What You’ll Learn

• You will distinguish among

series circuits, parallel
circuits, and series-parallel
combinations, and solve
problems involving them.
• You will explain the function
of fuses, circuit breakers,
and ground-fault
interrupters, and describe
how ammeters and
voltmeters are used
in circuits.

Why It’s Important

Electric circuits are the
basis of every electric
device, from electric lights
to microwave ovens to
computers. Learning how
circuits work will help you
understand how countless
electric devices function.
Electric Load Centers
Electric load centers form
the link between the utility
company and the circuits
in a building. Each circuit
breaker protects an individual
circuit, which has the various
loads connected in parallel.

Think About This

Why are the building loads
connected in parallel?
How are the circuit
breakers connected?

physicspp.com

616
Catherine Karnow/CORBIS, (inset)Horizons Companies
 How do fuses protect electric circuits?
Question
How does a fuse prevent an electric circuit from drawing too much current and
creating a safety hazard?

Procedure Analysis
1. Connect the negative terminal of a 9-V battery Explain how the thickness of a wire is related to
to one terminal of a flashlight-bulb socket how fast the wire will overheat and break apart.
using a copper wire. CAUTION: Wire ends Why have circuit breakers replaced fuses in the
may be sharp and could cause cuts. electric circuit boxes of new homes?
2. Connect the other terminal of the bulb socket Critical Thinking Why is it important to replace
to a single strand of steel wool using copper a burned-out fuse in a house or car electric
wire. Make sure the strand of steel wool is circuit with one that has the correct rating?
suspended over a small glass container.
3. Connect the other end of the single strand of
steel wool to a switch using another piece of
copper wire. Make sure the switch is open
(turned off).
4. Connect the other terminal of the switch to the
positive terminal of a power supply or a battery.
5. Hypothesize Predict what will happen when
the switch is closed (turned on).
6. Observe Close the switch and make
observations of the strand of steel wool.
7. Repeat steps 1–6 using a thicker strand of
steel wool, or twist several strands together
to form a single, thicker strand.

23.1 Simple Circuits

A lthough the connection may not immediately be clear to you,

a mountain river can be used to model an electric circuit. From its
source high in the mountains, the river flows downhill to the plains below.

Objectives
• Describe series and
parallel circuits.
No matter which path the river takes, its change in elevation, from the • Calculate currents, voltage
mountaintop to the plain, is the same. Some rivers flow downhill in drops, and equivalent
resistances in series and
a single stream. Other rivers may split into two or more smaller streams
parallel circuits.
as they flow over a waterfall or through a series of rapids. In this case,

Vocabulary
part of the river follows one path, while other parts of the river follow
series circuit
different paths. No matter how many paths the river takes, however, the equivalent resistance
total amount of water flowing down the mountain remains unchanged. voltage divider
In other words, the amount of water flowing downhill is not affected by parallel circuit
the path it takes.

Section 23.1 Simple Circuits 617

Horizons Companies
 How does the river shown in Figure 23-1 model an electric circuit? The
distance that the river drops is similar to the potential difference in a cir-
cuit. The amount of water flowing in the river is similar to current in a
circuit. Narrow rapids create resistance and are similar to resistors in a cir-
cuit. What part of a river is similar to a battery or a generator in an electric
circuit? The energy source needed to raise water to the top of the mountain
is the Sun. Solar energy evaporates water from lakes and seas leading to the
formation of clouds that release rain or snow that falls on the mountain-
tops. Continue to think about the mountain river model as you read about
the current in electric circuits.

