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enter image description here

What does the curved arrow represent? The answer states that L1 will be dimmer than L2.

From my current knowledge, moving the contact K closer to X will somehow increase the voltage of L2 meaning it will glow brighter than that of L1 ( But how? ). In addition how does this circuit even work? How does the current flow through that curved arrow?

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The junction between L1 and L2 and k can be represented as the same point as they will have the same potential And as resistance is directly proportional to length of the wire, decreasing the length of a wire results in decrease of resistance When k is moved towards x, the length KX decreases resulting in decrease in resistance of the L1-R1 system that decreases the potential difference accross LQ resulting in dimming of L1enter image description here

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  • $\begingroup$ Isn't the wire from the middle of the bulbs to point K both part of the L1-R1 and L2-R2 system, so how does the current flow through it? It seems like the current should go both up and down at the same time which is not possible. $\endgroup$
    – Quin Gardiner Bax
    Commented Aug 26, 2022 at 19:25
  • $\begingroup$ In your simplified diagram how did you manage to split point K and add a line in the middle? Why can we do this? $\endgroup$
    – Quin Gardiner Bax
    Commented Aug 26, 2022 at 19:27
  • $\begingroup$ Okay so the squiggly line is basically a conducting wire right? $\endgroup$
    – Chinmay Dubey
    Commented Aug 27, 2022 at 1:56
  • $\begingroup$ So we can just arbitrarily vary it's length because it 's length doesn't change the way the circuit will behave, so if you just join both ends of K it won't affect the circuit You can do it in any circuit diagram with conducting wires $\endgroup$
    – Chinmay Dubey
    Commented Aug 27, 2022 at 1:58
  • $\begingroup$ An intuitive way to think how the current will behave through the squiggly wire: current will go through the system with least resistance. $\endgroup$
    – Chinmay Dubey
    Commented Aug 27, 2022 at 2:57

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