Electrical networks connect electrical components or represent connections between idealized electrical elements. Understanding how networks are classified helps describe their behavior and choose suitable methods for analyzing them.
An electrical network is an interconnection of electrical components, such as batteries, resistors, inductors, capacitors, switches, and transistors. It can also be a model made from ideal elements such as voltage sources, current sources, resistance, inductance, and capacitance.
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What is an electrical network?
An interconnection of electrical components, or a model of that interconnection using electrical elements such as sources, resistances, inductances, and capacitances.
How does a circuit differ from a network?
A circuit is a network with a closed loop that provides a return path for current. A network may lack such a loop.
What is the difference between active and passive networks?
An active network contains at least one source that can supply energy. A passive network contains no active source and consists of passive elements.
When is a lumped-element model appropriate?
It is appropriate when circuit dimensions are small enough relative to the operating wavelength that resistance, capacitance, and inductance can be treated as concentrated at individual locations.
How do independent and dependent sources differ?
An independent source maintains its specified voltage or current regardless of the rest of the circuit. A dependent source has an output determined by a particular circuit quantity.
Quiz questions
According to Kirchhoff's voltage law, what is the directed sum of potential differences around a closed loop?Answer: It is zero.
For a linear network with several independent sources, what does the superposition theorem say about a branch response?Answer: It equals the sum of the responses from each independent source considered separately.
How does Thévenin's theorem represent a linear resistive network at its terminals?Answer: As a single voltage source in series with a single resistor.
What does a circuit simulator seek when finding a circuit's operating point?Answer: A steady-state solution consistent with node-current and element equations.
What does small-signal linearization approximate for a nonlinear element?Answer: Its behavior for small changes near a specified operating point.
Based on the Wikipedia article Electrical network, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.