Equivalent Electrical Circuits

otispunkmeyer

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Just a quick question some on here may know...

if i have a circuit which essentially is just resistors and capacitors in series... (i.e. res, cap, res, cap, res)

Can I simply add the values in the usual ways (1/Ct = 1/C1 + 1/C2.... and Rt = R1 + R2 + R3)? and arrive at an equivalent circuit with 1 cap and 1 res?
 
This does definitly not deserve it's own thread. Additionally, this section is called "Off topic", not "Do my homework".

EDIT: On a slightly less destructive note, if you want us to do your homework, ask a mod to merge this with Random Thoughts. All the engineering nerds read that thread anyway.
 
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I don't think so because having a resistor between the the capacitors is going to give a different voltage reading. However, if your meter can read capacitence, I bet you could place your leads on one capacitor and the other lead on the other capacitor and you'd get your answer.

Outside of just for solving the math, I can't see where this would be a useful circuit.
 
Nice an helpful there dick head. Knew I should of kept you on the ignore list. This isn't homework, just a curiosity that I would like to know sooner rather than later and whilst I google about, I thought I'd pop it up on here on the off chance some one who knows these things could answer and save me some time.

Please don't come back to this thread and tell me where and what I should be posting. That's not your job. If a mod wants to move it then fine, but it's not your call.

Edit: response to dr grip
 
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Could we refrain from calling people dick heads?
 
I'm not 100% sure, but I would not trust calculations or measurements in that kind of circuit. Not after 4 years studying mechatronics. :D
 
Nice an helpful there dick head. Knew I should of kept you on the ignore list. This isn't homework, just a curiosity that I would like to know sooner rather than later and whilst I google about, I thought I'd pop it up on here on the off chance some one who knows these things could answer and save me some time.

Please don't come back to this thread and tell me where and what I should be posting. That's not your job. If a mod wants to move it then fine, but it's not your call.

Edit: response to dr grip
See how I kept my response polite and on-topic despite our earlier clashes, or should I say your earlier unwarranted personal attacks on me?

At least you kept the "German/Nazi" tangent off your rant this time. Still I think your behaviour warrants cooler time but as you rightly pointed out, that's not my call.
 
See how I kept my response polite and on-topic despite our earlier clashes, or should I say your earlier unwarranted personal attacks on me?

At least you kept the "German/Nazi" tangent off your rant this time. Still I think your behaviour warrants cooler time but as you rightly pointed out, that's not my call.

if it had been me posting a question and you had repsonded like you did earlier i would consider it rather dickheadish. keep it civil
 
if it had been me posting a question and you had repsonded like you did earlier i would consider it rather dickheadish. keep it civil
The "homework" part was an, albeit misguided, attempt at humour. If he (or you) would have posted the question in Random Thoughts (just like everyone else does with questions of that type) I would not have said anything.
I just don't think we need three metric tons of seperate threads for everything, it makes reading the forum really annoying and time-consuming (see: Top Gear subforums).
 
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I'm not 100% sure, but I would not trust calculations or measurements in that kind of circuit. Not after 4 years studying mechatronics. :D

The order of elements is irrelevant, no? They all get the same current anyway.

If the order is irrelevant then you can sort an RCRC... circuit into an RR...CC... circuit and merge the Rs and Cs together using the traditional rules. All you have left is R'C'.
 
What bothers me is that the capacitors mess with the current, they take crap in, release it. You can calculate it, but it would only stand for lets say when the capacitors are full. When they discharge they would probably cause a disturbance.

Not claiming this, btw, just thinking out loud. :)
 
It's been years, but maybe think of your circuit in terms of impedance and see where that takes you?
 
Electrical Engineer to the rescueeeee..! :cool:




Uhh.. :unsure:
 
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