Basic Electronics - Circuit Elements, Kirchhoff's Laws, and DC Analysis Methods

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering basic electronic circuit fundamentals, network topology definitions, Kirchhoff's laws, divider principles, and DC analysis methods.

Electrical Circuit

A closed path consisting of interconnected active and passive elements and sources, where the flow of electric current is confined to the closed path.

Active Component

An electronic component that delivers or supplies power, or produces energy in the form of voltage or current, relies on an external power source to control or modify electrical signals, can amplify current flow, and does not store power or energy.

Passive Component

An electronic component that can only receive energy, which it can dissipate, absorb, or store in an electric field or a magnetic field.

Electric Power

The rate of doing work, defined as $p = \frac{dw}{dt} = v \times i$, with units of watts ($\text{W}$), calculated as the product of the voltage across an element and the current flowing through it.

Electric Energy

The capacity of doing work, given by the time integral of power $w = \int p\,dt$, with the SI unit of joule ($\text{J}$).

Passive Convention

A reference convention where the current is directed from the $+$ toward the $-$ terminal of the voltage polarity across an element, causing voltage to push positive charge in the direction of the current to calculate power received.

Power Received

The power absorbed by an element calculated under the passive convention, related to power supplied by $\text{Power Received} = -\text{Power Supplied}$.

Independent Voltage Source

A two-terminal generator that delivers a specified voltage independent of the current flowing through it and independent of any other circuit variable.

Independent Current Source

A two-terminal generator that delivers a specified current independent of the voltage across its terminals and independent of any other circuit variable.

Dependent Source

A circuit element represented by a diamond symbol whose voltage or current is proportional to the voltage or current of another circuit element.

Current-Controlled Voltage Source (CCVS)

A dependent source that produces a terminal voltage $v_d = r \times i_c$, where $r$ is the gain with units of volts/ampere ($\text{V/A}$).

Voltage-Controlled Voltage Source (VCVS)

A dependent source that produces a terminal voltage $v_d = b \times v_c$, where $b$ is the gain with units of volts/volt ($\text{V/V}$).

Voltage-Controlled Current Source (VCCS)

A dependent source that supplies an output current $i_d = g \times v_c$, where $g$ is the gain with units of amperes/volt ($\text{A/V}$).

Current-Controlled Current Source (CCCS)

A dependent source that supplies an output current $i_d = d \times i_c$, where $d$ is the gain with units of amperes/ampere ($\text{A/A}$).

Branch

A path in a circuit containing a single two-terminal circuit element, such as a resistor, capacitor, inductor, voltage source, or current source.

Node

A connection point in an electrical network where two or more circuit elements (or branches) meet.

Loop

Any closed path in an electrical circuit formed by starting at a node, passing through a sequence of nodes, and returning to the original node without traversing any node more than once.

Mesh

A closed loop in a planar circuit that does not contain any other closed path inside it.

Kirchhoff’s Current Law (KCL)

A fundamental law rooted in the conservation of charge stating that the algebraic sum of currents entering any node (or into a node at any instant of time) is identically zero.

Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law (KVL)

A fundamental law rooted in the conservation of energy stating that the algebraic sum of voltages around any closed loop in a circuit is identically zero for all time.

Voltage Divider Rule

A principle stating that the total voltage applied across a series string of resistors divides directly proportional to their resistance values, giving $V_n = \frac{R_n V}{R_1 + R_2 + \dots + R_n}$ across the $n\text{th}$ resistor.

Conductance ($G$)

The inverse of electrical resistance ($G = \frac{1}{R}$), representing the ease with which current flows through an element.

Current Divider Rule

A formula stating that a total source current entering parallel branches divides among them in proportion to their conductances, or for two resistors via $i_1 = \frac{R_2 i}{R_1 + R_2}$ and $i_2 = \frac{R_1 i}{R_1 + R_2}$.

Node Voltage Method

A systematic DC circuit analysis method where the unknowns are the node voltages measured with respect to a reference node, formulated by writing $n - 1$ KCL equations for an $n$-node connected circuit.

Reference Node

A designated node in a circuit (frequently chosen at the ground or bottom of the schematic) with respect to which all other node voltages are defined and where KCL is omitted.

Mesh Current Method

A circuit analysis method whose primary unknown variables are assigned mesh currents, solved using simultaneous KVL equations around each independent mesh.

Supernode

A generalized node formed by enclosing an independent or dependent voltage source connected between two non-reference nodes, allowing KCL to be applied to the combined boundary.