why does the voltage across the thermistor and resistor add up to the voltage of the battery?
thanks :)
The voltage across the thermistor and resistor adds up to the voltage of the battery due to the principle of voltage division in a series circuit. In a series circuit, the total voltage provided by the battery is shared across all the components.
To understand how this works, let's consider the circuit diagram. We have a battery connected in series with a thermistor and a resistor. The positive terminal of the battery is connected to one end of the thermistor, and the other end of the thermistor is connected to one end of the resistor. The other end of the resistor is then connected to the negative terminal of the battery.
When a current flows through a resistor, there is a voltage drop across it. The voltage drop across a resistor is directly proportional to the current passing through it. This relationship is described by Ohm's law, V = IR, where V is the voltage across the resistor, I is the current flowing through it, and R is the resistance of the resistor.
In our circuit, when current flows through the thermistor and resistor, there will be a voltage drop across each component according to their respective resistances. The thermistor and resistor are connected in series, meaning the same current passes through both components.
Now, according to Kirchhoff's voltage law, the sum of the voltage drops across all the components in a series circuit must be equal to the total voltage provided by the battery. Mathematically, we can represent this as:
V_battery = V_thermistor + V_resistor
So, the voltage across the thermistor and resistor adds up to the voltage of the battery due to the principles of voltage division and Kirchhoff's voltage law.