CHAPTER 3: ELECTRIC CURRENT AND DIRECT-CURRENT CIRCUITS

3.1) Electrical Conduction

1. If a current of 80.0  exists in a metal wire, (a) how many electrons flow past a given cross section of the wire in 10.0  ? (b) In what
direction do the electrons travel with respect to the current?
[Ans: (a) 3.00  10 electrons (b) the direction opposite to the current]
2. A 200-km-long high-voltage transmission line 2.0  in diameter carries a steady current of 1 000 . If the conductor is copper with a
free charge density of 8.5  10 electrons per cubic meter, how many years does it take one electron to travel the full length of the cable?
[Ans: 27 ]

3.2) Ohms Law And Resistivity

3. A potential difference of 12  is found to produce a current of 0.40  in a 3.2-m length of wire with a uniform radius of 0.40 . What is
(a) the resistance of the wire? (b) The resistivity of the wire?
[Ans: (a) 30 (b) 4.7  10 ]
4. A wire of initial length  and radius  has a measured resistance of 1.0 . The wire is drawn under tensile stress to a new uniform radius
of   0.25 . What is the new resistance of the wire?
[Ans: 256 ]

3.3) Variation Of Resistance With Temperature

5. The nichrome heating element of an electric heater is 15.0 when it is at a temperature of 1450 . The temperature coefficient of
resistance of nichrome is 0.4  10  ! . What is the resistance of the heating element at the room temperature of 30 ?
[Ans: "

 9.57 ]

6. The resistance of the tungsten filament of a bulb at 30  is 1.15 . Under normal operating conditions, the current in the filament is
0.30  when a voltage of 3.00  is maintained across the bulb. If the temperature coefficient of resistance of tungsten is 4.5  10 , what is
the working temperature of the bulb?
[Ans: $  1740 ]

3.4) Electromotive Force (emf), Internal Resistance And Potential Difference

7. A battery having an emf of 9.00  delivers 117  when connected to a 72.0 load. Determine the internal resistance of the battery.
[Ans: 4.92 ]

3.5) Electrical Energy And Power

8. What minimum number of 75-& light bulbs must be connected in parallel to a single 120- household circuit to trip a 30.0- circuit
breaker?
[Ans: 48 lightbulbs]
9. A heating element in a stove is designed to dissipate 3 000 & when connected to 240 . (a) Assuming the resistance is constant, calculate
the current in the heating element if it is connected to 120 . (b) Calculate the power it dissipates at that voltage.
[Ans: (a) 6.25  (b) 750 &]
10. A voltage ' is applied to a series configuration of resistors, each of resistance ". The circuit components are reconnected in a parallel
!
configuration, and voltage ' is again applied. Show that the power consumed by the series configuration is ) times the power consumed
(
by the parallel configuration.

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3.6) Resistors In Series And Parallel

11. (a) Find the equivalent resistance between points a and b in Figure above. (b) Calculate the current in each resistor if a potential
difference of 34.0  is applied between points a and b.
[Ans: (a) 17.1 (b) 1.99  for 4.00 and 9.00 , 1.17  for 7.00 , 0.820  for 10.0 ]
12. Two resistors connected in series have an equivalent resistance of 690 . When they are connected in parallel, their equivalent resistance
is 150 . Find the resistance of each resistor.
[Ans: 470 and 220 ]

13. Consider the circuit shown in Figure above. Find:

(a) the potential difference between points a and b and
(b) the current in the 20.0- resistor.
[Ans: (a) 5.68  (b) 0.227 ]

14. The resistance between terminals a and b in Figure above is 75 . If the resistors labeled R have the same value, determine R.
[Ans: 55 ]

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15. Find the current in the 12- resistor in Figure above.

