iPedia Free Information Center

Information about Circuit Theory

Circuit theory is the theory of accomplishing work by means of routing matter through a loop. The types of matter used are:

Parts of a circuit

Every circuit consists of three basic components: A gun, a rocket and an internal combustion engine all use compressed gas to do work, but the spent gas is vented to the atmosphere and is not reused in the system, so these are not examples of pneumatic circuits. Refrigeration systems do, however, recycle the compressed gases they use, but are not typically thought of as circuits.

Gears, levers, linkages, pulleys/ropes and sprockets/chains transmit work energy from one location to another, but there is no loop, so these are not examples of circuits.

Circuit vs. network

An electrical circuit is a collection of electrical components which accomplish a specific task such as heating, lighting or running a motor. This collection may or may not form a complete topological loop, depending on whether it is presently connected to power, integrated into a larger device or circuit, or damaged.[1][2] Sometimes, it is convenient to speak of an electrical circuit as a network, de-emphasizing the return path. Return paths are sometimes omitted from circuit diagrams, making the resulting graphic visually resemble a network topology rather than some sort of loop topology. See circuit diagram and schematic.

Open circuit vs. closed circuit

A fundamental part of circuit analysis is determining whether the matter has a return path to the power source. If the matter is blocked from returning to the power source, either wholly or partially, the entire assemblage will be prevented from accomplishing work. In an electrical circuit, an open circuit is caused intentionally when a user opens a switch or unintentionally when vibration or mechanical damage severs a wire. In a pneumatic or hydraulic circuit, this occurs when a valve is closed or there is a leak in one of the lines or components.

In electrical circuits, closing a switch creates a closed loop for the electrons to flow through. This is sometimes referred to as "completing the circuit." Other synonyms are also used.

Short circuit

In an electrical or electronic circuit, sometimes an unintended connection is made, such as when insulation is broken, frayed, melted or chewed by rodents, or a technician inserts a metal tool into a live device. When this happens, current bypasses some or all of the components in the circuit, taking a "shorter" path back to the power source. This can lead to excessive current drain, which in turn generates excessive heat, damaging or destroying sensitive parts of the system such as transistors and ICs.

Loops

In Graph theory, an edge whose two ends meet is called a loop, which is an entirely different usage of the word. In any kind of circuit, such a loop has no distinct function. An argument can be made that redundant lines for transmission of power do have a function, even if it is only a backup function.

Types

There are three basic types of circuit currently used in industry: The following is a rough list of the types of components which make up each type of circuit.

Electronic circuit

Pneumatic circuit

Hydraulic circuit

References

See also

In physics, mechanical work is the amount of energy transferred by a force. Like energy, it is a scalar quantity, with SI units of joules. Heat conduction is not considered to be a form of work, since there is no macroscopically measurable force, only microscopic forces occurring
..... Click the link for more information.
An electronic circuit is an electrical circuit that also contains active electronic devices such as transistors or vacuum tubes. They can display highly complex behaviors, even though they are governed by the same laws as simple electrical circuits.
..... Click the link for more information.
electrical network is an interconnection of electrical elements such as resistors, inductors, capacitors, transmission lines, voltage sources, current sources, and switches.
..... Click the link for more information.
Electron

Theoretical estimates of the electron density for the first few hydrogen atom electron orbitals shown as cross-sections with color-coded probability density
Composition: Elementary particle
Family: Fermion
Group: Lepton
Generation: First
..... Click the link for more information.
ion is an atom or molecule which has lost or gained one or more electrons, making it positively or negatively charged. A negatively charged ion, which has more electrons in its electron shells than it has protons in its nuclei, is known as an anion
..... Click the link for more information.
A pneumatic circuit is an interconnected set of components that convert compressed gas (usually air) into mechanical work. In the normal sense of the term, the circuit must include a compressor or compressor-fed tank.
..... Click the link for more information.
A hydraulic circuit is an interconnected set of components that convert pressurized liquid (usually oil) into mechanical work.