Series Circuits
Three students are connecting two identical lamps to a battery, as illus-
■ Figure 23-1 No matter what
trated in Figure 23-2. Before they make the final connection to the battery,
path a river or a stream takes their teacher asks them to predict the brightnesses of the two lamps.
down a mountain, the amount of Each student knows that the brightness of a lamp depends on the current
water and the drop in elevation through it. The first student predicts that only the lamp close to the posi-
are the same. tive (
) terminal of the battery will light because all the current will be
used up as thermal and light energy. The second student predicts that only
part of the current will be used up, and the second lamp will glow, but
more brightly than the first. The third student predicts that the lamps will
be of equal brightness because current is a flow of charge and the charge
leaving the first lamp has nowhere else to go in the circuit except through
the second lamp. The third student reasons that because the current will be
the same in each lamp, the brightness also will be the same. How do you
predict the lights will behave?
If you consider the mountain river model for this circuit, you will
realize that the third student is correct. Recall from Chapter 20 that charge
cannot be created or destroyed. Because the charge in the circuit has only
one path to follow and cannot be destroyed, the same amount of charge
must leave a circuit as enters the circuit. This means that the current is the
same everywhere in the circuit. If you connect three ammeters in the circuit,
as shown in Figure 23-3, they all will show the same current. A circuit
such as this, in which all current travels through each device, is called a
series circuit.
If the current is the same throughout the circuit, what is used by the
■ Figure 23-2 What is your lamp to produce the thermal and light energy? Recall that power, the rate
prediction about the brightnesses at which electric energy is converted, is represented by P  IV. Thus, if
of the two lightbulbs after the there is a potential difference, or voltage drop, across the lamp, then electric
circuit is connected?
energy is being converted into another form. The resistance of the lamp is
defined as R  V/I. Thus, the potential difference, also called the voltage
drop, is V  IR.
Current and resistance in a series circuit From the river model, you
know that the sum of the drops in height is equal to the total drop from
the top of the mountain to sea level. In an electric circuit, the increase in


voltage provided by the generator or other energy source, Vsource, is equal
to the sum of voltage drops across lamps A and B, and is represented by
the following equation:
Vsource  VA
VB

618 Chapter 23 Series and Parallel Circuits

file photo
 To find the potential drop across a resistor, multiply the current in
the circuit by the resistance of the individual resistor. Because the
current through the lamps is the same, VA  IRA and VB  IRB. Therefore, RA
Vsource  IRA  IRB , or Vsource  I(RA  RB). The current through the circuit


is represented by the following equation:
Vsource
Vsource 
I 
RA  RB
RB
The same idea can be extended to any number of resistances in series,
not just two. The same current would exist in the circuit with a single resis-
tor, R, that has a resistance equal to the sum of the resistances of the two
■ Figure 23-3 The ammeters
lamps. Such a resistance is called the equivalent resistance of the circuit.
show that the current is the same
For resistors in series, the equivalent resistance is the sum of all the indi- everywhere in a series circuit.
vidual resistances, as expressed by the following equation.

Equivalent Resistance for Resistors in Series R  RA  RB  . . .

The equivalent resistance of resistors in series equals the sum of the
individual resistances of the resistors.

Notice that the equivalent resistance is greater than that of any individual
resistor. Therefore, if the battery voltage does not change, adding more
devices in series always decreases the current. To find the current through
a series circuit, first calculate the equivalent resistance and then use the fol-
lowing equation.

V
Current Isource

R
Current in a series circuit is equal to the potential difference of the source
divided by the equivalent resistance.

1. Three 20-
resistors are connected in series across a 120-V generator. What is the
equivalent resistance of the circuit? What is the current in the circuit?
2. A 10-
, 15-
, and 5-
resistor are connected in a series circuit with a 90-V battery.
What is the equivalent resistance of the circuit? What is the current in the circuit?
3. A 9-V battery is in a circuit with three resistors connected in series.
a. If the resistance of one of the resistors increases, how will the equivalent
resistance change?
b. What will happen to the current?
c. Will there be any change in the battery voltage?
4. A string of holiday lights has ten bulbs with equal resistances connected in series. When
the string of lights is connected to a 120-V outlet, the current through the bulbs is 0.06 A.
a. What is the equivalent resistance of the circuit?
b. What is the resistance of each bulb?
5. Calculate the voltage drops across the three resistors in problem 2, and verify that their
sum equals the voltage of the battery.

