Calculate Internal Resistance: I, R, V & More

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the internal resistance of a battery using given variables such as current (I), resistance (R), and voltage (V). Participants explore the concept of internal resistance in the context of real versus ideal voltage sources.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the definition of internal resistance and its implications on terminal voltage. There is an attempt to clarify the problem by specifying a scenario involving a battery, current, and resistance values.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with participants providing insights into the nature of internal resistance and suggesting ways to visualize the problem through circuit diagrams. Some guidance has been offered on how to approach the calculation.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the need for specific information regarding the circuit setup and the relationship between the variables involved in the calculation of internal resistance.

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How can I go about calculating internal resistance? I have variables I, R, and V but no idea on how to find the 'internal' resistance. Is this some sort of special case?
 
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Your question needs to be a bit more specific.

Internal resistance is a concept used to account for the fact that the terminal voltage of a a real battery (as opposed to an ideal voltage source, whose voltage is constant, regardless of the current drawn from the source) drops as the current drawn from the battery increases. A simple electrical model of a battery is an ideal voltage source in series with a resistor representing the internal reistance. As current increases,, more voltage is dropped across the internal R and the battery terminal voltage decreases.
 
Well, the question says "A 20 V battery delivers 107 mA of current when connected to a 74 ohm resistor. Determine the internal resistance of the battery."
 
Just draw a circuit consisting of the 74 ohm resistor, the unknown resistance r in series and the 20V batteries. Then solve for r given the info in the question.
 

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