Power Dissipated by Two or More Resistors in Series and Parallel

Draw a circuit with a battery connected to four resistors, R1, R2, R3, and R4, as follows. Resistors R1 and R2 are connected in parallel with each other, resistors R3 and R4 are connected in parallel with each other, and both parallel sets of resistors are connected in series with each other across the battery.

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Tags

NGSS.HS-PS3-3

As more resistors are added in parallel across a constant voltage source, the power supplied by the source

• increases.

• decreases.

• does not change.

• increases for a time and then starts to decrease.

The lamps in a string of decorative lights are connected in parallel across a constant-voltage power source. What happens if one lamp burns out? (Assume negligible resistance in the wires leading to the lamps.)

• The brightness of the lamps will not change appreciably.

• The other lamps get brighter equally.

• The other lamps get brighter, but some get brighter than others.

• The other lamps get dimmer equally.

• The other lamps get dimmer, but some get dimmer than others.

A 9-V battery is hooked up to two resistors in series using wires of negligible resistance. One has a resistance of 5 Ω, and the other has a resistance of 10 Ω. Several locations along the circuit are marked with letters, as shown in the figure. Which statements about this circuit are true? (There could be more than one correct choice.)

• The current is exactly the same at points A, B, C, and D.

• The current at A is greater than the current at B, which is equal to the current at C, which is greater than the current at D.

• The current at A is greater than the current at B, which is greater than the current at C, which is greater than the current at D.

• The potential at B is equal to the potential at C.

• The potential at D is equal to the potential at C.

A 9-V battery is hooked up to two resistors in series. One has a resistance of 5 Ω, and the other has a resistance of 10 Ω. Several locations along the circuit are marked with letters, as shown in the figure. Through which resistor is energy being dissipated at the higher rate?

• the 10-Ω resistor

• the 5-Ω resistor

• Energy is being dissipated by both resistors at the same rate.

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS3-5

Identical ideal batteries are connected in different arrangements to the same light bulb, as shown in the figure. For which arrangement will the bulb shine the brightest?

• A

• B

• C