/*! This file is auto-generated */ .wp-block-button__link{color:#fff;background-color:#32373c;border-radius:9999px;box-shadow:none;text-decoration:none;padding:calc(.667em + 2px) calc(1.333em + 2px);font-size:1.125em}.wp-block-file__button{background:#32373c;color:#fff;text-decoration:none} Q20Q Someone said, 鈥淐urrent takes t... [FREE SOLUTION] | 91影视

91影视

Someone said, 鈥淐urrent takes the path of least resistance.鈥 What鈥檚 wrong with this statement?

Short Answer

Expert verified

For the current to flow between the two points, there must be a potential difference; the value of resistances can be anything.

Step by step solution

01

Write the given data from the question.

The current takes the path of the least resistance.

02

Determine the formulas to find out the what’s wrong with the given statement.

The current is defined as the ratio of the voltage across the resistance and the resistance.

The expression to calculate the current through the resistance is given as follows.

I=VR 鈥︹ (i)

Here, is the voltage across the resistance and is the resistance.

03

What’s wrong with the given statement.

From equation (i), it is clear that the current is inversely proportional to the resistance, which means the current flows more in the lower resistance.

If two resistances are connected in the series, the current will be the same in both resistances, and the values of the resistance can be anything. But when the two resistances are connected in parallel, the current will not flow only through the resistance with a low value. The current will flow in both the resistance but in the inverse proportion of their resistance.

In some cases, when one resistance is vast compared to the other, some current will flow through the lower resistance, but we take it as zero to make the calculation easier.

For the current to flow between the two points, there must be a potential difference; the value of resistances can be anything.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with 91影视!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

How is the charging time for a capacitor correlated with the initial current? That is, if the initial current is bigger, is the charging time, longer, shorter, or the same?

The insulating layer between the plates of a capacitor not only holds the plates apart to prevent conducting contact but also has a big effect on charging. Consider two capacitors whose only difference is that capacitor number has nothing between the plates, while capacitor number has a layer of plastic in the gap (Figure 19.57). They are placed in two different circuits having similar batteries and bulbs in series with the capacitor.

Show that in the first fraction of a second the current stays more nearly constant (decreases less rapidly) in the circuit with capacitor number . Explain your reasoning in detail. Hint: Consider the electric fields produced in the nearby wires by this plastic-filled capacitor. Suppose that the plastic is replaced by a different plastic that polarizes more easily. In the same circuit, would this capacitor keep the current more nearly constant or less so than capacitor ?

A more extensive analysis shows that this trend holds true for the entire charging process: the capacitor containing an easily polarized insulator ends up with more charge on its plates. The capacitor you have been using is filled with an insulator that polarizes extremely easily.

The capacitor in Figure 19.68 is initially uncharged, then the circuit is connected. Which graph in Figure 19.66 best describes the magnitude of the net electric field at location A (inside the connecting wire) as a function of time?

When a particular capacitor, which is initially uncharged, is connected to a battery and a small light bulb, the light bulb is initially bright but gradually gets dimmer, and after 45s it goes out. The diagrams in Figure 19.71 show the electric field in the circuit and the surface charge distribution on the wires at three different times ( 0.01s, 8s, and 240s) after the connection to the bulb is made. Which of the diagrams best represents the state of the circuit at each time specified?

(a)0.01safter the connection is made,

(b)8safter the connection is made,

(c)240safter the connection is made.

In the circuit shown in Figure 19.77 the emf of the battery is 7.4V. Resistor R1has a resistance of 31, resistor R2 has a resistance of 47, and resistor R3has a resistance of 52 . A steady current flows through the circuit.

(a)What is the equivalent resistance of R1and R2 ? (b) What is the equivalent resistance of all three resistors? (c) What is the conventional current throughR3

See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Physics Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.