Section 23.1 Simple Circuits 619

 Voltage drops in a series circuit As current moves through any circuit,
the net change in potential must be zero. This is because the circuit’s
RA electric energy source, the battery or generator, raises the potential an

amount equal to the potential drop produced when the current passes
V I through the resistors. Therefore, the net change is zero.

An important application of series resistors is a circuit called a voltage
RB VB divider. A voltage divider is a series circuit used to produce a voltage
source of desired magnitude from a higher-voltage battery. For example,
suppose you have a 9-V battery but need a 5-V potential source. Consider
■ Figure 23-4 In this voltage-
the circuit shown in Figure 23-4. Two resistors, RA and RB , are connected
divider circuit, the values of RA in series across a battery of magnitude V. The equivalent resistance of
and RB are chosen such that the the circuit is R
RA  RB. The current is represented by the following
voltage drop across RB is the equation:
desired voltage. V
I

R
V


RA  RB

The desired voltage, 5 V, is the voltage drop, VB , across resistor RB: VB
IRB.
Into this equation, the earlier equation for current is substituted.

VB
IRB

RV

 RB
A  RB 
VR


B
RA  RB

Voltage dividers often are used with sensors, such as photoresistors. The
resistance of a photoresistor depends upon the amount of light that strikes
it. Photoresistors are made of semiconductors, such as silicon, selenium, or
cadmium sulfide. A typical photoresistor can have a resistance of 400  when
light is striking it compared with a resistance of 400,000  when the pho-
toresistor is in the dark. The voltage output of a voltage divider that uses a
photoresistor depends upon the amount of light striking the photoresistor
sensor. This circuit can be used as a light meter, such as the one shown
■ Figure 23-5 The voltage output in Figure 23-5. In this device, an electronic circuit detects the potential
of this voltage divider depends difference and converts it to a measurement of illuminance that can be read
upon the amount of light striking on the digital display. The amplified voltmeter reading will drop as illumi-
the photoresistor sensor (a).
nance increases.
Light meters used in photography
make use of a voltage divider (b).

a Sensitivity adjustment b
(potentiometer)

Dry
cells

Amplified Photoresistor
V
voltmeter sensor

Light

620 Chapter 23 Series and Parallel Circuits

Laura Sifferlin
Voltage Drops in a Series Circuit Two resistors, 47.0
and 82.0
, are connected
in series across a 45.0-V battery.
a. What is the current in the circuit?
b. What is the voltage drop across each resistor?
c. If the 47.0-
resistor is replaced by a 39.0-
resistor, will the current increase,
decrease, or remain the same?
d. What is the new voltage drop across the 82.0-
resistor?

1 Analyze and Sketch the Problem A

• Draw a schematic of the circuit.
Known: Unknown:
Vsource  45.0 V I ?
RA VA
RA  47.0
VA  ? V

RB  82.0
VB  ?

2 Solve for the Unknown RB VB

a. To determine the current, first find the equivalent resistance.
V
I   and R  RA  RB
source
R
Vsource
  Substitute R
RA + RB
RA  RB
45.0 V
  Substitute Vsource
45.0 V, RA
47.0 , RB
82.0 
47.0
 82.0

 0.349 A
b. Use V  IR for each resistor.
VA  IRA
 (0.349 A)(47.0
) Substitute I
0.349 A, RA
47.0 
 16.4 V
Math Handbook
VB  IRB Operations with
 (0.349 A)(82.0
) Substitute I
0.349 A, RB
82.0  Significant Digits
 28.6 V pages 835—836

c. Calculate current, this time using 39.0
as RA.

V
I 
source
RA  RB
45.0 V
  Substitute Vsource
45.0 V, RA
39.0 , RB
82.0 
39.0
 82.0

 0.372 A
The current will increase.
d. Determine the new voltage drop in RB.
VB  IRB
 (0.372 A)(82.0
) Substitute I
0.372 A, RB
82.0 
 30.5 V

3 Evaluate the Answer

• Are the units correct? Current is A  V/
; voltage is V  A
.
• Is the magnitude realistic? For current, if R  V, I  1. The voltage drop across
any one resistor must be less than the voltage of the circuit. Both values of VB are
less than Vsource, which is 45 V.

