Hints on Problem Solving
DURING THEANALYSIS of electric circuits, you will find yourself solving quite a few
problems.Anorganized approach helps. Listed beloware some useful guidelines:
1. Make a sketch (e.g., a circuit diagram), mark on it what you know, then identify
what it is that you are trying to determine. Watch for “implied data” such
as the phrase “the capacitor is initially uncharged”. (As you will find out
later, this means that the initial voltage on the capacitor is zero.) Be sure to
convert all implied data to explicit data.
2. Think through the problem to identify the principles involved, then look for
relationships that tie together the unknown and known quantities.
3. Substitute the known information into the selected equation(s) and solve for
the unknown. (For complex problems, the solution may require a series of
steps involving several concepts. If you cannot identify the complete set of
steps before you start, start anyway.As each piece of the solution emerges, you
are one step closer to the answer. You may make false starts. However, even
experienced people do not get it right on the first try every time. Note also that
there is seldom one “right” way to solve a problem. You may therefore come
up with an entirely different correct solution method than the authors do.)
4. Check the answer to see that it is sensible—that is, is it in the “right ballpark”?
Does it have the correct sign? Do the units match?
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