Schaum’s Outline of Electric Circuits, Seventh Edition

Book Preface

The seventh edition of Schaum’s Outline of Electric Circuits represents a revision and timely update of materials that expand its scope to the level of similar courses currently taught at the undergraduate level. The new edition expands the information on the frequency response, polar and Bode diagrams, and first- and second-order filters and their implementation by active circuits. Sections on lead and lag networks and filter analysis and design, including approximation method by Butterworth filters, have been added, as have several end-of-chapter problems.

The original goal of the book and the basic approach of the previous editions have been retained. This book is designed for use as a textbook for a first course in circuit analysis or as a supplement to standard texts and can be used by electrical engineering students as well as other engineering and technology students. Emphasis is placed on the basic laws, theorems, and problem-solving techniques that are common to most courses.

The subject matter is divided into 17 chapters covering duly recognized areas of theory and study. The chapters begin with statements of pertinent definitions, principles, and theorems together with illustrative examples. This is followed by sets of supplementary problems. The problems cover multiple levels of difficulty. Some problems focus on fine points and help the student to better apply the basic principles correctly and confidently. The supplementary problems are generally more numerous and give the reader an opportunity to practice problem-solving skills. Answers are provided with each supplementary problem.

The book begins with fundamental definitions, circuit elements including dependent sources, circuit laws and theorems, and analysis techniques such as node voltage and mesh current methods. These theorems and methods are initially applied to DC-resistive circuits and then extended to RLC circuits by the use of impedance and complex frequency. The op amp examples and problems in Chapter 5 have been selected carefully to illustrate simple but practical cases that are of interest and importance to future courses. The subject of waveforms and signals is treated in a separate chapter to increase the student’s awareness of commonly used signal models.

Circuit behavior such as the steady state and transient responses to steps, pulses, impulses, and exponential inputs is discussed for first-order circuits in Chapter 7 and then extended to circuits of higher order in Chapter 8, where the concept of complex frequency is introduced. Phasor analysis, sinusoidal steady state, power, power factor, and polyphase circuits are thoroughly covered. Network functions, frequency response, filters, series and parallel resonance, two-port networks, mutual inductance, and transformers are covered in detail. Application of Spice and PSpice in circuit analysis is introduced in Chapter 15. Circuit equations are solved using classical differential equations and the Laplace transform, which permits a convenient comparison. Fourier series and Fourier transforms and their use in circuit analysis are covered in Chapter 17. Finally, two appendixes provide a useful summary of complex number systems and matrices and determinants.

This book is dedicated to our students and students of our students, from whom we have learned to teach well. To a large degree, it is they who have made possible our satisfying and rewarding teaching careers. We also wish to thank our wives, Zahra Nahvi and Nina Edminister, for their continuing support. The contribution of Reza Nahvi in preparing the current edition as well as previous editions is also acknowledged.