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Homework Statement
An ohmic resistor (R1 = 3.5 kΩ) and circuit element X are connected in series to a battery of unknown voltage V0. Circuit element X is of unknown resistance. It is observed that the absolute value of the voltage across resistor R1 is 5.0 V.
The battery voltage is measured and found to be equal to 8.0 V.
The resistance of X must be what?
Homework Equations
V=IR
Found the current to be 0.0014 amps by doing 5.0 V/3500 kΩ
The Attempt at a Solution
My trouble is that I have worked the problem, but have come up with 2 similar solutions that seem plausible.
Solution 1: 8V = 0.0014(R1+R2), solving for R2 gives 2.21kΩ
Solution 2: Since the total voltage is 8 and R1 is 5, R2 must be 3. So then 3V = 0.0014(R2), and solving for R2 gives 2.14kΩ.
Both attempts are so close together that I have no idea which is right! Are they both more or less correct and one is just more accurate than the other?