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Simple electronics question

F

futuristicmonkey

Golden Member
Hello. I'm doing a little experiment involving electroplating.

In each jar, where the reactions will be taking place, I want 3 volts. Normally I'd be using two "D" Cell batteries - but I received a power supply from my school.

I have the power supply hooked up to a small solderless circuit board, which I will use to distribute the current. The circuits going through each jar will be hooked up in parallel.

Due to Kirchhoff's Law of Voltage:
No matter how many paths into and out of a single point all the current leaving that point must equal the current arriving at that point.
Click to expand...

If I want 3 volts going through each jar, should I set the power supply to output 6 volts, which will be distributed evenly to each circuit?
 
That's Kirchoff's Current Law. The voltage law says that the sum of voltage changes around any closed loop in a circuit will be 0.

And no, when you hook circuits up in parallel, the CURRENT is split, not the voltage. Set your PS to 3 volts.

That said, wtf are you trying to do in each jar? 😕
 
Originally posted by: futuristicmonkey
I have the power supply hooked up to a small solderless circuit board, which I will use to distribute the current. The circuits going through each jar will be hooked up in parallel.

Due to Kirchhoff's Law of Voltage:
No matter how many paths into and out of a single point all the current leaving that point must equal the current arriving at that point.
Click to expand...

If I want 3 volts going through each jar, should I set the power supply to output 6 volts, which will be distributed evenly to each circuit?
Click to expand...

Voltage != Current

If they're in parallel, the input voltage will equal the voltage accross both jars. Give it 3 Volts and 3 volts will go to both jars.
 
Well, actually it depends on the resistance through the jars of whatever you have. It's possible for there to be a noticeable potential difference across the length of the wire. In the real world, wire isn't ideal - it has a resistance. Why don't you just get a multimeter and check?
 
Well, I did. But I was also using an LED as a pilot light. I was going to ask about that in the OP, but I just thought to not use it. I was actually using two dmm's - one i got from school, and one I bought today. I got conflicting answers, and I had to go eat, so I didnt think too much about what I was doing.

I just got lazy, and decided to ask here.
 
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