Simple circuit concept question

[RESmonkey]

Thanks esun

 

[esun]

You got your inductors mixed up with capacitors.

A discharged capacitor initially acts like a short circuit (i.e., current will freely flow through it), then eventually settles to an open circuit (i.e., no current flows).

An inductor acts in the opposite manner. Initially, it looks like an open circuit, since the magnetic field generates a current that opposes the applied current. However, after this initial transient response the inductor eventually looks like a short circuit. (This assumes no current is flowing initially, as the problem states.)

So when the circuit initially turns on, the inductors look like open circuits, so you can just imagine removing them from the circuit and leaving the wires they're attached to unconnected. After that you're just left with E in series with R1 and R2, meaning you'll have a current of 16 V / 18 Ohms = 8/9 Amps.

 

[RESmonkey]

OHhhhh haha that's right; I just did a bunch of RC Circuit q's the other day and didn't even notice these inductors aren't the same thing XD

Thanks