DC Circuits — Study Path Agent

Chapter 1

Electrical quantities & units (V, I, R, P, energy)

1

Charge, current, and sign convention (conventional vs electron flow)

2

Voltage (potential difference) and reference node (ground)

3

Resistance, conductance, and resistivity (what sets R?)

4

Power and energy in DC circuits (passive sign convention)

5

Unit conversions and engineering notation (m, µ, k, M)

6

Reading component values (resistor color codes, markings, tolerances)

Chapter 2

Circuit elements & ideal models

7

Ideal vs real sources (internal resistance concept)

8

Independent sources: DC voltage and DC current sources

9

Dependent sources (VCVS, VCCS, CCVS, CCCS) basics

10

Resistors: I–V relationship and linearity

11

Switches and open/short circuit concepts (and common pitfalls)

12

Batteries in DC circuits: series/parallel behavior and limitations

Chapter 3

Foundations: Ohm’s law, series/parallel, and equivalent resistance

13

Ohm’s law with polarity: selecting reference directions correctly

14

Series circuits: current sharing, voltage division, power in series

15

Parallel circuits: voltage sharing, current division, power in parallel

16

Equivalent resistance: reduction and sanity checks (limits, bounds)

17

Voltage divider design (loaded vs unloaded)

18

Current divider design (including two-resistor and multi-branch cases)

19

Power rating and dissipation: choosing resistor wattage

Chapter 4

Systematic analysis methods (KCL/KVL, nodal & mesh)

20

Kirchhoff’s Current Law (KCL) and node equations

21

Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law (KVL) and loop equations

22

Solving linear equation systems for circuits (2–4 unknowns reliably)

23

Common analysis mistakes: sign errors, floating nodes, source constraints

Chapter 5

DC circuit theorems & simplification techniques

24

Delta–Wye (Δ–Y) resistor conversions

Chapter 6

Practical skills: measurement, troubleshooting, and safety

25

Using a multimeter: measuring V, I, R safely and correctly

26

Breadboards and wiring: avoiding shorts, opens, and misconnections

27

DC power supplies: current limiting and safe startup procedure

28

Troubleshooting workflow: isolate, measure, compare to expected

29

Building intuition: quick sanity checks (bounds, polarity, power)

30

Safety fundamentals: shock risk, hot components, and battery hazards

31

Simulating DC circuits (basic workflow in a SPICE tool)