[Ans: 0.43 ]
16. (a) You need a 45- resistor, but the stockroom has only 20- and 50- resistors. How can the desired resistance be achieved under
these circumstances?
(b) What can you do if you need a 35- resistor?
[Ans: (a) Connect two 50- resistors in parallel, and then connect this combination in series with a 20- resistor. (b) Connect two 50-
resistors in parallel, connect two 20- resistors in parallel, and then connect these two combinations in series with each other.]

17. Find (a) the equivalent resistance of the circuit in Figure above, (b) each current in the circuit, (c) the potential difference across each
resistor, and (d) the power dissipated by each resistor.
[Ans: (a) 15 (b) *!  1.0 , *  *  0.50 , *  0.30 , and *+  0.20  (c) ,V/01  6.0 , ,V/12  1.2 , ,V/23  ,V/43 
1.8 , ,V/13  3.0 , ,V/35  6.0  (d) 601  6.0 &, 612  0.60 &, 623  0.54 &, 643  0.36 &, 613  1.5 &, 635  6.0 &]
18. When two unknown resistors are connected in series with a battery, the battery delivers 225 & and carries a total current of 5.00 . For
the same total current, 50.0 & is delivered when the resistors are connected in parallel. Determine the value of each resistor.
[Ans: 6.00 , 3.00 ]

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19. The equivalent resistance between terminal A and B in the circuit shown in Figure above is:
[Ans: 1 ]

3.7) Kirchhoffs Laws

20. The ammeter shown in Figure above reads 2.00 . Find *! , * , and 7.
[Ans: 0.714 , 1.29 , 12.6 ]

21. Using Kirchhoffs rules, (a) find the current in each resistor shown in Figure above and (b) find the potential difference between points c
and f.
[Ans: (a) 0.385 , 3.08 , 2.69  (b) 69.2 , with  at the higher potential]

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22. (a) Can the circuit shown in Figure above be reduced to a single resistor connected to the batteries? Explain.
(b) Calculate each of the unknown currents I1, I2, and I3 for the circuit.
[Ans: (a) No. The only simplification is to note that the 2.0- and 4.0- resistors are in series and add to a resistance of 6.0 . Likewise, the
5.0- and 1.0- resistors are in series and add to a resistance of 6.0 . The circuit cannot be simplified any further. Kirchhoffs rules must
be used to analyze the circuit. (b) *!  3.5 , *  2.5 , *  1.0 ]

23. (a) Can the circuit shown in Figure above be reduced to a single resistor connected to the batteries? Explain. (b) Find the magnitude of
the current and its direction in each resistor.
[Ans: (a) No. The multiloop circuit cannot be simplified any further. Kirchhoffs rules must be used to analyze the circuit. (b) *
directed to the right, *+  0.118  directed to the right, *  0.471  directed to the left.]

 0.353 

24. Find the potential difference across each resistor in Figure above.

[Ans:   3.05 ,   4.57 ,   7.38 , +  1.62 ]

3.8) Potential Divider
3.9) Potentiometer And Wheatstone Bridge

25. Figure (a) shows a cell of e.m.f. 1.50  connected to a potentiometer. The balanced length is 52.0 .

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In Figure (b), the potential difference across the 20 resistor is connected to the same potentiometer as in Figure (a). The balanced length
is now 68.5 . What is the current in the 20 resistor?
[Ans: 98.8 ]

26. In the circuit shown in the Figure above, the e.m.f. of the cell 8! is 2.0  and its internal resistance is negligible. The length of the wire
is 100 . When the switch S is opened, the balanced length PJ is 75.0 . When the switch S is closed, the balanced length is 65.0 .
Calculate:
(a) The e.m.f. of cell 8 ,
(b) The internal resistance of cell 8 .
[Ans: (a) 1.5  (b) 0.615 ]

27. In the circuit shown above, the e.m.f. of the cells 8! and 8 are 12.0  and 3.0  respectively. The internal resistance of cell 8 is 2.0 .
The slide wire PQ is 100  long and its resistance is 5.0 . The balanced length PJ  60.0 . Calculate the internal resistance of cell 8! .
[Ans: 7.0 ]