The circuit comprises the following components:
  • Active components
  • Power pack

..... Click the link for more information.
passive component, depending on field, may either refer to a component that consumes (but does not produce) energy, or to a component that is incapable of power gain. A component that is not passive is called an active component.
..... Click the link for more information.
passive component, depending on field, may either refer to a component that consumes (but does not produce) energy, or to a component that is incapable of power gain. A component that is not passive is called an active component.
..... Click the link for more information.
A gear is a component within a transmission device that transmits rotational force to another gear or device. A gear is different from a pulley in that a gear is a round wheel which has linkages ("teeth" or "cogs") that mesh with other gear teeth, allowing force to be fully
..... Click the link for more information.
lever (from French lever, "to raise", c.f. a levant) is a rigid object that is used with an appropriate fulcrum or pivot point to multiply the mechanical force that can be applied to another object.
..... Click the link for more information.
Mechanical linkages are a series of rigid links connected with joints to form a closed chain, or a series of closed chains. Each link has two or more joints, and the joints have various degrees of freedom to allow motion between the links.
..... Click the link for more information.
pulley (also called a sheave or block) is a wheel with a groove between two flanges around its circumference. The groove normally locates a rope, cable or belt. Pulleys are used to change the direction of an applied force, transmit rotational motion, or realize a mechanical
..... Click the link for more information.
rope (IPA: /rəʊp/) is a length of fibers, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength (i.e.
..... Click the link for more information.
sprocket is a profiled wheel with metal teeth that meshes with a chain, track or other perforated or indented material. It is distinguished from a gear in that sprockets are never meshed together directly, and from a pulley by not usually having a flange at each side.
..... Click the link for more information.
Roller chain or bush roller chain is the type of chain most commonly used for transmission of mechanical power on bicycles, motorcycles, and in industrial and agricultural machinery.
..... Click the link for more information.
circuit diagram (also known as an electrical diagram, elementary diagram, or electronic schematic) is a simplified conventional pictorial representation of an electrical circuit.
..... Click the link for more information.
schematic is a diagram that represents the elements of a system using abstract, graphic symbols rather than realistic pictures. A schematic usually omits all details that are not relevant to the information the schematic is intended to convey, and may add unrealistic elements that
..... Click the link for more information.
Circuit analysis normally refers to finding all node voltages and all branch currents for an electrical circuit.

The term circuit analysis is often used to mean linear circuit analysis. However non-linear circuits may also be analyzed.
..... Click the link for more information.
integrated circuit (also known as IC, microcircuit, microchip, silicon chip, or chip) is a miniaturized electronic circuit (consisting mainly of semiconductor devices, as well as passive components) that has been manufactured in the surface of a
..... Click the link for more information.
graph theory is the study of graphs; mathematical structures used to model pairwise relations between objects from a certain collection. A "graph" in this context refers to a collection of vertices or 'nodes' and a collection of edges
..... Click the link for more information.
In graph theory, a loop (also called a self-loop) is an edge that connects a vertex to itself. A simple graph contains no loops.

Depending on the context, a graph or a multigraph may be defined so as to either allow or disallow the presence of loops (often in
..... Click the link for more information.
An electronic circuit is an electrical circuit that also contains active electronic devices such as transistors or vacuum tubes. They can display highly complex behaviors, even though they are governed by the same laws as simple electrical circuits.
..... Click the link for more information.
A pneumatic circuit is an interconnected set of components that convert compressed gas (usually air) into mechanical work. In the normal sense of the term, the circuit must include a compressor or compressor-fed tank.
..... Click the link for more information.
A hydraulic circuit is an interconnected set of components that convert pressurized liquid (usually oil) into mechanical work.

The circuit comprises the following components:
  • Active components
  • Power pack

..... Click the link for more information.
battery is a device consisting of one or more electrochemical cells, which store chemical energy and make it available in an electrical form. There are many types of electrochemical cells, including galvanic cells, electrolytic cells, fuel cells, flow cells, and voltaic cells.
..... Click the link for more information.
electrical generator is a device that converts kinetic energy to electrical energy, generally using electromagnetic induction. The reverse conversion of electrical energy into mechanical energy is done by a motor, and motors and generators have many similarities.
..... Click the link for more information.
A solar cell or photovoltaic cell is a device that converts light energy into electrical energy. Sometimes the term solar cell is reserved for devices intended specifically to capture energy from sunlight, while the term photovoltaic cell
..... Click the link for more information.
A wire is a single, usually cylindrical, elongated strand of drawn metal. Wires are used to bear mechanical loads and to carry electricity and telecommunications signals . Standard sizes are determined by various wire gauges.
..... Click the link for more information.
switch is a device for changing the course (or flow) of a circuit. The prototypical model is a mechanical device (for example a railroad switch) which can be disconnected from one course and connected to another.
..... Click the link for more information.


This article is copied from an article on Wikipedia.org - the free encyclopedia created and edited by online user community. The text was not checked or edited by anyone on our staff. Although the vast majority of the wikipedia encyclopedia articles provide accurate and timely information please do not assume the accuracy of any particular article. This article is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License.
Herod_Archelaus


page counter