How would you rank five identical light bulbs (a through e) in brightness in a circuit with an ideal battery, assuming their resistance remains constant?

Physics Questions

How would you rank five identical light bulbs (a through e) in brightness in a circuit with an ideal battery, assuming their resistance remains constant?

Short Answer

The process of determining bulb brightness involves understanding power, calculating equivalent resistance, and ranking based on power consumption. The final ranking shows bulb C as the brightest, followed by A and B with equal brightness, and D and E as the least bright.

Step-by-Step Solution

Step 1: Understand Power and Brightness

The concept of power is crucial when discussing electrical devices like bulbs. Power is determined by the equation: power = current¬¨‚â§ ‚àöo resistance. This means that the brightness of a bulb is directly related to how much power it consumes. Discovering the power consumed by each bulb will allow us to compare their brightness levels.

Step 2: Calculate Equivalent Resistance

To effectively compare the bulbs, we first calculate the equivalent resistance of the circuits containing the bulbs. For bulbs A and B, the formula is R(AB) = R/2. For bulbs C, D, and E, the calculation gives R(CDE) = 2R/3. Understanding these equivalent resistances is essential for determining each bulb’s power consumption.

Step 3: Rank the Bulbs by Brightness

After calculating the power for each bulb using the resistances we found, we can rank their brightness. The powers derived are: P(A) = P(B) (equal brightness), P(C) (brightest), and P(D) = P(E) (least brightness). Therefore, the final ranking of the bulbs based on their brightness is:

C > A = B > D = E

This ranking shows which bulb shines brightest and how they compare to one another.

How would you rank five identical light bulbs (a through …