28. In the circuit shown above, the length of the slide wire PQ is 100 . Cells 8! and 8 have the same e.m.f and negligible internal
resistance.
Calculate the balanced length PJ:
(a) When X is connected to Y,
(b) When X is connected to Z.
[Ans: (a) 50.0  (b) 80.0 ]

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29. The Figure above shows a potentiometer. The length of the slide wire is 1.0  and its resistance is 2.0 . The battery of e.m.f 4.0  has
negligible internal resistance. The resistance of the rheostat " is 2.4 . Find the balanced length AC.
The resistance of the rheostat " is changed to 1.0 . The cell of e.m.f 1.5  and galvanometer are removed and substituted with a voltmeter
of resistance 20 . What is the voltmeter reading when the slider touches the mid-point of the wire AB?
[Ans: 0.825 , 1.29 ]

30. A potentiometer is used to measure the e.m.f of a thermocouple as shown in the Figure above. The e.m.f of the driver cell D is 2.00 
and the resistance of the slide wire PQ is 5.0 . The balanced length is 0.600  when the e.m.f of the thermocouple is 6.00 . What is the
value of the resistance "?
[Ans: 995 ]

31. Two cells, A and B, and a galvanometer G are connected to a slide wire OQ using two sliders X and Y as shown.
The length of the wire OQ is 1.0  and its resistance is 12 . If OY  75.0 , the galvanometer is balanced when OX  50.0 . When
the slider Y touches the end Q of the wire, the galvanometer is balanced when OX  62.5 . The e.m.f of the cell B is 1.0 .
(a) When OY  75.0 , what is the potential difference across OY?
(b) When the slider Y touches the point Q, what is the potential difference across OQ?
(c) Calculate the e.m.f of cell A and its internal resistance.
[Ans: (a) 1.5  (b) 1.6  (c) 2.0 , 3.0 ]

32. In the circuit shown above, the e.m.f of the cell 8 is 2.0  and its internal resistance is negligible. The wire AB is 100  long and its
resistance is 5.0 . The e.m.f of the cell X is 1.5 , and its internal resistance is 0.8 .
(a) What is the length of AP when the galvanometer is balanced?
(b) If a 1.0 resistor is connected in series with the cell 8, what is the balanced length?
(c) If the 1.0 resistor is transferred from being in series with 8 to being in series with cell X, what is the balanced length?
(d) If the 1.0 resistor is now connected in parallel with the cell X, what is the balanced length?
[Ans: (a) 75.0  (b) 90.0  (c) 75.0  (d) 41.7 ]

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33. In the potentiometer circuit shown in the Figure above, the length of the slide wire 9 is 1.00 . The e.m.f of cell 8! is 2.0  and its
internal resistance is negligible. 8 is a cell of e.m.f 1.1  and its internal resistance is 1.0 . "!  1.0 and "  2.0 . The two-way
switch :! can be connected to ; or <. Calculate the balance length for each of the positions of switch :! , when:
(a) : is opened,
(b) : is closed.
[Ans: (a) :! at ;  55.0 . Potentiometer measures e.m.f 8 . :! at <: 55.0 .
(b) :! at ;  27.5 , >? measured.------- :! at <  41.25 , >?@>) measured]

34. For each of the circuit above, determine whether the galvanometer G is balanced?
[Ans: (a) No (b), (c), (d), (e): Yes]

35. In the metre bridge circuit shown in the Figure above, the resistances of 6 and A are 5 and 3 respectively.
(a) When a length of wire is connected in parallel with the resistor 6, the balance point is 0.527  from A. What is the resistance of the
length of wire?
(b) If the wire is of length 0.75  and diameter 0.25 , calculate the resistivity of the wire.
[Ans: (a) 10.08 (b) 6.6  10B ]

36. In the circuit shown above, what is the ammeter reading? Explain your answer.
[Ans: Zero]

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