[Jprogramming] Basic Question about the J Circuit Analysis Lab

[Raul Miller]

On Tue, Oct 4, 2011 at 1:38 PM, Binayak Banerjee
<binayak.banerjee at gmail.com> wrote:
> I started looking at the Circuit Analysis lab that was included in the J
> Software release.  However, I'm having a problem understanding the basic
> axioms underlying the treatment..
>
> 1. The first axiom is that the algebraic sum of the currents flowing into
> and out of a "terminal" is 0.  I take this as Kirchoff's current law, and
> have no issue with this.
>
> 2. The second axiom states that if the voltage reference is changed, the
> current is unaffected.  <-- This I don't follow.

Voltage reference would be the value of electrical potential we
consider as "0 volts".

> The lab later states that "voltage vectors which differ by a scalar map to
> the same current".  Again, I'm not sure I follow.

This is a restatement of the same principle that you asked about
above:  Let's say we have a circuit with four nodes.  Let's say the
voltages at those nodes are 84 54 63 42.  Now let's say we subtracted
54 from the voltage at each node -- the current would not change.

I hope this helps,

-- 
Raul