AP-C Name _____________________________

Circuits Period _______

Enduring Understanding - Charge flows in the direction of decreasing electric potential.

Key Terms Resources
• Ammeter • Ohm’s Law Resistance
• amp (unit) • Open Circuit http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/resis.html#c1
• Closed Circuit • Parallel Resistivity and Conductivity
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/resis.html#c2
• Conductor • Potential Difference Resistors in Combination
• Current • Power http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/resis.html#c3
• Electron Flow • Resistance Ohm’s Law
• Electromotive Force, • Schematic Diagram http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/ohmlaw.html#c1
EMF • Schematic Diagram Power
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/elepow.html#c1
• Equivalent Resistance Symbols
Charging a Capacitor
• Insulator • Series http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/capchg.html#c1
• Internal Resistance • Simple Circuit Discharging a Capacitor
• Junction Rule • Time Constant http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/capdis.html#c2
• Kirchhoff’s Rules • Total Resistance Derived Equations
• Loop Rule • volt (unit) http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/capdis.html#c1
• ohm (unit) • Voltage Time Constant
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/filter.html#c2
• Voltmeter
Textbook – Chapters 9 and 10; Omit 9.2 and 9.6
https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-2/pages/9-introduction
Things to Always Remember
1. Learn concepts before equations; think concepts before equations.
2. Before solving any circuit problem, identify which elements are in series and parallel.
3. Before solving any circuit problem, redraw a complicated circuit with clearly drawn current paths and junctions.
4. Show all your work in a well-organized manner.
Flowchart Extras
Batteries
• The terminal voltage of a battery is equal to the battery’s EMF minus voltage drop across the internal resistance or
𝑉! = 𝜀 − 𝑖𝑟
Kirchhoff’s Rules
• An ohmic device has constant resistance; a non-ohmic device does not have constant resistance.
Kirchhoff’s Rules
• Assign a direction for each current. If the answer comes out positive, your choice of direction was correct. If
negative, reverse the direction of the assigned current.
• Batteries are a positive potential gain when the current flows out the positive battery terminal; a negative potential
gain when current flows into the positive battery terminal.
• Resistors are a positive potential gain when you transverse the resistor against the direction of your chosen current; a
negative potential gain when your transverse the resistor in the direction of your chosen current.
RC Circuits
• Capacitors are a positive potential gain when discharging; a negative potential gain when charging.
Equations - Equations NOT on the AP Equation Sheet or Flowchart
• None
UNKNOWN RESISTANCE LAB

Purpose - Determine the value of an unknown resistor.

Materials - five D-cell batteries, five battery holders, an unknown resistor, a bulb, a switch, a voltmeter, an
ammeter, and a bundle of wires.

Voltmeter
A voltmeter is wired in PARALLEL with the RED terminal of the meter connected to RED

the positive side of the element and the BLACK terminal of the meter connect to the
V
negative side of the element. The positive side of the element is the side connected
to the positive side of the battery on conversionally for the negative side. BLACK

Ammeter
An ammeter is wired in SERIES such that the current flows into the RED terminal
and out the BLACK terminal.
BLACK RED
A
Schematic Symbols
Battery Wire Switch Resistor Bulb

Capacitor Inductor Ammeter Voltmeter Ground

Directions
1. Construct a circuit consisting of one battery, a switch and a bulb.
CHECK that the bulb lights when the switch is closed and goes off
when the switch is opened.
2. If your circuit is properly wired, replace the bulb with the unknown
resistor.
3. With the switch in the OPEN position wire:
i. an ammeter to measure the current through the resistor and
ii. a voltmeter to measure the voltage across
the resistor. Number of Current Voltage
4. Draw the schematic in the box to the right. Batteries (amps, A) (volts, V)
QUICKLY take measurements of current and 1
voltage to minimize heating which can impact the
value of your unknown resistor. 2
5. Measure and record the current and voltage for
one battery in the data table to the right. 3
6. Repeat the measurements for 2 to 5 additional 4
batteries wired in series.
OHM’S LAW is V = iR 5
7. Graph voltage vs current to determine the value
of the unknown resistor.
8. Record your calculated value in the table below.
9. Bring your calculated value to your teacher. Your teacher will measure the actual value with an
ohmmeter.
Calculated Value Measured Value
INTERNAL RESISTANCE LAB

Purpose – Calculate the internal resistance of a battery.

