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Ch 25: Current, Resistance, and EMF
Chapter 25, Problem 25

A copper transmission cable 100 km long and 10.0 cm in diameter carries a current of 125 A. (b) How much electrical energy is dissipated as thermal energy every hour?

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1
Calculate the cross-sectional area, A, of the cable using the formula for the area of a circle, A = \pi r^2, where r is the radius of the cable.
Determine the resistivity, \rho, of copper from a reference table.
Calculate the resistance, R, of the cable using the formula R = \rho \frac{L}{A}, where L is the length of the cable.
Use the formula for power dissipation in a resistor, P = I^2R, where I is the current flowing through the cable, to find the power dissipated as thermal energy.
Calculate the total energy dissipated in one hour by multiplying the power dissipation by the time in seconds (3600 seconds in one hour), E = P \times 3600.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Ohm's Law

Ohm's Law states that the current (I) flowing through a conductor between two points is directly proportional to the voltage (V) across the two points and inversely proportional to the resistance (R) of the conductor. This relationship is expressed as V = IR. Understanding this law is crucial for calculating the resistance of the copper cable and determining how much energy is dissipated as heat due to the current flowing through it.
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Resistance of a Conductor

The resistance (R) of a conductor is determined by its material, length, and cross-sectional area. For a cylindrical conductor like a copper cable, resistance can be calculated using the formula R = ρ(L/A), where ρ is the resistivity of the material, L is the length, and A is the cross-sectional area. This concept is essential for calculating how much electrical energy is converted to thermal energy in the cable.
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Power Dissipation

Power dissipation in an electrical circuit refers to the rate at which electrical energy is converted into thermal energy, typically due to resistance. It can be calculated using the formula P = I²R, where P is power, I is current, and R is resistance. This concept is key to determining the total energy dissipated as heat over a specific time period, such as one hour, in the given scenario.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
In household wiring, copper wire 2.05 mm in diameter is often used. Find the resistance of a 24.0-m length of this wire.
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Textbook Question
A hollow aluminum cylinder is 2.50 m long and has an inner radius of 2.75 cm and an outer radius of 4.60 cm. Treat each surface (inner, outer, and the two end faces) as an equipotential surface. At room temperature, what will an ohmmeter read if it is connected between (a) the opposite faces and (b) the inner and outer surfaces?
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Textbook Question
(b) What is the resistance of a carbon rod at 25.8°C if its resistance is 0.0160 Ω at 0.0°C?
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Textbook Question
Pure silicon at room temperature contains approximately 1.0 * 10^16 free electrons per cubic meter. (a) Referring to Table 25.1, calculate the mean free time t for silicon at room temperature. (b) Your answer in part (a) is much greater than the mean free time for copper given in Example 25.11. Why, then, does pure silicon have such a high resistivity compared to copper?
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Textbook Question
When a resistor with resistance R is connected to a 1.50-V flashlight battery, the resistor consumes 0.0625 W of electrical power. (Throughout, assume that each battery has negligible internal resistance.) (a) What power does the resistor consume if it is connected to a 12.6-V car battery? Assume that R remains constant when the power consumption changes.
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Textbook Question
Consider the circuit of Fig. E25.30 (d) Show that the power output of the 16.0-V battery equals the overall rate of consumption of electrical energy in the rest of the circuit.
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