508293 - LINEAR ELECTRIC CIRCUITS

courses

ID:

508293

Duration (hours):

54

CFU:

SSD:

ELETTRONICA

Year:

2025

Date/time interval

Secondo Semestre (02/03/2026 - 12/06/2026)

Course Objectives

Knowledge of the fundamental electrical quantities of interest in the analysis of electric circuits and the corresponding units of measurement; knowledge of the electrical behavior of linear two-terminal electrical components and their energy and power properties; knowledge of the main methods for the analysis of linear circuits and ability to solve electrical problems; ability to understand and describe qualitatively the operation of simple circuits in steady state (DC), transient, and sinusoidal steady state (AC). Knowledge of the basic laws of electromagnetism required to understand the physical mechanisms responsible for the operation of basic electric components and elements.

Course Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of mathematical elements such as methods for solving systems of linear equations, complex numbers, ordinary derivatives, integrals, first and second order linear differential equations with constant coefficients.

Teaching Methods

The course is divided into theoretical lectures, during which the fundamental concepts from a physical and mathematical point of view are presented, and exercises, during which the concepts seen during the theoretical lectures are used to solve basic problems on electrical circuits.

Assessment Methods

The exam consists of a written (mandatory) part and an oral (optional) part.

Only the candidates that passed the written part of the exam with at least 18/30 are admitted, upon request, to the (optional) oral part (to be completed within the same session).

Since the oral exam is optional, the candidate can decide not to take the oral exam. In this case, the final grade will correspond to the grade acquired at the end of the written part of the exam with a score decrease from 0 to 4 points. The decrease in grade increases proportionally to the score of the written exam. In particular, the grade penalty is equal to 0 for a written score equal to 18 and increases proportionally, up to 4, for grades higher than or equal to 30.

The final score in the case of full exam (i.e., written and oral parts) will be calculated as the weighted average (50-50) of the written exam and oral exam scores.

Texts

Lecture notes provided by the Professor.

Textbooks:
C. K. Alexander and M. N. O. Sadiku, "Fundamentals of Electric Circuits," McGraw-Hill, New York, 2000.

L. O. Chua, C. A. Desoer, and E. S. Kuh, "Linear and Nonlinear Circuits," McGraw Hill Book Company, New York, 1987.

Additional exercises:
L. Perregrini, M. Pasian. Circuiti Elettrici. Collana "Gli eserciziari", McGraw-Hill.

Fundamental concepts and laws:
systems of units of measurement; electric charge; electric current; electrostatic potential; power and energy in electrical systems; elementary circuit elements: two-terminal components, node, branch, loop and mesh; Kirchhoff's laws.

Resistors:
electrical resistance and Ohm's law; current-voltage characteristic of resistors; electric power in resistors; series resistors and voltage divider; resistors in parallel and current divider.

Methods of analysis and fundamental theorems of linear networks:
nodal analysis; loop and mesh analysis; linearity; superposition theorem; transformation of generators; Thevenin's theorem; Norton's theorem; maximum power transfer theorem; equivalent models of real generators.

Capacitors and inductors:
physical operating principle of capacitors and inductors; constitutive relationship of capacitors and inductors; series and parallel connection of capacitors; series and parallel connection of inductors; energy and electrical power in capacitors and inductors.

First-order and second-order circuits:
autonomous RC circuits; autonomous RL circuits; step response of an RC circuit; step response of an RL circuit; analysis of initial and final conditions; autonomous series RLC circuits; autonomous parallel RLC circuits; step response of series RLC circuits; step response of parallel RLC circuits; general solution of first- and second- order circuits.

Sinusoidal steady-state analysis and phasors:
sinusoidal signals; sinusoidal steady-state analysis; voltage and current phasors; phasor relations for linear two-terminal components; impedance and admittance; Kirchhoff's laws in sinusoidal steady-state analysis; composition of impedances; nodal analysis; mesh and loop analyses; superposition theorem; transformation of generators; Thevenin and Norton equivalent circuits; instant power; average power; maximum mean power transfer theorem; effective or RMS values of sinusoidal quantities; apparent power; power factor; complex power; power conservation; power factor. Two-port network and their representation through impedance, admittance, transmission, and hybrid matrix.

Circuits with magnetic coupling:
mutual inductance; energy in a magnetically coupled circuit; linear transformers; ideal transformers; transformer as isolation device; transformer as an adaptation device; electrical power distribution.

The course is divided into theoretical lectures, during which the fundamental concepts from a physical and mathematical point of view are presented, and exercises, during which the concepts seen during the theoretical lectures are used to solve basic problems on electrical circuits.