Current Flowing Through RC Circuit (Charging)

[AnXioZ]

Hey, everyone. Just a quick question here. If I have the following circuit, with it's switch initially opened, what will happen to the current through resistors 1 and 2, after I close the switch?

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/7716/showmeplkh6.gif

1) When the switch is first closed, the magnitude of the current through R1 is ______ and the magnitude of the current through R2 is ______.

My answer is: non-zero, non-zero

My friend thinks: zero, non-zero

Now, we are having a debate over this question. We both agree that the current through R2 is definitely non-zero; however we disagree on the current through R1.

I think that there should be current through R1 because the capacitor has to get charged somehow.

What do you think?

Thanx in advance.

 

[granpa]

whats the voltage drop through c2 and c3 at that time?

 

[AnXioZ]

Thank you for your question granpa :D !

You have to think of the resistor R1 as a resistor who is connected in parallel to Capacitor C2,3. Therefore the voltage across the resistor and the capacitor, immediately after the switch is closed, must be zero.

Gotta love physics <3

 

[Dale]

Therefore the voltage across the resistor and the capacitor, immediately after the switch is closed, must be zero.

Then by Ohms law what is the current if the voltage is zero?