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Calculate Electrical Resistance and Current

The document contains 15 physics problems related to electrical circuits and components. Problem 1 asks the student to calculate the resistance of a heating element given the potential difference and current. Problem 2 asks about the particles that flow in a metal wire carrying a current. Problem 3 asks the student to correctly draw the placement of a voltmeter in a circuit diagram.

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Ahmad Hurani
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
34 views11 pages

Calculate Electrical Resistance and Current

The document contains 15 physics problems related to electrical circuits and components. Problem 1 asks the student to calculate the resistance of a heating element given the potential difference and current. Problem 2 asks about the particles that flow in a metal wire carrying a current. Problem 3 asks the student to correctly draw the placement of a voltmeter in a circuit diagram.

Uploaded by

Ahmad Hurani
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

1

1 A small kettle has a potential difference (p.d.) of 12 V (d.c.) across its heating element. The current
in the heating element is 2.5 A.

Calculate the resistance of the heating element.

resistance of the heating element = ..............................................Ω [3]

[Total: 3]

2 A student determines the resistance of a piece of metal wire XY.


The diagram shows the wire connected in the circuit.

There is a current in the wire XY. State the name of the particles that flow through the wire.

.................................................................................................................................................. [1]

[Total: 1]
2

3 A student determines the resistance of a piece of metal wire XY.


The diagram shows the wire connected in the circuit.

The student measures the potential difference (p.d.) across the wire XY.
On the diagram show the voltmeter correctly connected. Use the correct symbol.
[1]

[Total: 1]
3

4 A student determines the resistance of a piece of metal wire XY.


The diagram shows the wire connected in the circuit.

The student removes wire XY and replaces it with another wire CD. Wire CD is the same length
and is made of the same material as wire XY, but thinner.

State any difference between the current in wire CD and the current in wire XY. Explain your answer.

..................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................. [2]

[Total: 2]

5 An electric circuit contains a battery.

State the unit used for the electromotive force (e.m.f.) of the battery.

.................................................................................................................................................. [1]

[Total: 1]

6 A student investigates the electrical resistance of some components.

The diagram shows the circuit used by the student. It is an incomplete diagram.
4

(a) State the term used for component Y.

........................................................................................................................................... [1]

(b) The student uses the circuit to measure the resistance of component Y.

Complete the diagram by adding electrical symbols to show an ammeter and a voltmeter
correctly connected to determine the resistance of component Y.
[3]

[Total: 4]

7 The p.d. across a lamp is 3.0 V and the current in it is 0.15 A.

Calculate the resistance of the lamp. Include the unit in your answer.

resistance of lamp = ..................... unit.....................


[4]

[Total: 4]

8 The power supply used in an electric vehicle contains 990 rechargeable cells each of electromotive
force (e.m.f.) 1.2 V.

The cells are contained in packs in which all the cells are in series with each other. The e.m.f. of
each pack is 54 V.

Calculate the number of packs in the power supply.

number of packs = .............................................. [2]


5

[Total: 2]

9 There is a current of 0.29 A in an electrical circuit.

Calculate the time taken for a charge of 15 C to flow through the electrical circuit.

time = .............................................. [3]

[Total: 3]

10 A light-emitting diode (LED) is a diode that emits light when there is a current in it.

The p.d. across a LED when lit is 3.1 V and the current in the LED is 0.030 A.

Calculate the value of the resistance of the LED when lit.

resistance = .............................................. [2]

[Total: 2]

11 There is a current of 3.0 A in a copper wire. Calculate how many electrons pass through the copper
–19
wire every 60 s. The charge on an electron is 1.6 × 10 C.

number of electrons = .............................................. [3]

[Total: 3]

12 The power supply used in an electric vehicle contains 990 rechargeable cells.

The cells are contained in packs. The e.m.f. of each pack is 54 V.

The packs are connected in parallel to supply a large current to drive the electric vehicle.

Explain why it is necessary to use thick wires to carry this current.

..................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................. [3]
6

[Total: 3]

13 The diagram shows an arrangement for making an electromagnet.

The switch is closed. The reading on the ammeter is 1.5 A.

Calculate the resistance of the circuit.

resistance = ..............................................Ω [3]

[Total: 3]

14 A wire of length 2.0 m and cross-sectional area 0.40 mm2 has a resistance of 0.14 Ω.

Calculate the resistance of another wire of the same material of length 3.0 m and cross-sectional
2
area 0.90 mm .

resistance = ..............................................Ω [4]


7

[Total: 4]

15 State what is meant by electromotive force(e.m.f.).

..................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................. [2]

[Total: 2]

16 When fully charged, a 1.2 V rechargeable battery can deliver a current of 210 mA for 10 hours.

(a) Calculate the charge that can be delivered by the fully charged battery.

charge = .............................................. [3]

(b) Calculate the energy stored in the battery when fully charged.

energy stored = .............................................. [2]

[Total: 5]

17 The diagram shows the current-potential difference graphs for a resistor and for a lamp.
8

(a) The potential difference (p.d.) applied to the resistor is increased. Tick the box that indicates
the effect on the resistance of the resistor.

resistance increases

resistance is constant

resistance decreases
[1]

(b) The potential difference (p.d.) applied to the lamp is increased. Tick the box that indicates the
effect on the resistance of the lamp.

resistance increases

resistance is constant

resistance decreases
[1]

[Total: 2]

18 The diagram shows current-potential difference graphs for a resistor and for a lamp.
9

(a) The p.d. across the lamp is 6.0 V. Calculate the resistance of the lamp.

resistance = .............................................. [2]

(b) The lamp and the resistor are connected in parallel to a 6.0 V supply.

