For a class project, Jerome builds a simple circuit with a battery and three light bulbs. On his way to school, Jerome drops his project and breaks one of the light bulbs. He has no time to fix or replace the bulb, so he removes the broken bulb and turns in his project. What will happen when Jerome runs current through his circuit?

Question

For a class project, Jerome builds a simple circuit with a battery and three light bulbs. On his way to school, Jerome drops his project and breaks one of the light bulbs. He has no time to fix or replace the bulb, so he removes the broken bulb and turns in his project. What will happen when Jerome runs current through his circuit?

a- If Jerome built a series circuit, both remaining bulbs will still light up.
b- If Jerome built a parallel circuit, both remaining bulbs will still light up.
c- If Jerome built a series circuit, only the remaining bulb closest to the battery will light up.
d- If Jerome built a parallel circuit, only the remaining bulb closest to the battery will light up.

Answer 1

c- If Jerome built a series circuit, only the remaining bulb closest to the battery will light up.

Answer 2

d- If Jerome built a parallel circuit, only the remaining bulb closest to the battery will light up.

Answer 3

The correct answer is c- If Jerome built a series circuit, only the remaining bulb closest to the battery will light up.

To understand why this is the correct answer, we need to understand the characteristics of series and parallel circuits.

In a series circuit, the components (in this case, light bulbs) are connected end to end, creating a single path for the current to flow. If one component breaks or is removed from a series circuit, the circuit becomes open and the current cannot flow. In this scenario, when Jerome removes the broken bulb, the circuit is open and the current cannot reach the remaining bulbs. Therefore, only the bulb closest to the battery will light up.

In a parallel circuit, the components are connected across multiple paths, allowing for multiple current flows. If one component breaks or is removed from a parallel circuit, the other components will still receive current through the remaining paths. However, since Jerome's circuit is not built in a parallel configuration, option b and option d are incorrect.

So, the correct answer is c- If Jerome built a series circuit, only the remaining bulb closest to the battery will light up.