If all 3 resistors in a series 12V circuit are the same, what will the voltage be across resistor no. 3?
4V across each resistor, since they are equal and the sum must be 12 V.
Thanks, that's what I thought. Did you happen to see Part 2 of this question? It is: If the current at one corner of the 12V series circuit is 1.0 A, what is the current at corner number three (all three resistors are the same).
To solve this question, we need to understand the basic concept of voltage in a series circuit and how it is distributed across resistors. In a series circuit, the total voltage is divided among the resistors based on their resistance values.
Given that all three resistors in the circuit are the same, we can assume that they have equal resistance values. Let's denote the resistance of each resistor as R.
In a series circuit, the total resistance (RTotal) is the sum of the individual resistances. Since we have three identical resistors in series, the total resistance can be calculated as:
RTotal = R + R + R = 3R
The voltage across each resistor in a series circuit is directly proportional to its resistance. Therefore, the voltage across resistor no. 3 (V3) can be calculated using the voltage divider rule:
V3 = (R3 / RTotal) * VTotal
Since R3 is equal to R (as all resistors are the same) and VTotal is given as 12V, we can substitute these values into the equation:
V3 = (R / 3R) * 12V
Simplifying the equation further:
V3 = (1/3) * 12V
V3 = 4V
So, the voltage across resistor no. 3 would be 4 volts.