Chapter 1 Fundamentals of Electric Circuits section 1-2 Circuit Elements 电气工程及其自动化专业英语教材.pptVIP

Chapter 1 Fundamentals of Electric Circuits Section 2 Circuit Elements Text New Words and Expressions Exercises End Translation Standard Section2 Circuit Elements An electric circuit is simply an interconnection of the elements. There are two types of elements found in electric circuits: passive elements and active elements. An active element is capable of generating energy while a passive element is not. Examples of passive elements are resistors, capacitors, and inductors. The most important active elements are voltage or current sources that generally deliver power to the circuit connected to them. Section2 Circuit Elements Independent sources An ideal independent source is an active element that provides a specified voltage or current that is completely independent of other circuit variables. An independent voltage source is a two-terminal element, such as a battery or a generator, which maintains a specified voltage between its terminals. The voltage is completely independent of the current through the element. The symbol for a voltage source having u volts across its terminals is shown in Fig.1-4(a). The polarity is as shown, Section2 Circuit Elements indicating that terminal a is u volts above terminal b. Thus if u 0, then terminal a is at a higher potential than terminal b. The opposite is true, of course, if u 0. In Fig.1-4(a), the voltage u may be time varying, or it may be constant, in which case we would probably label it U. Another symbol that is often used for a constant voltage source, such as a battery with U volts across its terminals, is shown in Fig.1-4(b). In the case of constant sources we shall use Fig.1-4(a) and 1-4(b) interchangeably. Section2 Circuit Elements Independent sources are usually meant to deliver power to the external circuit and not to absorb it. Thus if u is the voltage across the source and its current i is directed out of the positive terminal, then the source is delivering power, given by p =