Current electricity and terminals of a cell

AI Thread Summary
When the terminals of a single cell are connected by a conducting wire without a resistor, a significant current flows, limited by the cell's internal resistance. This can lead to rapid battery depletion and potentially dangerous situations, such as sparks or overheating. The terminal potential difference across the cell becomes nearly zero if the wire's resistance is much lower than the battery's internal resistance. Experimentation is encouraged to understand the concepts of current and battery behavior, but safety precautions should be taken. Overall, this discussion highlights the risks and principles of current electricity in practical applications.
jyothsna pb
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when the terminals of a single cell are connected by means of a conducting wire with no resistor component is there a current flow through the wire ?

jus started with current electricity have a lot of doubts thanks for any help
 
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Yes, a very big current will flow, limited only by the own resistance of the cell. If you do it with a simple battery, you even get a spark, and the battery gets flat very soon. But it is worth trying and see with your own eyes if there is current or not :)

ehild
 
u mean to say if we keep such a system undisturbed 4 a long time the battery will get exhasted soon?
 
is the current through this loop
I=(E1+E2)/(r1+r2)
n terminal p.d across cell 1 &2

E1-Ir1 & E2-Ir2 respectively
 

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You can not keep it undisturbed for a long time, as either the battery gets exhausted and no more current will flow, or it starts to burn and smell and everything. Why don't you try? It is better to see things than constructing theories about them, and this experiment is not very dangerous, unless you hold the wire with bare hand... If you do, your fingers will burn. But you get experiences about the nature of battery, current and its heating effect so it is worth trying... Well, a good boy or girl never does such things, but a future physicist does. :)

(To tell the truth I started my lectures on practical electricity by giving my pupils a little electric shock)

ehild
 
thanku so much y is d spark produced?
 
what is the terminal pd across the cell in that case?
 
It is practically zero if the resistance of that short piece of wire is much less than the internal resistance of the battery (this internal resistance is about 1 ohm in case a common 4.5 V battery) The potential will drop across the internal resistance, inside the battery.

ehild
 
thanku so much
 
  • #10
hey can someone please help me with the other question too?
 
  • #11
How to find i1 and i2?
 

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  • #12
Write the problem in words. I do not understand your drawing.


ehild
 

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