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

A typical small flashlight contains two batteries, each having an emf of 1.5 V, connected in series with a bulb having resistance 17 Ω. ((b) If the batteries last for 5.0 h, what is the total energy delivered to the bulb?

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1
Identify the total voltage supplied by the batteries. Since the batteries are connected in series, the total voltage (V) is the sum of the individual voltages of the batteries.
Calculate the current (I) flowing through the circuit using Ohm's Law, which states I = V / R, where R is the resistance of the bulb.
Determine the power (P) delivered to the bulb using the formula P = V * I, where V is the total voltage and I is the current calculated in the previous step.
Calculate the total energy (E) delivered to the bulb over the given time using the formula E = P * t, where t is the time in seconds. Convert the time from hours to seconds for this calculation.
The result from the previous step gives the total energy in joules (J) delivered to the bulb over the specified period.

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Key Concepts

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

Electromotive Force (emf)

Electromotive force (emf) is the voltage generated by a battery or other energy source when no current is flowing. In this case, each battery has an emf of 1.5 V, and since they are connected in series, the total emf is the sum of the individual emfs, which is 3.0 V. This total voltage drives the current through the circuit.
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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. It can be expressed as V = I × R. In this scenario, the resistance of the bulb is 17 Ω, which will help determine the current flowing through the circuit when the total voltage is applied.
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Electrical Energy

Electrical energy delivered to a device can be calculated using the formula E = P × t, where E is energy, P is power, and t is time. Power can be derived from the current and voltage using P = V × I. By knowing the total voltage, resistance, and the duration the batteries last (5.0 hours), we can calculate the total energy delivered to the bulb over that time period.
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Textbook Question
A typical small flashlight contains two batteries, each having an emf of 1.5 V, connected in series with a bulb having resistance 17 Ω. (a) If the internal resistance of the batteries is negligible, what power is delivered to the bulb?
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