes a closed circuit.

Close Circuit

Open Circuit

An open circuit is a type of circuit that is incomplete due to the breakage in the circuit at some point and ultimately no current flows through it. This refers to the ‘open’ state of the circuit as demonstrated below. Here is a circuit diagram representing an open combination.

Open Circuit

Short Circuit

A short circuit is a type of circuit where the current doesn’t take the conventional path rather it follows the path of shorted wires which can also result in hazards. Here is a circuit diagram that represents short-circuited wires.

Short Circuit

Series Circuit

A series circuit is a circuit that has components connected end to end resulting in a single path for current to flow. Here is a circuit diagram representing the series configuration.

Series Circuit

Parallel Circuit

A parallel circuit is a circuit that has all components connected across each other’s leads leading to a parallel connection. Here is a circuit diagram representing the parallel configuration.

Parallel Circuit

Characteristics of Electrical Circuits

Let us study some characteristics of Electrical Circuits

In an Electrical circuit, the conventional direction of current flow is from a positive terminal to the negative terminal. Note that this direction is opposite to the direction of flow of the electrons.

An Electrical circuit needs to provide a complete path without any breakage for current flow. The path should be made by making appropriate terminal connections.

An Electrical circuit is made up of active and passive components where the active devices use the external power of the circuit while passive elements don’t use any external power.

A basic electrical circuit is one that has a minimum of three components:- a source(power) , a closed path, and a resistor.

An Electrical Circuit can be a series, a parallel, or a combination of series and parallel circuits.

Real-Life Examples of Circuit

Let us study how electrical circuits are used in real life.

Household appliances: In every household, there are some common appliances like ovens, refrigerators, heaters, washing machines, and televisions. Everybody knows that they need electricity to operate but why? this is because these devices have electrical circuits in them that need power to work.

Medical Equipment: The Medical Field deals with important patient data and therefore needs machines that can predict results without human error. Circuits like circuits in MRI machines, X-ray machines, and heartbeat sensors (ECGs) are used in the medical field to generate data based on patient information provided to the machines.

Transportation: You might have used the metro! You know how fast it operates but do you know how do these electric vehicles move so fast? The answer to this is electrical circuits. These vehicles have circuits installed in them which control the speed and breaks on trains or other vehicles.

Communication Devices: Daily communication uses electrical circuits on a large scale. Devices like smartphones, computers, radios, and televisions are made up of small circuits that catch signals and help in communication. That is why you get network issues in some places.

Street Lights: The electrical circuits are also present in solar panels installed in universities and lights present at some streets or offices. Even solar street lights use electrical circuits to control the operation of lights.

Solved Examples of Electrical Circuits

Example 1: In a conductor, 15 Coulombs of charge flow for 3 seconds, determine the current produced.

The current in a circuit is given by the formula

I = charge flow/time

⇒ I = 15/3 Amperes

⇒ I = 5 Amperes

This indicates that 5 amperes of current is flowing in our circuit.

Example 2: Find the energy dissipated in the form of heat when 1 ampere of current flows in a circuit for 15 seconds. The resistance of the circuit is 4 ohms.

Heat Energy Produced is given by,

H = I²RT

⇒ H = 1²×4 × 15

⇒ H = 4× 15

⇒ H = 60 Joules

Therefore, 60 Joules of heat is produced in the circuit.

Difference between Series and Parallel Circuits

Let us compare the series and parallel circuit

Parameter	Series Circuit	Parallel Circuit
Definition	In a series circuit, all components are connected end to end to form a single path.	In a parallel circuit, all components are connected across each other’s leads.
Current	The same current travels through every component.	Different currents travel through every component.
Voltage	Different voltage is developed across different resistors.	The same voltage is developed across every resistor.
Resistance	Total resistance is equal to the sum of the individual resistance	The reciprocal of total resistance is equal to the sum of the reciprocals of the individual resistances.
Net resistance	The total resistance is always greater than individual resistance.	The total resistance is always smaller than individual resistance.
Effect of components	Even if one component blows off all circuit components will stop working.	Even if one or more components go off, the other components will continue to work.
Example	Circuit in water heaters, freezers, and table lamps.	The circuit in the electrical wiring of the home.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Electrical Circuits

Let us study some advantages and disadvantages of Electrical Circuits :

Advantages of Electrical Circuits

Electrical circuits are versatile and can be used for making simple to complex circuits. Therefore, they are used in digital and analog circuit making.

Electrical circuits are efficient and can be designed to yield maximum output. This is necessary to minimize loss and improve the performance.

Electrical circuits are compact due to development. Modern-day circuits can provide different features even when they are miniaturized. This helps them to integrate circuits in devices like mobile phones.

Electrical circuits are controllable and precise. This means that engineers can design the circuits with precise control over the parameters like voltage, current, and frequency.

Electrical Circuits are easy to understand. This is the major reason why electrical circuits are taught to students in school and are later continued to the institute level with some advancements.

Disadvantages of Electrical Circuits

Let us study some disadvantages of Electrical Circuits

Electrical Circuits can increase the power consumption. Circuits used in industries have a very high power consumption which can lead to significant energy requirements.

Electrical Circuits can be dangerous if not handled with care. Any carelessness while working with electrical circuits can lead to mishaps like fire, and shocks.

Electrical Circuits are difficult to keep updated. With the rapid technological advancements, it is difficult to design circuits that can be easily updated with technology.

Electrical Circuits might not be environment-friendly. The excessive heat radiated, and the excess power consumption of electrical circuits can pose a threat to the environment.

Electrical Circuits can be costly. Designing circuits on a professional level involves a lot of components which can increase the overall cost of the circuit.

Applications of Electrical Circuits

Let us study some applications of Electrical Circuits

Electrical circuits are widely used in signal analysis. The necessary components of the circuit like resistors, capacitors, and inductors can be used to measure the amplitude, frequency of the signal, and many other important quantities.

Electrical circuits are used in the medical field for designing circuits for medical equipment like MRI machines, and pacemakers. Other devices like monitoring machines are also made using electrical circuits.

Electrical circuits are used in consumer electronics to ensure the working of daily use electrical devices like TVs, gaming consoles, refrigerators, chargers computers, fans, and many more items.

Electrical circuits are used in the control systems to ensure a stable circuit by regulating parameters like temperature, speed, and position.

Electrical Circuits are used for energy conversion purposes where circuits are designed to channel power from renewable resources. These circuits are usually seen in windmills, solar power plants, hydropower plants, etc.

Conclusion

We can say that we have a very basic idea of electrical circuits and the components that make up these circuits. Electrical circuits are used in designing different components depending on the requirement, they are used for signal analysis in digital communication, and are used in other fields as well. In a nutshell, these circuits form the backbone of engineering.

We saw that electrical circuits have some fundamental disadvantages with them and these are expected to improve with technology. Some examples have been provided for clarity of formulas. Readers are advised to go through the frequently asked questions in case of any doubt.