Kirchoff’s First Law and Charge Conservation in Circuits

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Questions and Answers

In a series circuit, how is the current distributed?

  • The current is inversely proportional to resistance
  • The sum of currents in each element is equal to the total current
  • The current is different in different parts of the circuit
  • The current is the same everywhere in the circuit (correct)

What does Kirchoff's first law state about current in a circuit junction?

  • The total current flowing into a junction is different from the current flowing out
  • The total current flowing into a junction is less than the current flowing out
  • The total current flowing into a junction is greater than the current flowing out
  • The total current flowing into a junction is equal to the current flowing out (correct)

What happens to the sum of currents in each parallel set of branches in a parallel circuit?

  • It is less than the total current
  • It becomes zero
  • It exceeds the total current
  • It equals the total current (correct)

According to Kirchoff's second law, what is the sum of all voltages in a series circuit?

<p>Equal to the battery voltage (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How is potential difference distributed across all elements in a series circuit?

<p>The total sum of the voltages across all elements equals the supply p.d (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the principle of conservation of energy state about energy in a closed system?

<p>Energy in a closed system stays constant and cannot be created or destroyed (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the total voltage in a series circuit with three resistors, each having a resistance of $R1$, $R2$, and $R3$?

<p>$V = I(R1 + R2 + R3)$ (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the equivalent resistance in a parallel circuit with three resistors, $R1$, $R2$, and $R3$?

<p>$\frac{1}{RT} = \frac{1}{R1} + \frac{1}{R2} + \frac{1}{R3}$ (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does Kirchoff's second law state about the voltages in a series circuit?

<p>The sum of the voltages is equal to the supply voltage (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In a series circuit, how does the total resistance compare to individual resistances?

<p>It is equal to the sum of individual resistances (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the current in a series circuit when more resistors are added?

<p>The current decreases due to higher resistance (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does Ohm's law relate in an electrical circuit?

<p>Voltage, current, and resistance (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the key difference between a series circuit and a parallel circuit?

<p>The potential difference across each branch is different in a series circuit but the same in a parallel circuit. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How can you determine the total resistance in a series circuit with three resistors of different values?

<p>By adding the reciprocals of the individual resistances. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What enables us to calculate the voltage across each resistor in a series circuit?

<p>Ohm's law (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In a parallel circuit, what happens if one branch has a lower resistance compared to others?

<p>The current flowing through that branch increases. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which law states that the sum of currents entering a junction must equal the sum of currents leaving the junction?

<p>Kirchoff's first law (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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Study Notes

Charge Conservation

  • Kirchoff's first law: The total current flowing into a junction is equal to the current flowing out of that junction.
  • In a series circuit, the current is the same everywhere in the circuit.
  • In a parallel circuit, the sum of the currents in each parallel set of branches is equal to the total current.

Energy Conservation

  • The principle of energy conservation states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can be transferred from one form to another.
  • In a closed system, the total energy remains constant.
  • Kirchoff's second law: The sum of all the voltages in a series circuit is equal to the battery voltage, or the sum of all the voltages in a loop is zero.

Series Circuits

  • The battery p.d is shared across all elements in the circuit, and the sum of the voltages across all elements is equal to the supply p.d.
  • Kirchoff's second law can be applied to find the total voltage: V = V1 + V2 + V3
  • The total resistance in a series circuit is RT = R1 + R2 + R3 + ...

Parallel Circuits

  • The potential difference across each branch is the same.
  • The current in each branch can be found using Ohm's law: I1 = V/R1, I2 = V/R2, I3 = V/R3
  • The total current is the sum of the currents in each branch: I = I1 + I2 + I3
  • The total resistance in a parallel circuit is 1/RT = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3 + ...

Combining Resistances

  • For series circuits, the total resistance is RT = R1 + R2 + R3 + ...
  • For parallel circuits, the total resistance is 1/RT = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3 + ...

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