What Is the Current Through a Resistor with Internal Battery Resistance?

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jimmyting
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[SOLVED] Battery with internal resistor

Homework Statement


What is the current in a 8.25 ohm resistor connected to a battery that has a .21 ohm internal resistance when the potential drop across the terminals of the battery is 6V?

Homework Equations


[tex]R_{s}=R_{1}+R_{2}...[/tex]

[tex]V=IR[/tex]

The Attempt at a Solution


So I believe that the internal resistor can just be considered being in series to the other resistor, allowing me to calculate the equivalent resistor. Then with that, using V=IR, I thought I was able to get the current flowing through the circuit. I got .70921 A
Can someone correct my train of thought?
 
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jimmyting said:

Homework Statement


What is the current in a 8.25 ohm resistor connected to a battery that has a .21 ohm internal resistance when the potential drop across the terminals of the battery is 6V?


Homework Equations


[tex]R_{s}=R_{1}+R_{2}...[/tex]

[tex]V=IR[/tex]

The Attempt at a Solution


So I believe that the internal resistor can just be considered being in series to the other resistor, allowing me to calculate the equivalent resistor. Then with that, using V=IR, I thought I was able to get the current flowing through the circuit. I got .70921 A
Can someone correct my train of thought?
Note that the potential drop across the terminals includes the internal resistance of the battery. The internal resistance of a battery may be depicted thus,
rsint.gif

So the actual emf of the battery is the 6V plus the voltage drop across the internal resistance. Do you follow?

Image courtesy of Hyperphysics
 
Last edited:
Yes I do thank you for your help. Funny that you got the picture off hyperphysics, I was on there trying to read about this
 
jimmyting said:
Yes I do thank you for your help.
No problem.
jimmyting said:
Funny that you got the picture off hyperphysics, I was on there trying to read about this
Hyperphysics is an excellent general physics reference, I'm glad that you chose to look there rather than Wikipedia :rolleyes: