What is the lost volts in this circuit?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a circuit involving a cell with an e.m.f of 1.5V and an internal resistance of 0.75Ω, connected to a 3Ω resistor. The original poster seeks assistance in calculating the voltmeter reading and determining the "lost volts" in the circuit.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the application of Ohm's Law and the concept of internal resistance as a series resistor. There are inquiries about the original poster's familiarity with circuit laws and attempts to guide them towards relevant equations.

Discussion Status

Some participants have provided guidance on relevant laws and equations, while the original poster expresses difficulty in finding applicable equations and uploading a circuit diagram. Multiple interpretations of the problem setup are being explored.

Contextual Notes

The original poster mentions that their coursework is different due to their location in Scotland, specifically referencing a focus on Electrical Sources and Internal Resistance in their higher physics curriculum.

Ellie4700
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Homework Statement


A cell has an e.m.f =1.5v and Internal Resistance = 0.75Ω is connected as shown in the following circuit ( circuit has 3Ω resistor under the battery)

(I) Calculate the reading on the voltmeter.
(Ii) what is the value of the "lost volts" in this circuit?

Can anyone help me? I don't n ow the equation.

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

 
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Hello Ellie4700,

The forum rules require that you show some attempt at a solution before help can be offered. Look in your course notes and textbook in the relevant section in order to find equations that might pertain to this topic.

You might also want to upload the image so that the placement of the voltmeter referred to can be seen.
 
The relevant equation that you are looking for is Ohm's Law. You can treat the internal resistance as an actual resistor which is inside the battery cell. This resistance is in series with the voltage source and the rest of the external circuit. That should help you get started.
 
gneill said:
Hello Ellie4700,

The forum rules require that you show some attempt at a solution before help can be offered. Look in your course notes and textbook in the relevant section in order to find equations that might pertain to this topic.

You might also want to upload the image so that the placement of the voltmeter referred to can be seen.
Thanks for the reply. I had a look and I still can't find any relevant equations to use. If I had an equation I would be able to work it out from there. I tried to upload a photo but it kept denying me.
 
scottdave said:
The relevant equation that you are looking for is Ohm's Law. You can treat the internal resistance as an actual resistor which is inside the battery cell. This resistance is in series with the voltage source and the rest of the external circuit. That should help you get started.
Thanks. I'll give it a try.
 
Ellie4700 said:
Thanks for the reply. I had a look and I still can't find any relevant equations to use. If I had an equation I would be able to work it out from there. I tried to upload a photo but it kept denying me.
What circuit laws have you studied?

It may be that you need to accumulate a few more posts before the forum software will let you post images (it's an anti-spam "feature" that's built in). Perhaps your circuit looks something like this:

upload_2017-3-20_17-32-23.png
 
gneill said:
What circuit laws have you studied?

It may be that you need to accumulate a few more posts before the forum software will let you post images (it's an anti-spam "feature" that's built in). Perhaps your circuit looks something like this:

View attachment 114821
gneill said:
Hello Ellie4700,

The forum rules require that you show some attempt at a solution before help can be offered. Look in your course notes and textbook in the relevant section in order to find equations that might pertain to this topic.

You might also want to upload the image so that the placement of the voltmeter referred to can be seen.

The diagram looks exactly like that. I live in Scotland and the course work is a bit different. I am doing higher physics and the key area is called Electrical Sources and Internal Resistance.
 
Ellie4700 said:
The diagram looks exactly like that. I live in Scotland and the course work is a bit different. I am doing higher physics and the key area is called Electrical Sources and Internal Resistance.
Okay. You'll want to review/investigate Kirchhoff's circuit laws (KCL and KVL), and Ohm's law. For this problem in particular you can make do with Ohm's law as @scottdave suggested. Start by finding the current ##I##.
 
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gneill said:
Okay. You'll want to review/investigate Kirchhoff's circuit laws (KCL and KVL), and Ohm's law. For this problem in particular you can make do with Ohm's law as @scottdave suggested. Start by finding the current ##I##.

Thank for the help. I'll give it a try :smile:
 

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