Materials – D-cell battery, battery holder, 2 bulb holders, 2 bulbs, switch, multimeter and bundle of wires

Procedure
1. Construct a simple circuit using a battery, screw bulb, switch and a bundle of wires.
2. Using the multimeter, measure the current on the 10 A setting and mA setting.

Which setting should you use for this lab ______?

Question – How do the different currents settings on the multimeter effect the brightness of the bulb?

3. Measure and record the voltage across the screw bulb and current through screw bulb. Allow the bulb the
glow for 10 seconds before taking any measurements.
4. Repeat step 3 and 4 for the holiday bulb.
5. Calculate the resistance of each bulb.
6. Measure and record the voltage ACROSS THE BATTERY when the switch is opened and closed.
7. Measure and record the voltage ACROSS THE SWITCH when the switch is opened and closed.
Bulb Readings Battery Voltage Switch Voltage
Switch Switch Switch Switch
VBulb IBulb RBulb
Open Closed Open Closed
(V) (A) (W)
(V) (V) (V) (V)
Screw
Bulb
Holiday
Bulb
8. Draw the schematic diagram of the battery along with its internal resistance, the bulb, switch, ammeter and
voltmeter. Label the battery, e, the internal resistance, r, and the bulb, R.
9. Calculate the internal resistance of the battery.

Screw Bulb Holiday Bulb Schematic Diagram

rScrew = rHoliday =
KIRCHHOFF LAB
Purpose – Investigate voltage, current, resistance and power

Materials – 3 D-cell batteries,3 battery holders, 3 identical resistors, 3 switches,

multimeters and bundle of wires

Directions – Construct the circuit shown to the right.

Switches are in the open position.

Batteries
Batteries wired in series – increases voltage (add terminal voltages)
Batteries wired in parallel – decreases battery draw

Position the switches as shown:

i. measure the voltage and current in each resistor and battery.
ii. Draw an arrow illustrating the direction of the current through each resistor.
iii. calculate the power for all the resistors and batteries
a. Power consumed is a positive value.
b. Power provided is a negative value.

OPEN #1 – CLOSE #2 & #3 OPEN #2 – CLOSE #1 & #3 OPEN #3 – CLOSE #1 & #2

Vleft
ileft
Pleft
Vcenter
Resistors

icenter
Pcenter
Vright
iright
Pright
Vleft
Batteries

Pleft
Vcenter
Pcenter

What observation can you make about the voltage, current and power?
EQUIVALENT RESISTANCE
Resistors in Series Derivation

Resistors in Parallel Derivation

Calculate the equivalent resistance.

POWER
Heating Up
In the circuit to the right, E has a constant value but R can be varied.
Find the value of R that results in the maximum heating of that
resistor. The battery is ideal.
KIRCHHOFF RULES
The following are rules to be used as guidelines in solving for currents, resistances and other related quantities
in multiloop circuits.
1. Choose and label a direction for the current through each resistor. You can choose the directions
arbitrarily, but by studying the signs of the emf’s in the circuit you should be able to make reasonable
choices for the direction of each current. If you happen to choose the wrong direction for a particular
current the value of that current will come out negative in your solution.
2. Apply Kirchhoff’s rules to the circuit to generate n equations for n unknown currents:
I JUNCTION RULE – The sum of the currents entering any junction must equal the sum of
the currents leaving the junction.
II LOOP RULE – The algebraic sum of the changes in potential encountered in a close loop
must equal zero.
a. Resistor Rule – If you transverse a resistor in the direction of your chosen current, the change in
potential is –IR; in the opposite direction of your chosen current it is +IR.
b. EMF Rule – If you transverse an emf in the direction of the emf, the change in potential is
positive; in the opposite direction the change in potential is negative.
3. Once you have obtained n equations for n unknown currents, solve algebraically or use matrix
mathematics.

Which Way
Calculate the equivalent resistance.
Problem #1 Problem #2
Find the current, Find the current
the power through the 2V
delivered or battery.
absorbed by each
emf and the rate of
heating in each
resistor. Assume
the emf’s internal
resistance is
negligible

Problem #3 Problem #4
Find the current in Find the equivalent
each resistor and resistance of the
the potential circuit.
difference across
the 6 ohm resistor.
RC CIRCUIT LAB
Purpose – Investigate the behavior of a charging and discharging capacitor.

