Chapter 3 – EXERCISES

3.1 The storage battery of a car has an emf of 12 V. If the internal resistance of
the battery is 0.4 Ω, what is the maximum current that can be drawn from the
battery?
Given:
Emf of battery=ε=12 V
Internal resistance of the battery = 0.4Ω

To find: Maximum current drawn from the battery, I=?

Formula Used: Ohms law

Solution:

ε
I=
R +r
Since there is no load attached then R=0
12 12
I= = =30 A
0+0.4 0.4

3.2 A battery of emf 10 V and internal resistance 3 W is connected to a resistor.

If the current in the circuit is 0.5 A, what is the resistance of the resistor? What
is the terminal voltage of the battery when the circuit is closed?

Given:
emf of a battery ε =10 V
Internal resistance, r =3Ω
Current in the circuit, I = 0.5A
To find:
Resistance of the Resistor, R=?
Terminal voltage when the circuit is closed

Solution:

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Draw the circuit using the question
Consider A and B as terminals whose voltage to be found as terminal voltages
The terminal voltage,
V AB=ε−Ir
V AB=10−( 0.5 ×3 )
¿ 10−1.5
V AB=8.5V
V AB 8.5
The resistance of the resistor, R= = =17 Ω
I 0.5

3.3 (a) Three resistors 1 Ω 2 Ω, and 3 Ω are combined in series. What is the total
resistance of the combination?
(b) If the combination is connected to a battery of emf 12 V and negligible
internal resistance, obtain the potential drop across each resistor.

(a) Three resistors 1 Ω 2 Ω, and 3 Ω are combined in series. What is the total
resistance of the combination?

Req =R1 + R2 + R3
Req =1+2+3=6 Ω
Result: The total resistance of the combination is 6 Ω

(b) If the combination is connected to a battery of emf 12 V and negligible

internal resistance, obtain the potential drop across each resistor.

Given: ε =12V , r =0(negligible)

To find: Voltage drop across each resistors
Solution:
To find voltage across each resistor, first we need to find Total current drawn from the
battery
So first find equivalent resistance
Req =6 Ω

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 ε 12
Total current drawn from the battery I = = =2 A
R +r 6+0
I1 2
V 1= = =2 V
R1 1
I 2
V 2= 2 = =1 V
R2 2
I3 2
V 3= = =0.667 V
R3 3

Result: The voltage across 1 Ωis 2 V ,2 Ω is1 V ∧3 Ω is 0.667 V

3.4 (a) Three resistors 2 Ω, 4Ω and 5Ω are combined in parallel. What is the total
resistance of the combination?
(b) If the combination is connected to a battery of emf 20 V and negligible
internal resistance, determine the current through each resistor, and the total
current drawn from the battery.

(a) Three resistors 2 Ω, 4Ω and 5Ω are combined in parallel. What is the total
resistance of the combination?

1 1 1 1
= + +
R eq R1 R2 R3
R 1 R2 R 3 2× 4 × 5 40 40 20
Req = ¿ = = = Ω
R 2 R3 + R 2 R1 + R1 R 3 ( 4 ×5 )+ ( 4 × 2 )+(2 ×5) 20+ 8+10 38 19
20
Req =¿ Ω
19

(b) If the combination is connected to a battery of emf 20 V and negligible

internal resistance, determine the current through each resistor, and the
total current drawn from the battery.

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 V 20
I= = =19 A
R 20
19
Since three resistor are connected in parallel the voltage is same for all three
resistances
V 1 20
I 1= = =10
R1 2
V 2 20
I 2= = =5 A
R2 4
V 3 20
I 3= = =4 A
R3 5

3.5 At room temperature (27.0 °C) the resistance of a heating element is 100 Ω.
What is the temperature of the element if the resistance is found to be 117 Ω,
given that the Temperature coefficient of the material of the resistor is 1.70 ×
10−4°C−1 .
Given:
Room Temperature, T 0=27 ℃
At T 0 the resistance is R0 =100Ω
Resistance at temperature T℃ , R=117 Ω
Temperature coefficient of the material of the resistor α =¿ 1.70 × 10−4°C−1
To find:
Temperature of the element, T
Formula used:
RT =R0 [ 1+ α (T −T 0 ) ]
Solution:
117=100[1+1.7 ×10−4 ( T −27 ) ]
117=100[1+1.7 ×10−4 T −45.9 ×10−4 ]
117=100+170 ×10−4 T −4590 ×10−4 ¿
17+0.459=170 ×10−4 T