Section 23.1 Simple Circuits 621

 6. The circuit shown in Example Problem 1 is producing these symptoms: the ammeter
reads 0 A, VA reads 0 V, and VB reads 45 V. What has happened?
7. Suppose the circuit shown in Example Problem 1 has these values: RA
255 ,
RB
292 , and VA
17.0 V. No other information is available.
a. What is the current in the circuit?
b. What is the battery voltage?
c. What are the total power dissipation and the individual power dissipations?
d. Does the sum of the individual power dissipations in the circuit equal the total power
dissipation in the circuit? Explain.
8. Holiday lights often are connected in series and use special lamps that short out when
the voltage across a lamp increases to the line voltage. Explain why. Also explain why
these light sets might blow their fuses after many bulbs have failed.
9. The circuit in Example Problem 1 has unequal resistors. Explain why the resistor with
the lower resistance will operate at a lower temperature.
10. A series circuit is made up of a 12.0-V battery and three resistors. The voltage across
one resistor is 1.21 V, and the voltage across another resistor is 3.33 V. What is the
voltage across the third resistor?

Voltage Divider A 9.0-V battery and two resistors, 390  and 470 , are connected as
a voltage divider. What is the voltage across the 470- resistor?
1 Analyze and Sketch the Problem
• Draw the battery and resistors in a series circuit.
Known: Unknown: RA
Vsource
9.0 V VB
?
I
RA
390 
RB
470 
2 Solve for the Unknown
R
RA  RB
RB VB
Vsource V
I
  
R
Vsource

  Substitute R
RA  RB
RA  RB

VB
IRB
V R V

 
source B
Substitute I
 
source
RA  R B RA  RB
Math Handbook
(9.0 V)(470 )

 Substitute Vsource
9.0 V, RA
390 , RB
470  Order of Operations
39 0   470 
page 843

4.9 V
3 Evaluate the Answer
• Are the units correct? The voltage is V
V/. The ohms cancel, leaving volts.
• Is the magnitude realistic? The voltage drop is less than the battery voltage.
Because 470  is more than half of the equivalent resistance, the voltage drop is
more than half of the battery voltage.

622 Chapter 23 Series and Parallel Circuits

 11. A 22-
resistor and a 33-
resistor are connected in series and
placed across a 120-V potential difference.
a. What is the equivalent resistance of the circuit?
b. What is the current in the circuit?
c. What is the voltage drop across each resistor?
d. What is the voltage drop across the two resistors together?
12. Three resistors of 3.3 k
, 4.7 k
, and 3.9 k
are connected in
series across a 12-V battery.
a. What is the equivalent resistance?
b. What is the current through the resistors?
c. What is the voltage drop across each resistor?
d. Find the total voltage drop across the three resistors.
13. A student makes a voltage divider from a 45-V battery, a 475-k

resistor, and a 235-k
resistor. The output is measured across the
smaller resistor. What is the voltage?
14. Select a resistor to be used as part of a voltage divider along with
a 1.2-k
resistor. The drop across the 1.2-k
resistor is to be 2.2 V
when the supply is 12 V.

Parallel Circuits
Look at the circuit shown in Figure 23-6. How many current paths
are there? The current from the generator can go through any of the three
Parallel Resistance
resistors. A circuit in which there are several current paths is called a
Hook up a power supply,
parallel circuit. The three resistors are connected in parallel; both ends of a resistor, and an ammeter
the three paths are connected together. In the mountain river model, such in a series circuit.
a circuit is illustrated by three paths for the water over a waterfall. Some 1. Predict what will happen
paths might have a large flow of water, while others might have a small to the current in the circuit
when a second, identical resistor
flow. The sum of the flows, however, is equal to the total flow of water over
is added in parallel to the first.
the falls. In addition, regardless of which channel the water flows through, 2. Test your prediction.
the drop in height is the same. Similarly, in a parallel electric circuit, the 3. Predict the new currents when
total current is the sum of the currents through each path, and the poten- the circuit contains three and four
tial difference across each path is the same. identical resistors in parallel.
4. Test your prediction.
Analyze and Conclude
■ Figure 23-6 The parallel paths for current in this diagram are analogous to multiple 5. Make a data table to show
paths that a river might take down a mountain. your results.
6. Explain your results. (Hint:
Include the idea of resistance.)