Materials – D-cell battery, battery holder, resistor, switch, capacitor, voltmeter, ammeter, bundle of wires,
LabPro, logger pro and computer

Directions
1. Choose a resistor (5W or 10W) and capacitor (1 F).
2. What is the unit of the product of resistance and capacitance? Show
your work below.

3. The product of RC is referred to as the time constant, t. Calculate t.

t=
4. A capacitor will be fully charged/discharged in a time of 4 to 5 time constants.
How long will it take your RC combination to fully charge or discharge?
time =
5. Construct the circuit to the right.
6. Sketch the graphs of i vs t, and VResistor vs t, on the graphs below when the capacitor is charging and
discharging.
Capacitor is Charging Capacitor is Discharging
Current vs. Time Current vs. Time

VResistor vs. Time VResistor vs. Time

7. Sketch the graphs of i vs t, and VCapacitor vs t, on the graphs below when the capacitor is charging and
discharging.
Capacitor is Charging Capacitor is Discharging
Current vs. Time Current vs. Time

VCapacitor vs. Time VCapacitor vs. Time

8. Referring back to the definition of capacitance, calculate the maximum charge on the capacitor. Show your
work below.

9. Explain how to graphically calculate the maximum charge on the capacitor. Using your graphs calculate
the maximum charge on the capacitor.

10. Explain why some graphs “flip”, become negative, and others don’t.
RC CIRCUIT DERIVATIONS

Set Up Description Derivation

A capacitor, resistor and switch are Derive an equation as a function of time for:
Charging wired in series with a battery. • charge on the capacitor
and
• current in the circuit
Discharging
• voltage across the capacitor
a Capacitor
• voltage across the resistor.

Charging a Capacitor
Discharging a Capacitor
RC Circuit Problem
Calculate:
a. the initial current through the battery just after the switch is
closed,

b. the steady-state current through the battery when the switch has been closed for a long time, and

c. the maximum voltage across the capacitor.

d. If the switch has been closed for a long time and is then opened, find the current through the 6 W
resistor as a function of time.
Practice RC Problems
1. All resistors and
capacitors are
identical. Rank
the time
constants of
each circuit.

Greatest _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ Least

2. The charge on the 5-µF capacitor in the circuit shown to the right is 1000 µC.
a) Find the battery current.
b) Find the resistances R1, R2, and R3.

V i (A) R (W) P (W)

(V) or or or
Q (C) C (F) E (J)
1
2 5A
3
4 10 W
5 5A 50 W
6 5W
7 1000 µC 5 µF
T 310 V

3. In the circuit shown to the right, the

capacitors are initially uncharged.
Switch S2 is closed and then switch S1
is closed.
a. Calculate the current from the
battery immediately after both
switches are is closed.

b. Calculate the current from the battery a long time after both switches are closed.

c. Calculate the voltage across C1 a long time after both switches are closed.

d. Calculate the final voltage across C2 a long time after both switches are closed.

e. Switch S2 is opened again after a long time. Give the current in the 150-W resistor as a function
of time.
4. The capacitors in the circuit shown to the right are initially uncharged.
a. Calculate the current from the battery immediately after the switch is closed.
V i R P
(V) (A) (W) (W)
1
2
3
4
T 50 V

b. Calculate the current from the battery after a long time?

V i R P
(V) (A) (W) (W)
1
2
3
4
T 50 V

c. Calculate the final charges on the capacitors?

5. For the circuit shown to the right.

a. Calculate the voltage across the capacitor in the circuit?

b. If the battery is disconnected, calculate the capacitor current as a function of time.

c. Calculate the time it takes the capacitor to discharge until the potential difference across it is 1 V?
PRACTICE AP RBOBLEMS

Laboratory
In the laboratory, you connect a resistor and a
capacitor with unknown values in series with a
battery of emf E = 12 V. You include a switch in
the circuit. When the switch is closed at time t =
0, the circuit is completed and you measure the
current through the resistor as a function of time
as plotted below.

A data-fitting program finds that the current

decays according to the equation
e -t 4
i(t ) = e .
R
a. Using the symbols for the battery, the resistor, the capacitor, and the switch, draw the circuit that
you constructed. Show the circuit before the switch is closed and include whatever other devices
you need to measure the current through the resistor to obtain the above plot. Label each
component in your diagram.

b. Having obtained the curve shown above, determine the value of the resistor that you placed in this
circuit.

c. What capacitance did you insert in the circuit to give the results above?

