card9inal:
Hello all,I have a question about current. I should know this. I really should, but for some reason my mind is blanking.
A circuit will only draw current that is needed, correct? So, a 5V supply at 1.6A won't actually be pushing out 1.6A of current if the circuit is simply a 150ohm resistor in series with the supply.
Correct, but if could be said that the single resistor is wired in parallel with the supplies output, or 'across' the power supplies output. Saying something is in series or parallel usually means in context of additional components in the network as well as the voltage source. Nit picking perhaps, but anyway only .03333.....amps would flow through the 150 ohm resistor, even though the power supply is capable of suppling up to 1.6 amps of current. Ohm's law tells us that a voltage source (your power supply) cannot 'push out' current, but rather the load resistance determines how much current will be drawn from the voltage source.
It would be I=V/R. Add up all the resistances in a more complex circuit and I have my R. So for a circuit with 5kohms resistance and a 5V supply, 3mA.
Check your math, I get 1mA of current using those values?
Is that right?
You understanding is correct, your math skills needs work.
Lefty