Calculate the current from the supply.

current = .............................................. [2]

(c) The lamp and the resistor are connected in series to another power supply. The current in the
circuit is 4.0 A.

Calculate the total p.d. across the lamp and the resistor.

p.d. = .............................................. [2]

[Total: 6]
10

19 A student investigates how the resistance of a thermistor changes with temperature. The figure
shows the circuit that the student uses.

The student varies the temperature of the thermistor and records the ammeter readings. The results
are shown in the table below.

temperature of thermistor / °C 0 10 20 30 40 50

current in thermistor / mA 1.0 2.0 4.0 7.5 14.0 24.5

The potential difference (p.d.) across the thermistor is 6.0 V at 20 °C.

Calculate the resistance of the thermistor at 20 °C. Include the unit.

resistance = ....................................................... [4]

[Total: 4]
11

20 A defibrillator is a machine that sends an electrical charge through the heart of a patient whose
heart is not beating correctly. Doctors learn to use a defibrillator by practising on a medical dummy.

The diagram shows the two contacts of a defibrillator attached to a medical dummy.

–3 –4
The defibrillator passes a charge of 9.1 × 10 C through the medical dummy in 6.5 × 10 s.

Calculate the average current in the dummy.

current = .............................................. [2]

[Total: 2]

Common questions

Powered by AI

The flow of electrons through a wire constitutes the electrical current, with the current (I) being the rate of charge flow in coulombs per second. Electrons as charge carriers move from negative to positive terminals. For example, with a wire carrying 3.0A, the number of electrons passing through can be calculated using the number of charges per electron (1.6×10^-19 C), implying their critical role as carriers of charge and thus contributors to the current .

The average current passing through a medical dummy during defibrillator training can be calculated using the formula: I = Q/t, where I is current, Q is charge, and t is time. Given a charge of 9.1×10^–3C passing through in 6.5×10^–4s, the current is 9.1×10^–3C / 6.5×10^–4s = 14A .

Electromotive force (e.m.f.) provides a measure of the energy per unit charge supplied by a battery when delivering charge over time. When fully charged, a battery's e.m.f. together with current and time can calculate total charge and energy supplied, using Q=It (where Q is charge, I is current, T is time) and E=Q*V (where E is energy). For example, a 1.2V rechargeable battery delivering 210mA for 10 hours provides a charge of 0.210A * 10h * 3600s/h = 7560C, and an energy of 7560C * 1.2V = 9072J .

Reducing the cross-sectional area of a wire increases its resistance, according to the formula R = ρ(L/A), where ρ is the resistivity, L is the length, and A is the area of the wire. Thinner wire has a smaller cross-sectional area which increases resistance. Hence, for a wire of the same length and material, when the cross-sectional area is reduced, the resistance is higher. Consequently, according to Ohm's law (V = IR), a higher resistance will result in a lower current for the same applied voltage .

To determine the number of packs in the power supply, divide the total e.m.f. generated by the cells by the e.m.f. of each pack. If each cell has an e.m.f. of 1.2V and there are 990 cells connected to create an e.m.f of 54V per pack, then 54V/1.2V = 45 cells per pack. Consequently, the number of packs is 990 cells / 45 cells per pack = 22 packs .

Evaluating the necessity of thick wires in parallel circuits involves understanding current density and heat dissipation. Thick wires are necessary due to their ability to carry larger currents with minimal resistance. Thicker wires have a larger cross-sectional area which lowers resistance (since R = ρL/A), thus reducing the risk of overheating and ensuring efficient current flow. Minimizing resistance helps in managing the substantial amount of heat that is otherwise generated by high currents, preventing energy loss and potential damage .

Increasing the potential difference across a resistor does not alter its resistance because resistance is an intrinsic property of a material based on its physical dimensions and resistivity, not the applied voltage. As long as the resistor remains linear and obeys Ohm's Law, the resistance remains constant regardless of the potential difference applied across it .

An increase in potential difference typically causes an increase in the resistance of a lamp due to its filament heating up, which follows a non-linear resistance behavior unlike a resistor. As the voltage increases, the filament's temperature rises, increasing its resistivity and, thus, the overall resistance. In contrast, a resistor maintains a constant resistance with increased potential difference as it is designed to be linear and not significantly temperature-dependent within operational limits .

The resistance of a thermistor varies with temperature, typically decreasing as temperature increases. This property is used to design circuits where temperature monitoring is crucial, quantified by plotting resistance against temperature to create a characteristic curve. For instance, if the potential difference across a thermistor at 20°C is 6.0V and the current is measured, the resistance can be calculated using Ohm's Law (R = V/I), incorporating temperature data for quantification .

To determine the resistance of a heating element using the potential difference and current, Ohm's law is applied. Ohm's law states that the resistance (R) is equal to the potential difference (V) divided by the current (I), R = V/I. Applying this to a heating element with a potential difference of 12V and current of 2.5A, the resistance would be 12V / 2.5A = 4.8Ω .

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