Should It Be In Series or Parallel?

[Procrastinate]

The accumulator of a car produces 12 V. If the car lights at the sides and rear are
each rated for 12 V, but the two interior lights are only rated at 6 V, how should
the lights be connected — in series or in parallel?



The answer is series but I said parallel. However, if you put them in series wouldn't the lights break because they are only rated at 6V?

 

[rock.freak667]

The accumulator of a car produces 12 V. If the car lights at the sides and rear are
each rated for 12 V, but the two interior lights are only rated at 6 V, how should
the lights be connected — in series or in parallel?



The answer is series but I said parallel. However, if you put them in series wouldn't the lights break because they are only rated at 6V?

If you connect them in parallel, then each light will get a pd of 12V, so then they would burn out or what have you.

But if you have them in series, the 12V would be split into 6V for one light and 6V for the other light. So by Kirchoff's 2nd law, the sum of the emfs (12V battery) is equal to the sum of the pds (6V light & 6V light)

 

[Phrak]

Wow, that's different. Where is a battery called an accumulator?

 

[iamthegelo]

They should be in series. A quick check would be the voltage divider rule:

V(out) = V(in)*[ R1 / (R1 + R2) ]

 

[rock.freak667]

Wow, that's different. Where is a battery called an accumulator?

I didn't know what an accumulator was, so I wiki'd it...and well this is what it said

An accumulator is an apparatus by means of which energy can be stored, such as a rechargeable battery or a hydraulic accumulator. Such devices may be electrical, fluidic or mechanical and are sometimes used to convert a small continuous power source into a short surge of energy or vice versa. Other examples of accumulators include capacitors, compulsators, steam accumulator, wave energy machines, pumped-storage hydroelectric plants.

In general usage in an electrical context the word accumulator would normally mean a lead-acid battery.

 

[Phrak]

I didn't know what an accumulator was, so I wiki'd it...and well this is what it said

Yeah. Apparenty the Brits use it.

 

[darkwood]

Im a brit, and an electrical engineer at that and to be honest its not a word i come across too often maybe deep down in an old textbook.