Inductor and bulb in an circuit

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves analyzing the behavior of an inductor in a circuit with multiple bulbs when a switch is opened. The context includes understanding the principles of inductance and current flow in the circuit.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to reason through the effects of opening the switch on the brightness of the bulbs, suggesting that the current in bulb A should double while bulbs B and C remain unchanged. Others question this reasoning, noting discrepancies with the provided answer that states bulb C's brightness increases instead.

Discussion Status

Participants are exploring different interpretations of the circuit behavior and discussing the implications of the inductor's role in current flow. Some participants express agreement with the original poster's reasoning, while others highlight conflicting information from the answer key. There is ongoing dialogue about the effects of a variable resistor on the circuit dynamics.

Contextual Notes

Participants are working with assumptions about the circuit configuration and the behavior of inductors, as well as the implications of changing the switch to a variable resistor. The discussion reflects uncertainty regarding the correct interpretation of the problem statement and the expected outcomes.

aryan pandey
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Homework Statement


the problem statement is provided in the attached file

Homework Equations


logic based , basic principle of inductors.

The Attempt at a Solution


after switch is opened the more the current passes through the bulb , more will be the brightness .
earlier in the steady state , current through each bulb will be E/R ( assuming power supply of emf E and each bulb of resistance R).
after the switch is opened the inductor will oppose the change in current in its branch and hence same amount of current will flow as it was flowing the inductors earlier ,
so current in bulb B and C would remain same but in Bulb A current flow will be doubled (2E/R).
hence brightness of bulb A should increase and rest should remain same .

BUT in the answer it is given take brightness of bulb C should increase and rest should remain same.
WHAT is wrong in my approach?
 

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For convenience, here's the rotated picture.
upload_2017-2-13_22-10-20.png
 
oh yeah thank u
 
I agree with your answer and reasoning. The brightness of A increases while B and C do not change.
 
but why is the answer saying it otherway around
 
EDIT: I agree with the OP and TSny.
(Current in A reverses & doubles.)
 
Last edited:
I replaced the switch with a variable resistor that has zero resistance at t = 0 but increases fairly rapidly after t = 0. I then used Mathematica to solve the differential equations for the currents. It gives the following graph for the currents as a function of time:
https://www.physicsforums.com/attachments/upload_2017-2-14_11-7-47-png.113214/
The blue curve is the current in bulb A, the orange curve is the current in bulb B, and the green one is bulb C. All currents are equal to 1.0 at t = 0.

The current in A rapidly reverses direction and momentarily becomes greater in magnitude than its initial value. The currents in B and C never become greater than their initial values.

When I tried to make the variable resistor increase more rapidly (to better mimic the switch), Mathematica had trouble solving the equations. But the result above does at least show the general behavior.
 
that great thank you for the explanation .
 

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