Cant understand this terminal voltage question

  • Thread starter Thread starter nishantve1
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Voltage
Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The problem involves calculating the terminal voltage of an 8V battery with an internal resistance of 0.5 Ω, which is being charged by a 120V battery through a 15.5 Ω resistor. The original poster expresses confusion about the concept of terminal voltage and its variations in this context.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to understand terminal voltage and its calculation, questioning how it changes and its relationship with internal resistance. They also explore the implications of current flow on terminal voltage.

Discussion Status

Participants are providing insights into the definition of terminal voltage and its calculation. Some clarify that the terminal voltage can be affected by the direction of current flow, particularly in a charging scenario, which is a point of exploration in the discussion.

Contextual Notes

The original poster is grappling with the implications of internal resistance and the effects of a more powerful voltage source in the circuit. There is an ongoing examination of how these factors influence the terminal voltage of the battery being charged.

nishantve1
Messages
74
Reaction score
1

Homework Statement


So the Problem says . A 8V battery of internal resistance 0.5 Ω is being charged using another storage battery of 120 V using a resistance of 15.5 Ω calculate the Terminal Voltage of the battery .
I really don't understand what is terminal voltage + how it changes It would be great if someone explained it .


Homework Equations



V =IR
For Batteries in series
ε(total) = ε1 - ε2 (as positive is connected to the positive terminal)


The Attempt at a Solution


Heres how I interpreted the circuit
NQgMa.png

I did the solution and i got the right answer but I have no idea how it worked
First I calculated the Equivalent ε
= 120 - 8 = 112V
also r equivalent = 15.5 Ω + 0.5 Ω = 16Ω
So the Current flowing is 7 Amps
Now what I did is
Potenital Drop across the 120 V = potential drop across the 15.5Ω resistor + Terminal Voltage drop across the battery
that gives Terminal Voltage = 11.5 V
Which is correct now What I am not able to understand is what is Terminal Voltage and the way of calculating it and how it gets affected . Will there be terminal voltage change across 120 V battery too ? how ? also keeping the internal resistance of 8V battery in mind I can say that if 7A of current is flowing through it then the potential difference should be
V = ε - I* internal resistance
= 8 - 3.5
= 4.5V
Why is this wrong ? How is it 11.5 V instead ?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
It is internal resistance.
You can picture it as this

(+)---R---battery...(-)
(+) and (-) battery terminals.
R internal resistor.
 
Terminal voltage is the voltage at the terminals of the power source(here, equivalent battery). Basically, [itex]V_t = V \pm IR[/itex], where V is the emf of the cell, and Vt is the terminal voltage. Plus or minus depends on flow of current as this equation is from Kirchoff's Voltage Law.
 
nishantve1 said:
also keeping the internal resistance of 8V battery in mind I can say that if 7A of current is flowing through it then the potential difference should be
V = ε - I* internal resistance
= 8 - 3.5
= 4.5V
Why is this wrong ? How is it 11.5 V instead ?

V=ε-IR(internal) is the terminal voltage if the current flows out from the positive terminal of the battery. That happens if the battery is the only source in the circuit. There is a more powerful voltage source here, with 120 V emf, charging the 8 V battery. So the = 7A current flows into the battery, making the terminal voltage higher than the emf.

ehild
 

Similar threads

Replies
9
Views
1K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
3K
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
1K
Replies
3
Views
7K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K