Circuits

An electric circuit is an electrical loop that can include wires, batteries, resistors, lightbulbs, etc.

This is an example circuit with a battery, resistor, and ground. Note that the conventional Current moves from positive to negative even though electrons will move from negative to positive.

here is the Electromotive force, which represents the ideal Voltage across the battery terminals.

In the circuit above, positive charges start at the positive terminal with Electric Energy, then lose all of that energy as it moves across the resistor (there is a drop in voltage.) When it reaches the negative terminal of the battery, it will have 0 electric energy.

Typically, when doing circuit problems, we assume that the wire has no Resistance, only counting resistance from other components. This is unless there are no other components, and we cannot assume as such.

Note

Resistors decrease voltage because they make it harder for electrons to flow, which causes more collisions and uses energy.

Capacitors Inductors Series Circuits Parallel Circuits Kirchhoff’s Laws RC Circuits LR Circuits LC Circuits AP Physics C — LR Circuits Questions