Cathodic Protection Tester Practice Exam

What does the Current Law state about current flow?

1. Current must always increase in a closed circuit.

2. Current flows in a uniform rate across all components.

3. As much current flows away from a point as flows towards it.

4. Current is the same in all parallel branches.

The correct answer is: As much current flows away from a point as flows towards it.

The Current Law, specifically the principle related to the conservation of charge, asserts that at any junction in an electrical circuit, the amount of current flowing into that junction must equal the amount of current flowing out. This is based on the idea that charge cannot be created or destroyed in an isolated system. Therefore, as much current flows away from a particular point in the circuit as flows towards it, maintaining a balance. In a practical context, this means that if there's a point where multiple wires meet (like a node), measuring the sum of the current entering that node should yield the same value as the sum of the current leaving that node. This concept is crucial in circuit analysis and helps ensure that calculations regarding current distribution across various components are accurate. The other options reflect misunderstandings or oversimplifications of how current behaves in different circuit configurations. For example, while current can vary in closed circuits based on resistance, it does not perpetually increase as stated in the first option. The notion of uniform current flow across components is not always applicable, especially in systems with varying resistance. Lastly, while current does split in parallel branches, the amount of current in each branch generally differs depending on their resistances, making the claim of uniformity incorrect.