Árammegmaradást

Árammegmaradást, often translated as conservation of electric current, is a fundamental principle in electrical circuit analysis. It states that the total electric current flowing into any junction or node in an electrical circuit must equal the total current flowing out of that junction. This principle is a direct consequence of the conservation of electric charge.

In simpler terms, electric charge cannot be created or destroyed within a circuit. When current flows, it represents the movement of charge. At any point where a circuit branches, the incoming charge must be distributed among the outgoing branches. Therefore, no charge accumulates at the junction, and none disappears. This means the sum of the currents entering a node is precisely equal to the sum of the currents leaving it.

This concept is often formalized as Kirchhoff's Current Law (KCL). Mathematically, for a node N, KCL can be expressed as the algebraic sum of all currents entering or leaving the node is zero. Currents entering the node are typically assigned a positive sign, while currents leaving are assigned a negative sign (or vice-versa, as long as the convention is consistent). The árammegmaradást principle is crucial for understanding how current behaves in complex circuits with multiple branches and is essential for solving for unknown currents in various circuit configurations. It applies to both direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) circuits.