A-LEVEL Physics: 5.1.8: Circuits (Seneca) Flashcards
The Total Resistance of Resistors in Parallel is Always…
Less than the Resistance of the Smallest Resistor in the Parallel Circuit.
Total Resistance in Parallel = …
1/Rtotal = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3 …..
Total Resistance in Series = …
Rtotal = R1 + R2 + R3 …..
What happens to Current in Parallel Circuits?
Current in Parallel Circuits Splits Up at the Branches.
Kirchhoff’s First Law:
‘The Total Current Arriving at a Junction = the Total Current Leaving a Junction’.
What is ‘Conventional Current’?
Current that Flows from Positive to Negative.
What is Kirchhoff’s First Law a Demonstration of?
It is a Demonstration of the Law of Conservation of Charge: ‘Charge Cannot be Created Nor Destroyed.’
The Sum of Voltage Drops in a Closed Loop Must be Equal to…
Zero.
Kirchhoff’s Second Law:
‘The Sum of Voltage Drops in a Closed Loop Must be Equal to Zero.’
What is Kirchhoff’s Second Law a Demonstration of?
It is a Demonstration of the Law of Conservation of Energy.
Because if the Sum of Voltage Drops was Not Zero, that would mean that Energy was either Created or Destroyed, which is Not Possible.