Consider the circuit shown...
Circuit with a capacitor. (Enlarge) |
Circuit diagram circuit with capacitor. |
If you press the pushbutton switch S1, the capacitor is charged via R1. Only after a few seconds is it fully charged. The circuit becomes a function of time!
When you open S1, the capacitor discharges via the resistor R2. The respective voltages over time are shown in the illustrations....
Voltage charging capacitor at R2. |
Voltage discharging capacitor at R2. |
The resistor R2 forms a loop with the capacitor. If you measure the voltage across R2, you realize quickly that it behaves in the same way as the voltage across the capacitor.
You would obtain a comparable result when you measure the current. Therefore, you can state for the Kirchhoff's laws...
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Kirchhoff's laws apply to any snapshot of current and voltage! |
In the next experiment, you examine a transistor in a circuit...
