Equivalent capacitance, circular arrangement

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves finding the equivalent capacitance between two points, A and B, in a circuit with capacitors arranged in a circular configuration. Participants are discussing the implications of the arrangement and how to interpret the connections between the components.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Some participants question the arrangement of capacitors and whether they are in series or parallel. Others discuss the implications of mirroring circuit diagrams and how that affects the interpretation of the connections. There are inquiries about the significance of orientation and the necessity of converting the circular arrangement into a more standard layout.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with various interpretations being explored. Some participants have offered insights into the symmetry of the circuits and the importance of understanding the connections between components. There is no explicit consensus on the best approach to take, but several lines of reasoning are being examined.

Contextual Notes

Participants are navigating the complexities of interpreting circuit diagrams and the terminology associated with equivalent capacitance. There are mentions of potential confusion regarding the arrangement of capacitors and the need for clarity in understanding how they are connected.

  • #61
gracy said:
batteries/voltage source has resistance,right?
Not ideal ones. An ideal battery would be a pure voltage source, no resistance. Ideal components are perfect representations of the quality that they are specified to be. An ideal capacitor is capacitance only. An ideal inductor is inductance only. An ideal resistor is resistance only. An ideal voltage source is a voltage source only.

Real world components, being made of imperfect real-world materials, will exhibit some mix of traits in addition to the one they are designed for. So a real capacitor, for instance, may have some very tiny resistance and inductance associated with its wire leads. Usually these imperfections are small enough to ignore for practical design and operational purposes. When they are not negligible for a given component or circuit situation you will be told so in the problem statement.
 
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  • #62
gracy said:
In such cases we should not apply voltage ?As we can see you did not apply voltage but made A and B connection terminals there when the question asked to find equivalent potential between A and B

To find a voltage or potential difference you would connect a voltmeter.

To apply a voltage or potential difference you would connect a battery.
 

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