In the circuit shown, if the negative side of the battery is the common lead, which point has the highest potential voltage?

In the context of the given circuit, when the negative side of the battery is considered the common lead, we are essentially setting this point to zero volts, and all other potential voltages are measured relative to this common point.

The node that has the highest potential voltage will be the point that is closest to the positive terminal of the battery when considering the flow of current. In typical circuit configurations, the highest potential is found at the positive terminal of the battery or at a node connected to it via resistors.

If point 1 is identified as the location directly connected or closest to the positive terminal of the battery, it will have the highest potential relative to the common negative lead. Since electrical potential decreases as you move away from the positive terminal through resistors (like r1 and r2, assuming they are connected in a way that involves current flow), points further away will have lower voltages.

Thus, point 1 being the highest potential aligns with the understanding of voltage distribution in a circuit where the battery's characteristics dictate that the point nearest the positive side will exhibit the greatest voltage. The other points, depending on their arrangement in the circuit, will have lower voltages due to the resistive drop incurred as the current moves through the