Current flow quandary. Capacitors VS Resistors

[Femme_physics]

I know that in the left circuit, current will not flow where the resistors are attached to the straight wire connecting A and B, but on the right one, current will flow where the resistors are attached to the straight wire x and y

http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/880/this1p.jpg



Is it the same thing with capacitors?

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/2029/capacitors.jpg

 

[I like Serena]

Yes!

And before you ask, it's the same with coils!

Note that the voltage difference over the relevant 2 resistors is zero, since it is short circuited.
A voltage difference of zero means that no current will flow.

 

[Femme_physics]

Awesome! So, basically, current wants no dealing with resistors or anything that appears to "consume" them or makes them get to some place tons slower. They just...take a short-cut! Even with capacitors...and apparently, coils! Even though we're still not high-up on coils in my class (capacitors are still relatively new, had 2 classes on it).

 

[I like Serena]

Awesome! So, basically, current wants no dealing with resistors or anything that appears to "consume" them or makes them get to some place tons slower. They just...take a short-cut! Even with capacitors...and apparently, coils! Even though we're still not high-up on coils in my class (capacitors are still relatively new, had 2 classes on it).

Yes!

Suppose you have 2 resistors in parallel, with say resistances of 100 ohm and 0.000000001 ohm.
What would the equivalent resistance be?
And assuming we have an incoming current of 1 ampere, how would it split over the 2 resistors?

And once you start with capacitors, I think coils won't be far behind.

 

[Femme_physics]

Suppose you have 2 resistors in parallel, with say resistances of 100 ohm and 0.000000001 ohm.
What would the equivalent resistance be?
And assuming we have an incoming current of 1 ampere, how would it split over the 2 resistors?

I imagine that since the different is so gargantuan, the 100 ohm is being ignored and the current only flows through the 0.0000000000000001 ohm resistor?
PS :) I love your "yes!" with the smiley, you're so encouraging!

 

[I like Serena]

I imagine that since the different is so gargantuan, the 100 ohm is being ignored and the current only flows through the 0.0000000000000001 ohm resistor?

PS :) I love your "yes!" with the smiley, you're so encouraging!

Thanx!

And yes!

That is, the 100 ohm is not ignored, but the effect on the equivalent resistance and the current through it is negligibly small.

 

[Studiot]

100 ohm is being ignored and the current only flows through the 0.0000000000000001 ohm resistor?

I recommend the standard engineering shorthand - The E notation.

100 = 1E2 = 1*10²

0.0000000000000001 = 1E-16 = 1*10^-16

It is a very handy notation.

 

[Jiggy-Ninja]

Awesome! So, basically, current wants no dealing with resistors or anything that appears to "consume" them or makes them get to some place tons slower. They just...take a short-cut! Even with capacitors...and apparently, coils! Even though we're still not high-up on coils in my class (capacitors are still relatively new, had 2 classes on it).

Do not think that electrons are sentient. They are not intelligent agents, they are dumb particles. They do not "take a short-cut because they don't want to deal with stuff", they are "divided among parallel branches proportional to their conductance".

Dooly noted :)

Duly. (It may have been a deliberate error, but I have no way of knowing that and I make it a point to correct non-native speaker's mistakes, just in case)

 

[Integral]

For the off topic part of this converstation go https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=496862"