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 17.459
T=
170× 10−4
T =1027 ℃

3.6 A negligibly small current is passed through a wire of length 15 m

and uniform cross-section 6.0×10−7 m 2, and its resistance is
measured to be 5.0 Ω. What is the resistivity of the material at the
temperature of the experiment?
Given:
Length of the wire, l =15m
Cross section, A=6.0×10−7 m 2
Resistance, R=5Ω
To find:
Resistivity, ρ=?
Formula used:
ρl RA
R= =¿ ρ=
A l
Solution:
RA 5 ×6.0 ×10−7
ρ= =
l 15
ρ=2× 10−7 Ωm

3.7 A silver wire has a resistance of 2.1 Ω at 27.5 °C, and a resistance
of 2.7 Ω at 100 °C. Determine the temperature coefficient of
resistivity of silver.

Given:
Resistance at 27.5℃ , R0 =2.1Ω
Reference Temperature, T 0=27.5 ℃
Steady Temperature, T=100℃
Resistance at 100℃ , RT =2.7 Ω
To find:
Temperature coefficient of resistivity, α
Formula used:

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RT =R0 [ 1+ α (T −T 0 ) ]

Solution:
RT =R0 [ 1+ α (T −T 0 ) ]
2.7=2.1 [ 1+ α (100−27.5) ]
2.7=2.1 [ 1+ α (172.5) ]
2.7=2.1+72.5 α
0.6
α=
72.5
α =0.00827 C−1
3.8 A heating element using nichrome connected to a 230 V supply
draws an initial current of 3.2 A which settles after a few seconds to a steady
value of 2.8 A. What is the steady temperature of the heating
element if the room temperature is 27.0 °C? Temperature coefficient
of resistance of nichrome averaged over the temperature range
involved is 1.70 × 10–4 °C −1

Given:
Supply, V=230V
Intitial Current, I = 3.2A
Steady current, I =2.8A
Reference Temperature, T 0=27 ℃
Temperature coefficientof resistanceα =¿ 1.70 × 10–4
To find:
Steady Temperature, T=?
Formula used:
RT =R0 [ 1+ α (T −T 0 ) ]

Solution:
Resistance of heating element at 27℃ , R0
V initial 230
R0 = = =71.875 Ω
I initial 3.2
Resistance of heating element at T℃ , RT
V Final 230
RT = = =82.14 Ω
I Final 2.8
RT =R0 [ 1+ α (T −T 0 ) ]

82.14=71.875 [ 1+1.70× 10−4 (T −27) ]

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Simplifying
T =867 ℃

3.9 Determine the current in each branch of the network shown in Fig. 3.30

Solution:

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 (i) Consider Loop 1( I 1 ¿
Apply KVL,
Potential rise = Potential drop
0=10 I 1 +5 ( I 1−I 2 ) +5 ( I 1−I 3 )
20 I 1 −5 I 2−5 I 3=0−−−−(1)
(ii) Consider Loop 2( I 2 ¿
Apply KVL,
Potential rise = Potential drop
0=5 I 2 +5 ( I 2−I 1 ) +10 ( I 2−I 3 )
−5 I 1 +20 I 2−10 I 3 =0−−−(2)
(iii) Consider Loop 3( I 3 ¿
Apply KVL,
Potential rise = Potential drop
10=10 I 3 +5 ( I 3 −I 1 ) +10(I 3−I 2 )
−5 I 1 −10 I 2 +25 I 3 =10−−−(3)
Solving (1), (2) & (3)
Subtract (2) and (3)
(2) => −5 I 1 +20 I 2−10 I 3 =0
(3) => (-)−5 I 1 −10 I 2 +25 I 3 =10
________________________
0 +30 I 2 - 35 I 3 = -10

30 I 2 −35 I 3=−10
6 I 2−7 I 3 =−2−−−( 4)

Add (1) and 4*(2)

