Does a Parallel Resistor Affect Current in a Battery Circuit?

AI Thread Summary
Connecting a resistor in parallel with a wire joining the terminals of a battery allows current to flow through the resistor, despite the wire's low resistance. The battery can be modeled as a voltage source with internal resistance, and the wire acts as a short circuit. When analyzing the circuit, the internal resistance and wire resistance must be considered to determine the current distribution. A significant current will flow due to the shorting wire, but some will also pass through the parallel resistor. Understanding this circuit behavior is crucial for safe battery usage and circuit design.
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If a resistor is connected parallel to a straight wire joining the two terminals of a battery, does any current pass through the resistor. Is there any current in the circuit?
 
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You aren't supposed to connect the terminals of a battery with a wire!
If you do, there will be a lot of current.
The wire will have some resistance so, yes, there will be a potential across it and so some current will flow in the resistor.

The way to analyze this would be to show the battery as a voltage source in series with an internal resistance. Add the shorting wire as a small resistance and the resistor in parallel with it. If you can estimate the internal resistance and the resistance of the wire, you can solve the circuit to find the current in the resistor.
 

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