Electric Circuits, Dc

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AP Physics - Electric Circuits, DC Circuits are classified by the type of path that the electricity follows as it goes around the circuit. There are two types of circuits - series circuits and parallel circuits. In a series circuit there is only one path. All the circuit components are in line, connected by the conductor, so that all the electrons flow through each component. A parallel circuit offers different paths – some of the electrons can go this way and some go a different way. Series Circuits: Here’s a simple series circuit with three resistors; R1, R2, and R3. When the electrons leave the battery (opposite the direction of the current), they all go through the first resistor they encounter. Then all of them go through the next one and the next one. Then they all go back into the battery. The current is the same at every point in the circuit. Each resistor has a potential difference across it. The voltage, current, and resistance in a series circuit behave according to the following rules. Rules For Resistance in Series: 1. The current in every part of the circuit is the same. 1. The total resistance in the circuit is equal to the sum of all the resistances. 2. The voltage provided by the voltage source is equal to the sum of all the voltage drops across each of the resistors Mathematically: [pic] I = I1 = I2 = ( ( ( = In [pic] On the AP Physic Test, the equation for series resistance is given as: [pic] This simply says that the total resistance is the sum of the individual resistances. No equations for voltage and current are given. You’ll have to remember that the current is the same at every point in the circuit and the voltage drops add up to the total voltage provided by the voltage source. • Find (a) the total

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