(1)=> 20 I 1 −5 I 2−5 I 3=0

(2) * 4 => −20 I 1+80 I 2−40 I 3=0
______________________

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 0 +75 I 2 - 45 I 3 = 0

75 I 2 −45 I 3=0
5 I 2 −3 I 3=0−−−(5)

Solving (4) and (5)

(4)*5=> 30 I 2 −35 I 3=−10

(5)*6 => (-) 30 I 2 −18 I 3=0
___________________
-17 I 3=−10
10
I 3= A
17
Substituting I 3∈ ( 5 )
10
5 I 2 −3× =0
17

30 30 6
I 2= = = A
17 × 5 85 17

Substituting I 2 , I 3in eqn(1)

6 10
20 I 1 −5× −5× =0
17 17
30 50
20 I 1 = +
17 17
80 4
I 1= = A
340 17
4 6 10
I 1= A; I 2= A ; I3 = A
17 17 17
4
The current through branch AB is I 1= A
17
6
The current through branch BC is I 2= A
17
4 10 −6
The current through branch AD is I 1−I 3 = − = A
17 17 17
6 10 −4
The current through branch CD is I 2−I 3 = − = A
17 17 17

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 4 6 −2
The current through branch BD is I 2−I 1 = − = A
17 17 17

3.10 (a) In a meter bridge [Fig. 3.27], the balance point is found to be at 39.5
cm from the end A, when the resistor S is of 12.5Ω. Determine the
resistance of R. Why are the connections between resistors in a
Wheatstone or meter bridge made of thick copper strips?
(b) Determine the balance point of the bridge above if R and S are
interchanged.
(c) What happens if the galvanometer and cell are interchanged at the
balance point of the bridge? Would the galvanometer show any current?

(a) In a meter bridge [Fig. 3.27], the balance point is found to be at 39.5
cm from the end A, when the resistor S is of 12.5 Ω. Determine the
resistance of R. Why are the connections between resistors in a
Wheatstone or meter bridge made of thick copper strips?
R l1
=
S (100−l 1 )
R 39.5
=
12.5 60.5
39.5 ×12.5
R= =8.16Ω
60.5
Why are the connections between resistors in a Wheatstone or meter
bridge made of thick copper strips?

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 Resistance of copper is very low. The resistance of the strip is not
taken into consideration in the formula. So we need to have very low value of
this resistance

(b) Determine the balance point of the bridge above if R and S are
interchanged.
  If R and S are interchanged then balance of bridge will be at 
100−39.5=60.5 cm ¿ A .
(c) What happens if the galvanometer and cell are interchanged at the
balance point of the bridge? Would the galvanometer show any
current?
Since the bridge is balanced, there will be no difference if position of cell
and galvanometer are interchanged as there will be no flow of current from
galvanometer.

3.11 A storage battery of emf 8.0 V and internal resistance 0.5 Ω is being
charged by a 120 V dc supply using a series resistor of 15.5 Ω. What is the
terminal voltage of the battery during charging? What is the purpose of having a
series resistor in the charging circuit?

During charging current flow direction

Apply KVL
Potential Rise = Potential Drop
120−8=15.5 I + 0.5 I
112=16 I
112
I= =7 A
16
The terminal voltage DC V DC =8+ ( 0.5 × 7 )=11.5 V
What is the purpose of having a series resistor in the charging circuit?

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 Series resistor in the charging circuit limits the current drawn
from the external source

3.12 In a potentiometer arrangement, a cell of emf 1.25 V gives a balance point

at 35.0 cm length of the wire. If the cell is replaced by another cell and the
balance point shifts to 63.0 cm, what is the emf of the second cell?
ε 1=1.25V
l 1=35 cm
ε 2=?
l 2=63 cm
ε 1 l1
=
ε 2 l2
1.25 × 63
ε 2= =2.25V
35

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3. 13 The number density of free electrons in a copper conductor estimated in
Example 3.1 is 8.5 × 1028 m−3. How long does an electron take to drift from one
end of a wire 3.0 m long to its other end? The area of cross-section of the wire is
2.0 × 10 m 2and it is carrying a current of 3.0 A.

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