You are now asked to reconnect the circuit with a new

switch in such a way as to charge and discharge the
capacitor. When the switch is in position A, the capacitor
is charging; and when the switch is in position B, the
capacitor is discharging, as represented by the graph
below of voltage Vc across the capacitor as a function of
time.
d. Draw the schematic diagram of the RC circuit that you
constructed that would produce the graph above.
Clearly indicate the switch position A and B on your circ uit diagram and include whatever other devices
you need to measure the voltage across the capacitor to obtain the above plot. Label each component in
your diagram.

© 2003 The College Board – Visit the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.org
Switching Capacitors

In the diagram above, V = 100 volts; C1 = 12 microfarads; C2 = 24 microfarads; R = 10 ohms.

Initially, Cl and C2 are uncharged, and all switches are open.
a. First, switch S1 is closed. Determine the charge on Cl when equilibrium is reached.

b. Next S1 is opened and afterward S2 is closed. Determine the charge on C1 when equilibrium is again
reached.

c. For the equilibrium condition of part (b), determine the voltage across C1.

d. S2 remains closed, and now S1 is also closed. How much additional charge flows from the battery?

© 1975 The College Board – Visit the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.org
Imperfect Capacitor
You have been hired to determine
the internal resistance of 8.0 µF
capacitors for an electronic
component manufacturer. (Ideal
capacitors have an infinite internal
resistance that is, the material
between their plates is a perfect
insulator. In practice, however, the
material has a very small, but
nonzero, conductivity.) You cannot
simply connect the capacitors to an
ohmmeter, because their
resistance is too large for an
ohmmeter to measure. Therefore
you charge the capacitor to a
potential difference of 10 V with a
battery, disconnect it from the battery and measure the potential difference across the capacitor every 20
minutes with an ideal voltmeter, obtaining the graph shown above.

a. Determine the internal resistance of the capacitor.

The capacitor can be approximated as a parallel-plate capacitor separated by a 0.10 mm thick dielectric with
k = 5.6.

b. Determine the approximate surface area of one of the capacitor "plates."

c. Determine the resistivity of the dielectric.

d. Determine the magnitude of the charge leaving the positive plate of the capacitor in the first 100 min.

© 2001The College Board – Visit the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.org
QUEST BREAKDOWN
Resistors #1-30
Kirchhoff #31-33
RC Circuits 34-41

ASSESSMENT BREAKDOWN
Multiple-Choice Questions
• 25 AP Level and Style Questions
• Practice multiple-choice questions with answers are available on the Learning Guide.

Free Response Problems

• 2-3 Free Response Level and Style Questions
• One or more of the free response problems below, in part or in whole, will be integrate into the Free
Response test. In addition, one or more free response problems will be selected from past AP exam
problems, QUEST, in-class activities or class notes.

Kirchhoff
The EXAMPLE circuit to the right contains 2 batteries
and 3 resistors. The orientation of the batteries has
intentionally been left blank.
1. For each resister calculate the:
• Voltage
• Current
• Power
2. Calculate the power of each battery.

Complete the chart below using the teacher provided

graphing calculator. Example Circuit

Battery on R1 R2 R3 Battery on the

the LEFT (on the left) (center) (on the right) RIGHT
Voltage
(V)
Current
(A)
Direction of Current UP LEFT UP LEFT UP
(Circle your choice) DOWN RIGHT DOWN RIGHT DOWN
Power
(W)
The POWER
PROVIDED PROVIDED PROVIDED PROVIDED PROVIDED
is being:
CONSUMED CONSUMED CONSUMED CONSUMED CONSUMED
(Circle your choice)

RC Derivations
Set Up Description Derivation
Be able to derive the
A capacitor, Derive an equation as a function of time for:
equations. Be able to draw the Charging
voltage and current graphs for
resistor and • charge on the capacitor
and switch are
charging and discharging a • current in the circuit
Discharging wired in series
capacitor. • voltage across the capacitor
a Capacitor with a battery.
• voltage across the resistor.
RC Circuit
Given an RC circuits, solve for voltage, current and power immediately after the switch is closed and a long
time later.