Steady State Current: Charge Flow Q&A

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SUMMARY

In steady state current, the rate of change of current (dI/dt) is zero, indicating that the current (I) remains constant over time. This does not imply that charge flow is equal to zero; rather, it means that a constant amount of charge is flowing through the conductor per unit time. The relationship between charge flow (q) and current (I) is defined by the equation I = dq/dt, where dq/dt represents the rate of charge flow. Therefore, while steady state current can include zero current, it primarily refers to a consistent flow of charge rather than a complete absence of it.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of electric current and charge flow
  • Familiarity with the relationship between current and charge (I = dq/dt)
  • Basic knowledge of sinusoidal currents and their behavior in circuits
  • Concept of steady state versus transient states in electrical circuits
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the mathematical relationship between charge and current using I = dq/dt
  • Explore the characteristics of sinusoidal currents and their steady state behavior
  • Investigate the implications of steady state current in AC circuits
  • Learn about transient responses in electrical circuits and how they relate to steady state conditions
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Electrical engineering students, circuit designers, and anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of current flow and steady state conditions in electrical systems.

shenjie
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Hi all, can i know is it true that charge flow is equal to zero at steady state current? Or is the rate of charge flow equal to zero. Thanks :)
 
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Not sure what you mean exactly but in a current carrying conductor the charge is the electron ,
current itself is the movement of electric charge so how come the movement of charge add up to zero?
 
steady state current means that a constant charge per unit time is flowing through the wire, device, etc.
zero current is but one case of steady state current.
 
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shenjie said:
Hi all, can i know is it true that charge flow is equal to zero at steady state current? Or is the rate of charge flow equal to zero. Thanks :)

Steady state here means that dI/dt, or the rate of change of current, is zero, meaning that I (current) is a constant.

Zz.
 
Then does it have any relationship to the charge flow?? it is actually an ode question. i have obtain a q(t) equation in the first part, q = charge. The question ask to obtain steady state current from q(t)
 
Another interpretation could be that the current is periodic and its frequency and amplitude are unchanging.
When a sinusoidal current is applied to a circuit, a transient voltage and current is produced. This is followed by a "steady state" voltage and current. But neither voltage nor current is constant (including zero). They are steady in the sense that they behave in steady periodic form with steady amplitude and period.
 
shenjie said:
Then does it have any relationship to the charge flow?? it is actually an ode question. i have obtain a q(t) equation in the first part, q = charge. The question ask to obtain steady state current from q(t)

You appear to not understand the relationship between charge flow, and current.

I = dq/dt. If I is a constant (as in the steady state current), what does it say about dq/dt?. And if dq/dt is a constant, what is q(t)?

If this is related to school work, then (i) it should have been done in the HW/Coursework forum, and (ii) we've almost given you too much information.

Zz.
 

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