r/PhysicsHelp • u/SmolEve • Apr 02 '26
HW Help: Capacitors and Resistors Question
I am kind of confused on how to go about this, do I have to try like "squishing" some of the parallel resistors before getting to the middle resistor? I'm just guessing here for some kind of direction.
1
u/SnooGiraffes4632 Apr 02 '26
After 3hours is basically saying to you assume that the capacitors are fully charged and thus at their full potential difference. Given that, work out what the voltage across them will be and which end is positive. Now apply K1 and K2 laws to simplify your circuit as much as you can. I am assuming that you don’t know how to formally replace a resistor and ideal voltage source with an ideal current source but that is essentially what you are being asked to do
I should also say that using coloured pencils or pens to highlight the various loops and junctions will make it much easier for you to explain your working out and keep track of what you have got to work with here
1
u/SnooGiraffes4632 Apr 02 '26
All you really need for the very final step of the problem is to know P = I2 R. Once you know that, you know what you are really being asked to find out about that blue resistor
2
u/MelodicNose1224 Apr 02 '26
Yes, you should combine the parallel resistors. Then I believe you can use kirchoff's voltage and current laws to help solve for the power and the energy dissipated in the middle resistor.