27:
83:
three paths of approximately equal resistance, the majority of the current will flow down one of the three paths. However, due to electrons repelling each other, the total path of least resistance is in fact to have approximate equal current flowing through each path. The reason for this is that three paths made of equally conductive wire will have a total resistance that is one-third of the single path. In conclusion, the current is always distributed over all possible paths inversely proportional to their resistance.
48:
38:
is the physical or metaphorical pathway that provides the least resistance to forward motion by a given object or entity, among a set of alternative paths. The concept is often used to describe why an object or entity takes a given path. The way in which water flows is often given as an example for
82:
In electrical circuits, for example, the current always follows all available paths, and in some simple cases the "path of least resistance" will take up most of the current, but this will not be generally true in even slightly more complicated circuits. It may seem for example, that if there are
97:
The path of least resistance applies on a local, not global, reference. For example, water always flows downhill, regardless of whether briefly flowing uphill will help it gain a lower final altitude (with certain exceptions such as
71:
that can sometimes, in very simple situations, describe approximately what happens. It is an approximation of the tendency to the least energy state. Other examples are "what goes up must come down" (
90:
for personal effort or confrontation; a person taking the path of least resistance avoids these. In library science and technical writing, information is ideally arranged for users according to the
86:
The path of least resistance is also used to describe certain human behaviors, although with much less specificity than in the strictly physical sense. In these cases, resistance is often used as a
79:). But these simple descriptions are not derived from laws of physics and in more complicated cases these heuristics will fail to give even approximately correct results.
190:
26:
212:
76:
133:
91:
148:
123:
138:
128:
186:
180:
51:
Bicycle traffic barrier used to slow down cyclists circumvented by a detour in the form of a
143:
111:
20:
158:
94:, or the "path of least resistance". Recursive navigation systems are an example of this.
47:
107:
206:
68:
153:
52:
161:(Psychological tendency of people to think and solve problems in simple ways.)
99:
64:
114:
is stored because of a barrier restricting flow to a lower energy state.
87:
72:
60:
103:
46:
25:
19:
For the song "Path of Least
Resistance" by Modest Mouse, see
106:). In physics, this phenomenon allows the formation of
55:, thereby showing a literal path of least resistance
8:
182:Cage, The: Must, Should, and Ought from Is
30:Hikers choose the easy way to cross hills
171:
63:, the "path of least resistance" is a
7:
75:) and "heat goes from hot to cold" (
179:David Weissman (1 February 2012).
16:Concept in physics and mathematics
14:
1:
77:second law of thermodynamics
229:
185:. SUNY Press. p. 68.
18:
134:Principle of least action
92:principle of least effort
36:path of least resistance
213:Calculus of variations
149:Natural lines of drift
124:Calculus of variations
56:
31:
139:Variational principle
129:Mountain pass theorem
50:
29:
57:
32:
192:978-0-7914-8119-6
220:
197:
196:
176:
144:Gradient descent
112:potential energy
21:Sad Sappy Sucker
228:
227:
223:
222:
221:
219:
218:
217:
203:
202:
201:
200:
193:
178:
177:
173:
168:
159:Cognitive miser
120:
108:potential wells
45:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
226:
224:
216:
215:
205:
204:
199:
198:
191:
170:
169:
167:
164:
163:
162:
156:
151:
146:
141:
136:
131:
126:
119:
116:
44:
41:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
225:
214:
211:
210:
208:
194:
188:
184:
183:
175:
172:
165:
160:
157:
155:
152:
150:
147:
145:
142:
140:
137:
135:
132:
130:
127:
125:
122:
121:
117:
115:
113:
109:
105:
101:
95:
93:
89:
84:
80:
78:
74:
70:
66:
62:
54:
49:
42:
40:
37:
28:
22:
181:
174:
96:
85:
81:
69:folk physics
58:
35:
33:
154:Desire path
100:superfluids
53:desire path
43:Description
166:References
39:the idea.
65:heuristic
207:Category
118:See also
110:, where
88:metaphor
104:siphons
73:gravity
61:physics
189:
67:from
187:ISBN
102:and
34:The
59:In
209::
195:.
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.