A portion of a circuit is illustrated in the figure. If there is a current of 12 mA in the 5 k resistor, determine the currents in the remaining three resistors and the potential difference between points A and B .

Step-by-step solution

The total current entering the circuit is I = 12 mA , which flows through the 5 k resistor. This current splits into the parallel combination of 20 k and 10 k resistors. Using the current divider rule: Current in the 20 k resistor is I₂₀ = I 10 20 + 10 = 12 10 30 = 4 mA . Current in the 10 k resistor is I₁₀ = I 20 20 + 10 = 12 20 30 = 8 mA . The currents recombine, so the total current of 12 mA flows through the 100 k resistor. The equivalent resistance of the circuit between A and B is: R_ eq = 5 + ( 20 10 20 + 10