Electricity and Magnetism

Chapter 21

DC Circuits M´elange

In this chapter, we shall discuss diverse aspects of direct current [ DC ] electric circuits.

First, we consider how the connectedness of the components of a network dictates its overall

properties. Earlier chapters strongly suggested that this was the case for networks comprised

entirely of capacitors [Chapter 13] and resistors [Chapter 20]. Second, we develop a more

realistic model of a battery, accounting for the observation that its supply voltage tends to

decrease as its current drain increases. Third, we expose a serendipitous offshoot of this

development, the notion of impedance matching , when we employ the improv ...