RC RB RA

Generator

Section 23.1 Simple Circuits 623

 What is the current through each resistor in a parallel electric circuit? It
depends upon the individual resistances. For example, in Figure 23-7, the
120 V potential difference across each resistor is 120 V. The current through a
resistor is given by I
V/R, so you can calculate the current through the
38 A A
24- resistor as I
(120 V)/(24 )
5.0 A and then calculate the currents
5A through the other two resistors. The total current through the generator is
24 
the sum of the currents through the three paths, in this case, 38 A.
A
What would happen if the 6- resistor were removed from the circuit?
120 V Would the current through the 24- resistor change? That current depends
only upon the potential difference across it and its resistance; because
V
neither has changed, the current also is unchanged. The same is true for the
13 A current through the 9- resistor. The branches of a parallel circuit are inde-
9
pendent of each other. The total current through the generator, however,
A
would change. The sum of the currents in the branches would be 18 A if
120 V the 6- resistor were removed.
V Resistance in a parallel circuit How can you find the equivalent resist-
ance of a parallel circuit? In Figure 23-7, the total current through the
6 20 A generator is 38 A. Thus, the value of a single resistor that results in a
A 38-A current when a 120-V potential difference is placed across it can
easily be calculated by using the following equation:
120 V
V
V R

I
120 V
■ Figure 23-7 In a parallel circuit,

38 A
the total current is equal to the
sum of the currents in the
3.2 
individual paths.
Notice that this resistance is smaller than that of any of the three resistors
in parallel. Placing two or more resistors in parallel always decreases the
equivalent resistance of a circuit. The resistance decreases because each
new resistor provides an additional path for current, thereby increasing the
total current while the potential difference remains unchanged.
To calculate the equivalent resistance of a parallel circuit, first note that
the total current is the sum of the currents through the branches. If IA, IB,
and IC are the currents through the branches and I is the total current, then
I
IA  IB  IC. The potential difference across each resistor is the same,
so the current through each resistor, for example, RA, can be found from
IA
V/RA. Therefore, the equation for the sum of the currents is as follows:
V V V V

    
R RA RB RC

Testing Resistance
Ohmmeters, which are used to Dividing both sides of the equation by V provides an equation for the
measure resistance, work by equivalent resistance of the three parallel resistors.
passing a known voltage across
a resistor and measuring the Equivalent Resistance for Resistors in Parallel
current. The resistance is then 1 1 1 1
displayed. Some ohmmeters use 
     . . .
R RA RB RC
potentials of less than 1 V to avoid
damaging delicate electronic The reciprocal of the equivalent resistance is equal to the sum of the
reciprocals of the individual resistances.
components, whereas others may
use hundreds of volts to check the
integrity of insulating materials.  This equation can be used for any number of resistors in parallel.

624 Chapter 23 Series and Parallel Circuits

Equivalent Resistance and Current in a Parallel Circuit Three resistors, 60.0
, 30.0
,
and 20.0
, are connected in parallel across a 90.0-V battery.
a. Find the current through each branch of the circuit.
b. Find the equivalent resistance of the circuit.
c. Find the current through the battery.
A
1 Analyze and Sketch the Problem IA IB IC
• Draw a schematic of the circuit. A A A
• Include ammeters to show where you would


measure each of the currents.
90.0 V
Known: Unknown: 
RA  60.0
IA  ? I ? 60.0
30.0
20.0

