rdfs:comment
| - Kirchhoff's current law (KCL) deals with the current flow in and out of nodes. All current that flows into a node must come out, so the sum of all currents in and out of a node must equal zero. In the pictured example (a current source and three resistors in parallel), there are four currents leaving node 0. This can be expressed mathematically as . If, for example, is actually flowing in the opposite direction, then its value becomes negative. By initially assuming all currents are leaving the node, sign errors can be avoided while working the algebra. Then negative current that is present after analysis is known to flow in the opposite direction as the arrow drawn in the schematic.
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abstract
| - Kirchhoff's current law (KCL) deals with the current flow in and out of nodes. All current that flows into a node must come out, so the sum of all currents in and out of a node must equal zero. In the pictured example (a current source and three resistors in parallel), there are four currents leaving node 0. This can be expressed mathematically as . If, for example, is actually flowing in the opposite direction, then its value becomes negative. By initially assuming all currents are leaving the node, sign errors can be avoided while working the algebra. Then negative current that is present after analysis is known to flow in the opposite direction as the arrow drawn in the schematic. To analyze this circuit, first notice that the voltage across each element is the same. Using Ohm's law, the current through each resistor is which, when applied to the current sum equation, yields . Then, given the source current and resistance values, the voltage at can be found and the current through each resistor.
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