Final answer:
To determine the equivalent resistance at terminals a-b of a circuit using Thevenin's Theorem, one must first understand and apply Kirchhoff's laws, deactivate all independent sources, then combine resistances according to series and parallel rules to find the Thevenin equivalent resistance.
Step-by-step explanation:
In physics, specifically in the context of circuit analysis, Thevenin's Theorem is used to simplify complex circuits to a single voltage source and equivalent resistance. When asked to determine the equivalent resistance (Leq) at terminals a-b of a given circuit, one needs to follow several steps, where understanding Kirchhoff's laws is vital for analyzing the currents and voltages in the circuit.
By applying Kirchhoff's junction rule, one can address the currents at various junctions in the circuit to formulate equations that represent the flow of current. Similarly, Kirchhoff's loop rule helps derive equations based on the voltage around different loops within the circuit. These rules are the stepping stones towards applying Thevenin's Theorem.
First, you would deactivate all independent voltage sources by replacing them with a short circuit and independent current sources with an open circuit. After determining all resistances that are in series or parallel with one another, you would combine them per series-parallel combination rules to find the total resistance seen by terminals a-b, which is the Thevenin equivalent resistance.