Physics

Mrs. Coyle
 Kirchhoff’s Rules
 Series Circuits
 Equivalent Resistance
 Voltage Drop Across Resistors
 Brightness of Bulbs in a Series Circuit
 There is one
current path.

 All resistors have

the same current.
 Positive charges
are “pumped” by
the battery from
low to high
potential. V>0

 When traversing a
resistor with the
current, there is a
decrease in
potential. V<0
 1st Rule: (Junction Theorem): At a
junction (node), current in= current
out

 2nd Rule: (Loop Theorem): In a closed

loop the sum of the voltages is
zero.
 In a series circuit the total voltage drop
across the resistors equals the sum of
the individual voltages.

V = V 1 + V 2 + V3
 If the battery’s
voltage is 12V and
the voltage across
R1 is 5 V, and
across R2 is 4V, find
the voltage across
R3 .

 Answer: 3V
V = V 1 + V 2 + V3

Using Ohm’s Law:

IReq = IR1+IR2 +IR3

Equivalent resistance
Req = R1 + R2 + R3
 If the battery’s
voltage is 12V and
R1 = 1Ω
R2 = 2Ω
R3 = 3Ω
 Find the equivalent
resistance.
 Find the current.
 Find the voltage
across each
resistor.
 Answer: 6Ω, 2A,
2V, 4V, 6V
 The greater the power actually used
by a light bulb, the greater the
brightness.

 Note: the power rating of a light bulb is

indicated for a given voltage, at room
temperature and the bulb may be in a
circuit that does not have that voltage.
 P= I V

 P=I2 R

 P=V2 / R
 Find the total 250Ω
resistance.
 Find the current.
 Find the power
dissipated in each lamp.
 Which light bulb will be
the brightest and why?
 Find the total power. 50Ω
 How does the total power
compare to the powers of
the individual bulbs. 12 V
 Ans: 450Ω, 0.027A, 150Ω
0.18W, 0.036W, 0.109W,
250 Ω, 0.324W
 Parallel Circuits
 Equivalent Resistance
 Brightness of Light Bulb
 Combination Circuits
 There is more than
one current path.
 The voltage across
the resistors is the
same.

http://www1.curriculum.edu.au/sciencepd/energy/images/energy_ill112.gif
I = I 1 + I 2 + I3

V =V1=V2=V3
Using Ohm’s Law:
V/Req= V/R1 +V/R2 + V/R3

Equivalent Resistance:
1/Req= 1/R1 +1/R2 + 1/R3
 12V =1Ω =2Ω
=3Ω

 Find the Req , I’s.

 How does Req compare with each R?

Ans: 0.55Ω, I= 22A, (12A, 6A, 4A)

 Why should you not plug in too many
appliances in the same outlet in a
home?
 =10Ω

=5Ω
=20V

=15Ω

 Ans:
11 Ω, 1.8A, V1=9V, V2=11V, I2=1.1A, I3=0.7A
http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/DesignOffice/mdp/electric_web/DC/00123.png
 Req 1 = 71.4Ω
 Req 2 = 127.3Ω
 Req = 198.7Ω
 I=0.12A
 V1 = 8.6V
 V2 = 15.3V