Week 1 Flashcards
Define ideal voltage source
Produces a constant voltage between its terminals in any arbitrary circuit
What is the problem with ideal voltage sources?
Unrealistic and do not make sense in some scenarios, such as a wire connecting both ends of a voltage source
A good model for a voltage source is to include a ____________________. This reflects how power is dissipated as heat if the voltage source is short-circuited
Series resistance
What does the behaviour of a battery’s performance look like on a v-i graph?
A linear, negative-slope line. Not always linear, but a good model regardless
Define ideal current source
Produces a constant current between its terminals in any arbitrary circuit
What is the problem with ideal current sources?
There is nowhere for the current to actually go, so if it were just sitting on a shelf, lightning would be jumping across its terminals. Some circuit elements behave like current sources, so this is a good idea to keep in mind
A good model for a current source is to include a _____________________. This reflects how power is dissipated as heat if the current source is open-circuited
Parallel resistance
What does the behaviour of a current source’s performance look like on a v-i graph
Identical to voltage source; a linear, negative-slope line
Circuit elements always operate according to the ________ between their terminals
Voltage(s)
If you have multiple sources of power or signals in your circuit, you should always make sure you have a __________________. Otherwise, you can have unexpected ___________ between terminals on circuit elements with more than 2 terminals
Common reference point, voltages
Define multimeter
A very useful device for measuring most electrical quantities
How do you measure voltage using a multimeter?
Voltage is always measured in parallel in a live circuit
What happens if you measure voltage in series?
Measuring voltage in series creates an open circuit, because the resistance of a multimeter in voltage is almost infinite
How do you measure current using a multimeter
Current is always measured in series in a live circuit
What happens if you measure current in parallel?
Measuring current in parallel creates a short circuit, because the resistance of a multimeter in current mode is almost zero
