Calculating Internal Resistance of a Voltage Source from Terminal Voltage Drop

[nautica]

Okay here is the question:

a) what is the internal resistance of a voltage source if its terminal voltage drops by 2 V when the current supplied increases by 5 A.

b) Can the emf of the voltage source be found with the information supplied?

I know that E = V - Ir, and I am pretty sure that a simple algebraic equation can be put together. So what formulat am I missing??

Thanks
Nautica

 

[HallsofIvy]

You know that E = V - Ir so ΔE= ΔV- ΔI r. You are told that ΔE= 2volts when &Dekta;I= -5 amps. Of course, ΔV= 0 since the voltage source is fixed.
Thatis: 2= -5r. Can you solve for r now? .

The answer to b is NO. In effect V is the "constant of integration" when you "integrate" dE= -rdI. There is no way to find that from the information given.

 

[nautica]

I am in College Physics, we can not use calculus for an answer. So is there a reason algebraically.

thanks
nautica

 

[himanshu121]

If u know the potential diff b/w two terminals, then u can find the emf.

With this information u cannot find

 

[nautica]

So ther is no way to find emf without Potential difference?

thanks
nautica

 

[nautica]

Okay For a) here is what I got

V=E-Ir

or dV=dE - dIr

2V = -5r

so r = -.4Ohms

BUT, my instructor said this was wrong b/c there I did not no the Rload and there are too many unknowns for this to be solved.

I can see how part B could not be solved but this looked so simple for part a)

He said this was the other equation I should have considered, but I do not see why it was needed.

I = E / (Rload + r)

Thanks
nautica