Work through the list without notes. If you cannot do a statement, follow its link, then come back. Guide = study guide; Practice = practice questions.
Understanding
- I can state the junction rule and explain that it follows from conservation of charge. (Guide: “Charge cannot pile up at a junction”)
- I can link the rule to charge per unit time, using I = dq/dt. (Practice Q3)
- I can explain why the rule still holds while a capacitor charges, and where the charge actually collects. (Guide: “The calculus view”; Practice Q4)
- I can explain why the same current enters and leaves every element in a branch. (Guide: “Using the rule”)
- I can say which conservation law each Kirchhoff rule comes from. (Guide: “Common misconceptions”)
Calculation and skills
- I can write a junction equation with assumed directions and interpret a negative answer. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Q1)
- I can apply the rule to a closed region round several junctions as a check. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Q4)
- I can combine N − 1 junction equations with loop equations to find every branch current. (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice Q5)
- I can write the junction rule in terms of node potentials and solve for unknown potentials. (Guide: “The same circuit with node potentials”; Practice Q7)
- I can plan a measurement that tests the junction rule, with ammeters placed correctly, and analyse it with a straight-line graph. (Guide: “Testing the junction rule in the lab”; Practice Q6)
Reasoning
- I can predict how current divides between branches of different resistance. (Practice Q2)
- I can check a circuit solution with an equivalent resistance or an energy balance. (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice Q5)
- I can explain why a bridge circuit cannot be reduced to series and parallel parts, and find its equivalent resistance from the junction rule. (Practice Q7)
All ticked? Move on to Topic 11.8, Resistor-Capacitor (RC) Circuits, or return to the course roadmap.