Download AP B Circuit Analysis

AP B Circuit Analysis
Unlike the Regents, the AP B exam and college textbooks;
1) define current as the flow of + charge
2) have mixed circuits that with series and parallel elements
3) can have capacitors
4) can have more than one battery
5) the batteries aren’t necessarily ideal; they can have internal
resistance that reduces voltage output
6) you may need to use a loop rule to figure out voltage drops
Multiple batteries
Using Conventional
Current
& the Loop Rule
Internal resistance of real
batteries
Voltage Drops:
When doing a loop analysis,  V =0. Some V are +, some -.
Throgh batteries, going from – to + is an increase, or + V. going
from + to - is logically a loss of potential or -V.
Through resistors: Going with the current is like going downhill,
negative V, Going against current is like going uphill, +V.
Variable Resistors
Terminology: galvanometers measure small currents (mA),
while ammeters measure large currents (whole Amps)
Water analogy
Sign Conventions while doing
loop analysis
Christmas lights
A shunt is a low resistance
parallel wire which will
draw current
When dialing different
ranges on a meter you are
connecting to shunts
different resistances