Electrical element

Ideal electric components are conceptual generalizations that represent real electrical components such as resistors or voltage sources with idealized properties. By selecting a small number of such fictitious, highly defined component both real components differentiated described by equivalent circuits, as well as manageable methods of analysis of complex electrical networks can be obtained.

Real and ideal components

In contrast to their idealizations real components must always be a whole of many properties. A real electrical conductor about, in addition to its electrical conductivity is not only more measurable, but possibly also virtually non-negligible attributes such as its electrical capacitance or inductance but also those which are springing about the material conditions, the environmental factors such as temperature or even non- physical variables such as price, delivery viability etc. relate.

Depending on the purpose, the one or the other characteristics of a real component of meaning. The concept of ideal components is based on the abstraction, that is one of the removal of all just not relevant properties, typically in favor of a single electrical quantity, such as the resistance, which is then represented by an idealized element.

For a specific purpose, such as a particular analytical modeling of circuits, ranging a small number of different types of ideal elements, so that, especially in connection with the consistency of building upon methodology results in a seclusion which to judge but always against the background of the respective purpose is. So can completely omitted and merely be so represented as topology, wiring, wire ideal as a consequence of such a choice about the element of the electrical conductor (and thus the property of the conductivity) as a mere side issue.

Conversely ideal components may prove useful, represented by no real electrical component more, about the Nullator or Norator for the analysis.

Ideal two-terminal elements

A typical selection of ideal dipoles to model any electrical components or circuits consists of:

• Three passive elements (resistance, capacitance and inductance )
• Two constant sources ( for current and voltage )
• Controlled active elements, these are controlled by electrical quantities sources.

Symbols for ideal elements

In schematics ideal elements are symbolized by the same switching characters, such as their real counterparts, if they exist. Whether an ideal or a real device is meant is only visible from the context.

Modeling of real elements

The optional incurred by omitting properties loss of detail may be the specific purposes sought by a combination of ideal elements to an appropriate equivalent circuit following again. A typical example is the pair of opposites ideal and real voltage sources. An example for the way of use for modeling the ideal elements (amplifier ) is found in the article as to operational amplifiers.