Current through resistor parallel to two different batteries

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves analyzing a circuit with two batteries connected in parallel to a resistor. Battery A has an e.m.f. of 2.0 V and an internal resistance of 1 Ω, while Battery B has an e.m.f. of 1.0 V and an internal resistance of 2 Ω. The task is to calculate the current through the 2 Ω resistor using Kirchhoff's Laws.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to apply Kirchhoff's Laws to set up equations based on the circuit configuration. They express concern about the discrepancy between their calculated current of 0.375 A and the expected answer of 0.42 A, seeking clarification on potential errors in their reasoning.

Discussion Status

Some participants suggest that the original poster's calculation may be correct, indicating that the answer key could be inaccurate or that there may be a misunderstanding in the problem description. There is no explicit consensus on the correctness of the calculations, but the discussion is focused on verifying assumptions and interpretations of the circuit.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights potential ambiguities in the problem setup and the importance of accurate circuit descriptions. There is no visual representation provided, which may affect the clarity of the problem for participants.

Ellie
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Homework Statement



I'm sorry that I have no pic, but please bear with my description.

The circuit diagram is made up of 3 horizontal lines. On the top line, there's battery A, (-) on the left, (+) on the right, and an arrow going to the right (>) to show direction of current.

On the middle line, there's the 2 Ω resistor.

And on the bottom line, there's battery B, (+) on left, and (-) on right.

Battery A has an e.m.f, of 2.0 V and an internal resistance of 1 Ω. For battery B, the values are 1.0 V and 2 Ω. A and B are connected to a 2 Ω resistor. Using Kirchoff's Law, calculate current through the resistor.

Homework Equations



Both of Kirchoff's Law.
I1 = I2 + I3
E = IR1 + IR2

The Attempt at a Solution



I tried taking the top and middle, and treated it as one circuit, and did the same with the middle and bottom. Then I applied Kirchoff's second law. In this way, I managed to get two equations with three different variables.

2 * I3 + I1 = 2
- 2 * I3 + 2 * I2 = 1

Where I1 is the current leaving battery A, I3 is the current entering the middle section after entering a junction, and I2 is the other current going toward the bottom section.

Then by using I = I1 + I2 + I3, as well as the two equations, I substituted the values around, until I managed to make the equation in terms of I3.

The value I got is 0.375 A.

The answer is supposed to be 0.42 A.

It would be great if someone can point out where I did wrong.
 
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Welcome to PF !

As per the circuit description you have given , 0.375 A is the correct answer . So I think you have got it right .

Either the answer key is wrong or the original question description is somewhat different from what you have given.
 
Tanya Sharma said:
Welcome to PF !

As per the circuit description you have given , 0.375 A is the correct answer . So I think you have got it right .

Either the answer key is wrong or the original question description is somewhat different from what you have given.

Thank you for clarifying. I'll see if I've misunderstood somewhere.
 

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