Considering a static approach, the electric current in a conductor material flows along the path that has the lowest resistance. In the dynamic approach (alternating current), this path is defined by the smallest impedance, which depends not only on the resistance but also on the inductive and capacitive reactance. In this way, the variation of the frequency of the current may change the path that it follows in a plane conductor, once the reactances will be important in the lowest impedance path. This effect is well known and widely used for the construction of filters and oscillators. In this work, this effect will be analyzed using electromagnetic simulation as well as experimentally, with an easily constructed educational model.
Keywords:
current return path; ground plane; electric current; impedance
