Answers

Chapter 12: Exercise 12.2 Using the internal resistance

equations
Practical circuits
1 a 20 Ω
Exercise 12.1 One cell, three voltages b 2.5 Ω

1 a 2 a 0.40 A
E The e.m.f. of a cell – the p.d. across the cell when
there is no current b 3.6 V

V The terminal potential difference across a cell when a c 3.6 V

current is drawn from it d 4.0 V
Ir The p.d. across the internal resistance of the cell; the 3 a 0.40 A
‘lost volts’
b 5.0 Ω

b 4 a gradient = −r
E The electrical energy per unit charge produced in the y-intercept = E
cell
V The energy per unit charge transferred from b 0.50 Ω
electrical to other forms in a component connected c
to the cell V power
supply
Ir The energy per unit charge transformed to heat with
in the internal resistance of the cell
A
2 a when there is no current or when the cell is on ‘open circuit’.
b When the cell is connected to a component then there is a
rheostat
current and a p.d. across the internal resistance. The e.m.f. of
the cell is shared across the internal resistance and across the
(variable resistor)
component, and so is larger than either. 17
5 a 0.21 A
c By ‘short circuiting’ the cell – connecting a thick wire of very
low resistance across its terminals. The cell quickly runs b 3.3 Ω
down. c 0.15 W or J s −1

3 a 6.0 V 6 a 4.5 V
b There is no current. b 3.6 V
c 2.0 V c 2.7 Ω
d 4.0 V as this is the voltage across the external 12 Ω resistor. 7 a
e 2.0 V as this is the voltage across the internal resistance. R/Ω I/A P/W
0 3.0 0
4 a 1.0 2.0 4.0
Current / A E/V V/V Ir / V
2.0 1.5 4.5
0 1.50 1.50 0 3.0 1.2 4.3
0.5 1.50 1.25 0.25 4.0 1.0 4.0
1.0 1.50 1.00 0.50 b 8.0 W
2.0 1.50 0.50 1.00 c 12 W
3.0 1.50 0 1.50 d The value for P = c − b

8 a 60 Ω
b The difference between the known e.m.f. and the measured
b 0.10 A
voltage, 0.25 V, is ‘lost volts’ across the internal resistance of
the cell. c 4.8 V
c The external resistance is reduced from very large (infinity
or open circuit) to very small (short circuit or the terminal Exercise 12.3 The potential divider
connected by a thick wire).
1 a 18 : 12
5 There is a large current. Some p.d. is needed to drive the current b 48 V : 32 V
through the internal resistance of the battery. c 48 V : 12 V
 Cambridge International AS and A level Physics

d I=
Vin Exam-style questions
R1 + R2
1 a The resistance inside the battery that decreases the terminal
Vout p.d. when there is a current. It is equal to the difference
e I=
R2 between the e.m.f. of the battery and the p.d. across its
Vin Vout terminals divided by the current.
f I I= so this can be rearranged to
R1 + R2 R2 b The e.m.f. of the battery is the number of joules per unit charge
R2 that turns from electrical to other forms. Some of this energy
give Vout Vin
R1 R2 is dissipated in an external resistor and some in the internal
g resistance. By the conservation of energy there must be less
Vout / V Vin / V R1 / Ω R2 / Ω energy per unit charge in the external resistor than is provided.
5.0 6.0 50 250 c 10.3(5) V
2.0 10.0 100 25 d 2.6 Ω
4.0 24.0 1000 200
e 8.2 A
5.1 16.2 400 184
f With all lamps on there is a larger current and more ‘lost volts’
across the internal resistance. This decreases the terminal p.d.
2 maximum voltage 6.0 V, minimum voltage 2.0 V across the battery and the current in the sidelamps is smaller.
3 a 6.0 V
2 a A circuit in which a voltage or potential difference is split into
b 0V two or more parts, usually be resistors in series.
c 4.0 V b The resistors are in series and have the same current or
charge flow per unit time. A larger resistance and the same
4 a 4.8 V
current requires a larger p.d. V since V = IR.
b i 2.0 V
c 3.43 V
ii 3.0 V
d 960 Ω
iii 4.8 V
e Eo
c i 2.8 V
18 ii 1.8 V
iii 0V
C D
A B
Exercise 12.4 The potentiometer
EX
1 a 0.10 V
b i 2.0 V
ii 2.5 V EY
iii 4.0 V
c i 0V
ii 0.5 V Move the slider until the ammeter measures zero. Record the
distance AC along the wire. Repeat with the other cell to find
iii 2.0 V
AD. The ratio of the two distances (AC/AD) is the ratio of the
2 a e.m.f.s of the two cells.
EA / V VB / V l/m
2.0 0.60 0.30 Chapter 13:
2.0 0.44 0.22
1.5 0.60 0.40
Waves
6.0 4.8 0.80 Exercise 13.1 Basic terms and wave diagrams
b i 0.20 V 1 The diagrams show answers for part a (labels for amplitude,
wavelength, period and 1/frequency), part b (label B), part c
ii 0.049 V
(label C) and part d (label D).
iii There is a small voltage across the wire.
c i 19 990 Ω or 20 000 Ω
A wavelength B
Displacement

ii Connect circuit as drawn. Adjust position of M until the

sensitive meter (ammeter or galvanometer) measures amplitude
zero. Measure l. Repeat and average.
10 × l D Distance
iii The voltage = l × 3.0 mV when l is in metres or 6 ×
R + 10
C