Multibranched Circuit

Consider the configuration of resistors in the figure below, mounted on a single circuit.

Determine the continuous electrical current passing over the resistor 3.0 Ω 3.0\Omega , considering all its components as ideal.

2.0 A 2.0 A 3.0 A 3.0 A 10.0 A 10.0 A 0.5 A 0.5 A 1.5 A 1.5 A

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1 solution

Brandon Monsen
Dec 28, 2016

Kirchhoff's Voltage Rule and Junction Rule will make quick work of this. The sum of the voltage drops/gains around any closed loop must equal 0, and the total current coming into a junction must equal the total current coming out:

When defining voltage drops/gains, as well as current direction, it doesn't really matter as long as we're consistent. I will define coming out of the positive end of the battery as a voltage gain. For current directions, I will use the topmost junction as a reference point;

  • I 1 I_{1} is the current flowing across the 3 Ω 3\Omega resistor, and is going into the topmost junction.
  • I 2 I_{2} is the current flowing across the 2 Ω 2\Omega resistor, and is flowing out of the topmost junction.
  • I 3 I_{3} is the current flowing across both the 1 Ω 1\Omega and the 4 Ω 4\Omega resistor, and is flowing out of the topmost junction.

Using the topmost junction as a starting point, we can construct two closed loops going out the sides in both directions and returning through the middle going up, netting us the following two equations: (note that the voltage across a resistor is V = I R V=IR

13 3 I 1 2 I 2 10 = 0 13 3 I 1 + 14 4 I 3 3.5 I 3 = 0 \begin{array}{c}13-3I_{1}-2I_{2}-10=0 \\ 13-3I_{1}+14-4I_{3}-3.5-I_{3}=0 \end{array}

And since the top junction has current flowing in and out, we know that:

I 1 = I 2 + I 3 I_{1}=I_{2}+I_{3}

This is a system of three equations, which can be simplified into the following and solved using RREF:

3 I 1 + 2 I 2 + 0 I 3 = 3 3 I 1 + 0 I 2 + 5 I 3 = 23.5 I 1 I 2 I 3 = 0 \begin{array}{c}3I_{1}+2I_{2}+0I_{3}=3 \\ 3I_{1}+0I_{2}+5I_{3}=23.5 \\ I_{1}-I_{2}-I_{3}=0 \end{array}

Which results in I 1 = 2 A I_{1}=\boxed{2A}

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