# Node (circuits)

In electrical engineering, a node is any point on a circuit where the terminals of two or more circuit elements meet. In circuit diagrams, connections are ideal wires with zero resistance, so a node may consist of the entire section of wire between elements, not just a single point.[1]

Each color in the circuit represents one node.

According to Ohm's law, V = IR, the voltage across any two points of a node with negligible resistance is

${\displaystyle V=IR=I\cdot 0=0,}$

showing that the voltage at every point of a node is the same. However, there are some notable exceptions where the voltage difference is large enough to become significant:

Dots used to mark nodes on a circuit diagram are sometimes referred to as meatballs. [2]

## References

1. ^ Smith, Ralph J. (1966), Circuits, Devices and Systems, Chapter 2, John Wiley & Sons, Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 66-17612
2. ^ Mansfield, Michael; O'Sullivan, Colm (2010), Understanding Physics (2nd edition), Chapter 14, page 359, John Wiley & Sons