Circuit with only resistors and multiple batteries

Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
2 replies · 2K views
driedupfish
Messages
27
Reaction score
0
in a simple circuit with only resistors and multiple batteries and multiple loops, which side is the positive and negative on the resistors? I am referring to the case of Kirchhoff rule in which I have to come up with equations to solve for current or voltage. But I got confused on voltage drop and gain thing.
 
Physics news on Phys.org


Do you mean "what side is positive and negative" in the real circuit, or what side should you choose + and - when solving the circuit?

If the former - you can't tell until you solve the circuit!

If the later - I always choose a direction for the current in each branch, voltage drops in the direction of the current. I thought of the choice of direction as a guess; if a current turns up negative, it means I guessed wrong.

Does this help?
 


yes, thanks a lot.