Chapter 27

Current and Resistance

Multiple Choice

1. A rod of 2.0-m length and a square (2.0 mm × 2.0 mm) cross section is made of a material
with a resistivity of 6.0 × 10–8 Ω ⋅ m. If a potential difference of 0.50 V is placed across
the ends of the rod, at what rate is heat generated in the rod?

a. 3.0 W
b. 5.3 W
c. 8.3 W
d. 1.3 W
e. 17 W

2. An electric device, which heats water by immersing a resistance wire in the water,
generates 50 cal of heat per second when an electric potential difference of 12 V is placed
across its leads. What is the resistance of the heater wire? (Note: 1 cal = 4.186 J)

a. 0.94 Ω
b. 0.81 Ω
c. 0.58 Ω
d. 0.69 Ω
e. 1.5 Ω

3. A light bulb is rated at 30 W when operated at 120 V. How much charge passes through
this bulb in 1.0 min?

a. 17 C
b. 15 C
c. 14 C
d. 13 C
e. 60 C

4. What maximum power can be generated from an 18-V emf using any combination of a
6.0-Ω resistor and a 9.0-Ω resistor?

a. 54 W
b. 71 W
c. 90 W
d. 80 W
e. 22 W

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2 Chapter 27

5. An electric heater is constructed by applying a potential difference of 110 V across a wire

with a resistance of 5.0 Ω. What is the power rating of the heater?

a. 2.0 kW
b. 2.4 kW
c. 1.7 kW
d. 1.5 kW
e. 60 kW

6. How much energy is dissipated as heat during a two-minute time interval by a 1.5-kΩ
resistor which has a constant 20-V potential difference across its leads?

a. 58 J
b. 46 J
c. 32 J
d. 72 J
e. 16 J

7. A 4.0-Ω resistor has a current of 3.0 A in it for 5.0 min. How many electrons pass through
the resistor during this time interval?

a. 7.5 × 1021
b. 5.6 × 1021
c. 6.6 × 1021
d. 8.4 × 1021
e. 2.1 × 1021

8. If 5.0 × 1021 electrons pass through a 20-Ω resistor in 10 min, what is the potential
difference across the resistor?

a. 21 V
b. 32 V
c. 27 V
d. 37 V
e. 54 V

9. How many electrons pass through a 20-Ω resistor in 10 min if there is a potential drop of
30 volts across it?

a. 5.6 × 1021
b. 7.5 × 1021
c. 9.4 × 1021
d. 1.1 × 1021
e. 3.8 × 1021

10. A wire (length = 2.0 m, diameter = 1.0 mm) has a resistance of 0.45Ω. What is the
resistivity of the material used to make the wire?

a. 5.6 × 10–7 Ω ⋅ m
b. 1.2 × 10–7 Ω ⋅ m
c. 1.8 × 10–7 Ω ⋅ m
d. 2.3 × 10–7 Ω ⋅ m
e. 7.1 × 10–7 Ω ⋅ m

© 2000 by Harcourt College Publishers. All rights reserved.

 Chapter 27 3

11. What is the resistance of a wire made of a material with a resistivity of 3.2 × 10–8 Ω ⋅ m
if it has dimensions length = 2.5 m, and diameter = 0.50 mm?

a. 0.16 Ω
b. 0.10 Ω
c. 1.28 Ω
d. 0.41 Ω
e. 0.81 Ω

12. A rod (length = 80 cm) with a rectangular cross section (1.5 mm × 2.0 mm) has a resistance
of 0.20 Ω. What is the resistivity of the material used to make the rod?

a. 6.0 × 10–7 Ω ⋅ m
b. 3.8 × 10–7 Ω ⋅ m
c. 7.5 × 10–7 Ω ⋅ m
d. 3.0 × 10–7 Ω ⋅ m
e. 4.8 × 10–7 Ω ⋅ m

13. Most telephone cables are made of copper wire of either 24 or 26 gauge. If the resistance
of 24-gauge wire is 137 Ω/mile and the resistance of 26-gauge wire is 220 Ω/mile, what is
the ratio of the diameter of 24-gauge wire to that of 26-gauge wire?

a. 1.6
b. 1.3
c. 0.62
d. 0.79
e. 0.88

14. If a mile of 24-gauge copper wire has a resistance of 0.14 kΩ and the resistivity of copper
is 1.7 × 10–8 Ω ⋅ m, what is the diameter of the wire? (1 mile = 1.6 km)

a. 0.40 mm
b. 0.50 mm
c. 0.63 mm
d. 0.80 mm
e. 0.25 mm

15. A 50-V potential difference is maintained across a 2.0-m length wire that has a diameter
of 0.50 mm. If the wire is made of material that has a resistivity of 7.0 × 10–8 Ω ⋅ m, what
is the current in the wire?

a. 70 A
b. 65 A
c. 61 A
d. 58 A
e. 280 A

© 2000 by Harcourt College Publishers. All rights reserved.

4 Chapter 27

Conceptual Problems

16. What is the resistance of 1000 m of 4-mm diameter copper wire? (ρCu = 1.7 × 10–8 Ω-m)

17. A high-voltage transmission line carries 1000 A at 700 kV for a distance of 100 miles. If
the resistance per length in the wire is 0.5 Ω/mile, what is the power loss due to resistive
losses?

18. The heating coil of a hot water heater has a resistance of 20 ohms and operates at 210 V.
If electrical energy costs 5.5 cents per kW-hr, what does it cost to raise the 200 kg of water
in the tank from 15°C to 80°C? (The specific heat of water is 4186 J/kg°C)

19. A copper cable is to be designed to carry a current of 300 A with a power loss of only
2 watts per meter. What is the required radius of the copper cable? (The resistivity of
copper is 1.7 × 10–8 Ω ⋅ m).

20. A conductor of radius r, length l and resistivity ρ has resistance R. What is the new
resistance if it is stretched to 4 times its original length?

1
a. R
16
1
b. R
4
c. R
d. 4R
e. 16R

21. A conductor of radius r, length l and resistivity ρ has resistance R. It is melted down and
formed into a new conductor, also cylindrical, with one fourth the length of the original
conductor. The resistance of the new conductor is

1
a. R
16
1
b. R
4
c. R
d. 4R
e. 16R

22. Light bulb A is rated at 60 W and light bulb B is rated at 100 W. Both are designed to
operate at 110 V. Which statement is correct?

a. The 60 W bulb has a greater resistance and greater current than the 100 W bulb.
b. The 60 W bulb has a greater resistance and smaller current than the 100 W bulb.
c. The 60 W bulb has a smaller resistance and smaller current than the 100 W bulb.
d. The 60 W bulb has a smaller resistance and greater current than the 100 W bulb.
e. We need to know the resistivities of the filaments to answer this question.

© 2000 by Harcourt College Publishers. All rights reserved.

 Chapter 27 1

Chapter 27

Current and Resistance

1. Answer: c

2. Answer: d

3. Answer: b

4. Answer: c

5. Answer: b

6. Answer: c

7. Answer: b

8. Answer: c

9. Answer: a

10. Answer: c

11. Answer: d

12. Answer: c

13. Answer: b

14. Answer: b

15. Answer: a

16. Answer: 1.35 ohm

17. Answer: 50 MW

18. Answer: 83 cents

19. Answer: 1.6 cm

20. Answer: e

21. Answer: a

22. Answer: b

© 2000 by Harcourt College Publishers. All rights reserved.

2 Chapter 27

© 2000 by Harcourt College Publishers. All rights reserved.