International Liberty School High School

American
Department

Weekly packet (1)

Name: ____________________________
Class: ____________________________

1. The current through a lightbulb connected across the terminals of a 120-V outlet is
0.50 A. At what rate does the bulb convert electric energy to light?

2. A car battery causes a current of 2.0 A through a lamp while 12 V is across it. What is
the power used by the lamp?

Answer:

3. What is the current through a 75-W lightbulb connected to a 120-V outlet?

Answer:

4. The current through the starter motor of a car is 210 A. If the battery keeps 12 V
across the motor, what electric energy is delivered to the starter in 10.0 s?

Answer:

(2024-2025) G.12 First Trimester

 International Liberty School High School
American
Department

5. An automobile headlight with a resistance of 30 Ω is placed across a 12-V battery.

What is the current through the circuit?

Answer:

6. A motor with an operating resistance of 32 Ω is connected to a voltage source. The

current in the circuit is 3.8 A. What is the voltage of the source?

Answer:

7. A transistor radio uses 2 x 10-4 A of current when it is operated by a 3.0-V battery.

What is the resistance of the radio circuit?

Answer:

8. A 75-W lamp is connected to 120 V.

a. What is the current through the lamp?
b. What is the resistance of the lamp?

Answer:

(2024-2025) G.12 First Trimester

 International Liberty School High School
American
Department

(2024-2025) G.12 First Trimester

 International Liberty School High School
American
Department

Homework:

Practice A number 3-6 page 650

Practice B number 2-4 page 655
Section review number 1-5 page 656

(2024-2025) G.12 First Trimester

 Substitute the equivalent resistance value into the equation for current.
∆V 9.0 V
I =  = 
Req 18.0 Ω

I = 0.50 A

4. EVALUATE For resistors connected in series, the equivalent resistance should be greater
than the largest resistance in the circuit.
18.0 Ω > 7.0 Ω

PRACTICE A

Resistors in Series

1. A 12.0 V storage battery is connected to three resistors, 6.75 Ω, 15.3 Ω,

and 21.6 Ω, respectively. The resistors are joined in series.
a. Calculate the equivalent resistance.
b. What is the current in the circuit?
2. A 4.0 Ω resistor, an 8.0 Ω resistor, and a 12.0 Ω resistor are
connected in series with a 24.0 V battery.
a. Calculate the equivalent resistance.
b. Calculate the current in the circuit.
c. What is the current in each resistor?
3. Because the current in the equivalent resistor of Sample Problem A
is 0.50 A, it must also be the current in each resistor of the original
circuit. Find the potential difference across each resistor.
4. A series combination of two resistors, 7.25 Ω and 4.03 Ω, is connected
to a 9.00 V battery.
a. Calculate the equivalent resistance of the circuit and the current.
b. What is the potential difference across each resistor?
5. A 7.0 Ω resistor is connected in series with another resistor and a 4.5 V
battery. The current in the circuit is 0.60 A. Calculate the value of the
unknown resistance.
6. Several light bulbs are connected in series across a 115 V source
of emf.
a. What is the equivalent resistance if the current in the circuit is 1.70 A?
b. If each light bulb has a resistance of 1.50 Ω, how many light bulbs are
in the circuit?

650 Chapter 18
 Substitute that equivalent resistance value in the equation for current.
∆Vtot 9.0 V
I =  =  CALCULATOR SOLUTION
Req 0.917 Ω
The calculator answer is 9.814612868,
I = 9.8 A but because the potential difference,
9.0 V, has only two significant digits,
the answer is reported as 9.8 A.
4. EVALUATE For resistors connected in parallel, the equivalent
resistance should be less than the smallest resistance.
0.917 Ω < 2.0 Ω

PRACTICE B

Resistors in Parallel

1. The potential difference across the equivalent resistance in Sample Prob-

lem B equals the potential difference across each of the individual paral-
lel resistors. Calculate the value for the current in each resistor.
2. A length of wire is cut into five equal pieces. The five pieces are then con-
nected in parallel, with the resulting resistance being 2.00 Ω. What was
the resistance of the original length of wire before it was cut up?
3. A 4.0 Ω resistor, an 8.0 Ω resistor, and a 12.0 Ω resistor are connected in
parallel across a 24.0 V battery.
a. What is the equivalent resistance of the circuit?
b. What is the current in each resistor?
4. An 18.0 Ω, 9.00 Ω, and 6.00 Ω resistor are connected in parallel to an emf
source. A current of 4.00 A is in the 9.00 Ω resistor.
a. Calculate the equivalent resistance of the circuit.
b. What is the potential difference across the source?
c. Calculate the current in the other resistors.

Parallel circuits do not require all elements to conduct

What happens when a bulb burns out in a string of decorative lights that is
wired in parallel? There is no current in that branch of the circuit, but each of
the parallel branches provides a separate alternative pathway for current.
Thus, the potential difference supplied to the other branches and the current
in these branches remain the same, and the bulbs in these branches remain lit.

Circuits and Circuit Elements 655

 When resistors are wired in parallel with an emf source, the potential dif-
Did you know? ference across each resistor always equals the potential difference across the
Because the potential difference source. Because household circuits are arranged in parallel, appliance manu-
provided by a wall outlet in a home facturers are able to standardize their design, producing devices that all oper-
in North America is not the same as
ate at the same potential difference. As a result, manufacturers can choose the
the potential difference that is stand-
resistance to ensure that the current will be neither too high nor too low for
ard on other continents, appliances
made in North America are not the internal wiring and other components that make up the device.
always compatible with wall outlets Additionally, the equivalent resistance of several parallel resistors is less
in homes on other continents. than the resistance of any of the individual resistors. Thus, a low equivalent
resistance can be created with a group of resistors of higher resistances.

SECTION REVIEW

1. Two resistors are wired in series. In another circuit, the same two resistors
are wired in parallel. In which circuit is the equivalent resistance greater?
2. A 5 Ω, a 10 Ω, and a 15 Ω resistor are connected in series.
a. Which resistor has the most current in it?
b. Which resistor has the largest potential difference across it?
3. A 5 Ω, a 10 Ω, and a 15 Ω resistor are connected in parallel.
a. Which resistor has the most current in it?
b. Which resistor has the largest potential difference across it?
4. Find the current in and potential difference across each of the resistors in
the following circuits:
a. a 2.0 Ω and a 4.0 Ω resistor wired in series with a 12 V source
b. a 2.0 Ω and a 4.0 Ω resistor wired in parallel with a 12 V source
5. Interpreting Graphics The brightness of a bulb depends only on
the bulb’s resistance and on the potential difference across it. A bulb with
a greater potential difference dissipates more power and thus is brighter.
The five bulbs shown in Figure 14 are identical, and so are the three bat-
teries. Rank the bulbs in order of brightness from greatest to least, indi-
cating if any are equal. Explain your reasoning. (Disregard the resistance
of the wires.)

(a) (b) (c)

(d)

(e)

Figure 14

656 Chapter 18