Homework Help: physics-series and parellel circuits

Posted by Dav e on Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 5:01pm.

I'll try to explain the schmatic drawing...
a 120V battery, total of 12A, leads into a 8ohm resistor (R1), then breaks off into two parallel lines, R2 and R3. the resistance is unknown in R2, and in R3 the resistance is 3 ohms. I need to find the Amperage in R1,R2 and R3 as well as the resistance (ohms) on R2
I hope this explains it... HELP

physics-series and parellel circuits - Dav e, Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 5:02pm
OOOPA and the voltage at R1, R2 and R3
typo? - Damon, Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 5:11pm
12 amps through R1
volts across R1 = 8*12 = 72

That leaves 120 - 72 = 48 volts across R2 and R3

amps through R3 = 48/3 = 16 amps
You have a typo I think. Perhaps R3 is 30 and not 3 ohms?
physics-series and parellel circuits - Dav e, Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 5:38pm
R3 is 3 ohms
physics-series and parellel circuits - Damon, Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 5:49pm
Well, you have set up a physically impossible situation where R2 would have to be negative. You can not have 12 amps coming out of the battery and 16 amps through R3. Please check your problem statement carefully. Maybe you have 1.2 amps out of the battery?
physics-series and parellel circuits - Dav e, Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 5:50pm
For R1 voltage .. E=I*R
E=8*12=96 volts correct?
physics-series and parellel circuits - Damon, Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 5:58pm
whoops, right. I multiplied wrong
physics-series and parellel circuits - Damon, Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 6:00pm
120 - 96 = 24 volts across R2 and R3
current through R3 = 24/3 = 8 amps

then 4 amps through R2
R2 = 24/4 = 6 ohms

Answer this Question

Related Questions

series and parellel circuits - ok here we go ... its a series-parellel circuit ...
Physics - I am having some problems trying to figure this out. Series circuits I...
PHYSICS - When the resistors are connected in series to a 12.0-V battery, the ...
electricity and electronics - a battery consists of five cells connected in ...
physics - A 8 V flashlight battery has an internal resistance of 1.7 Ω ...
AP PHYSICS - A 3.0-uF capacitor and a 4.0-uF capacitor are connected in series ...
pHYSICS - Two resistors have resistances R(smaller) and R(larger), where R(...
PHYSICS 2 - Two resistors have resistances R(smaller) and R(larger), where R(...
physics - The current in a 51 resistor is 0.14 A. This resistor is in series ...
physics - 1.) Draw a set of 1.5-volt cells in a series circuit so that the total...

For Further Reading

First Name:
School Subject:
Answer: