10 Introduction

The figure shows photo of a person with headphones connected to his phone and the circuit diagram used to amplify signals and power headphones.
Figure 10.1 This circuit shown is used to amplify small signals and power the earbud speakers attached to a cellular phone. This circuit’s components include resistors, capacitors, and diodes, all of which have been covered in previous chapters, as well as transistors, which are semi-conducting devices covered in Condensed Matter Physics. Circuits using similar components are found in all types of equipment and appliances you encounter in everyday life, such as alarm clocks, televisions, computers, and refrigerators. (credit left: modification of work by Jane Whitney)

Chapter Outline

10.1 Electromotive Force
10.2 Resistors in Series and Parallel
10.3 Kirchhoff’s Rules
10.4 Electrical Measuring Instruments
10.5 RC Circuits
10.6 Household Wiring and Electrical Safety

In the preceding few chapters, we discussed electric components, including capacitors, resistors, and diodes. In this chapter, we use these electric components in circuits. A circuit is a collection of electrical components connected to accomplish a specific task. Figure 10.1 shows an amplifier circuit, which takes a small-amplitude signal and amplifies it to power the speakers in earbuds. Although the circuit looks complex, it actually consists of a set of series, parallel, and series-parallel circuits. The second section of this chapter covers the analysis of series and parallel circuits that consist of resistors. Later in this chapter, we introduce the basic equations and techniques to analyze any circuit, including those that are not reducible through simplifying parallel and series elements. But first, we need to understand how to power a circuit.

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