RB  30.0
IB  ? R?
RC  20.0
IC  ?
V  90.0 V
2 Solve for the Unknown
V
a. Because the voltage across each resistor is the same, use I   for each branch.
R
V
IA  
RA
90.0 V
  Substitute V
90.0 V, RA
60.0 
6 0.0

 1.50 A
V
IB  
RB Math Handbook
90.0 V
  Substitute V
90.0 V, RB
30.0  Fractions
3 0.0

page 837
 3.00 A
V
IC  
RC
90.0 V
  Substitute V
90.0 V, RC
20.0 
20.0

 4.50 A
b. Use the equivalent resistance equation for parallel circuits.
1 1 1 1
      
R RA RB RC
1 1 1
      Substitute RA
60.0 , RB
30.0 , RC
20.0 
60.0
30.0
20.0

1
 
10.0

R  10.0

V
c. Use I   to find the total current.
R
V
I  
R
90.0 V
  Substitute V
90.0 V, R
10.0 
10.0

 9.00 A
3 Evaluate the Answer
• Are the units correct? Current is measured in amps; resistance is
measured in ohms.
• Is the magnitude realistic? The equivalent resistance is less than any single
resistor. The current for the circuit, I, equals the sum of the current found for each
resistor, IA  IB  IC.

Section 23.1 Simple Circuits 625

 15. Three 15.0-
resistors are connected in parallel and placed across a 30.0-V battery.
a. What is the equivalent resistance of the parallel circuit?
b. What is the current through the entire circuit?
c. What is the current through each branch of the circuit?
16. A 120.0-
resistor, a 60.0-
resistor, and a 40.0-
resistor are connected in parallel and
placed across a 12.0-V battery.
a. What is the equivalent resistance of the parallel circuit?
b. What is the current through the entire circuit?
c. What is the current through each branch of the circuit?
17. Suppose that one of the 15.0-
resistors in problem 15 is replaced by a 10.0-
resistor.
a. Does the equivalent resistance change? If so, how?
b. Does the amount of current through the entire circuit change? If so, in what way?
c. Does the amount of current through the other 15.0-
resistors change? If so, how?
18. A 150-
branch in a circuit must be reduced to 93
. A resistor will be added to this
branch of the circuit to make this change. What value of resistance should be used and
how must the resistor be connected?
19. A 12-
, 2-W resistor is connected in parallel with a 6.0-
, 4-W resistor. Which will
become hotter if the voltage across them keeps increasing?

Series and parallel connections differ in how they affect a lighting cirucuit.
Imagine a 60-W and a 100-W bulb are used in a lighting circuit. Recall that
the brightness of a lightbulb is proportional to the power it dissipates, and
that P  I2R. When the bulbs are connected in parallel, each is connected
across 120 V and the 100-W bulb glows more brightly. When connected in
series, the current through each bulb is the same. Because the resistance of
the 60-W bulb is greater than that of the 100-W bulb, the higher-resistance
60-W bulb dissipates more power and glows more brightly.

23.1 Section Review

20. Circuit Types Compare and contrast the voltages 24. Critical Thinking The circuit in Figure 23-8 has
and the currents in series and parallel circuits. four identical resistors. Suppose that a wire is
added to connect points A and B. Answer the fol-
21. Total Current A parallel circuit has four branch
lowing questions, and explain your reasoning.
currents: 120 mA, 250 mA, 380 mA, and 2.1 A. How
much current is supplied by the source? a. What is the current through the wire?
b. What happens to
22. Total Current A series circuit has four resistors. the current through
The current through one resistor is 810 mA. How each resistor? R R
much current is supplied by the source?
c. What happens to

23. Circuits A switch is connected in series with a the current drawn A B
75-W bulb to a source of 120 V. from the battery? 
a. What is the potential difference across the d. What happens to R R
switch when it is closed (turned on)? the potential differ-
b. What is the potential difference across the ence across each
switch if another 75-W bulb is added in series? resistor? ■ Figure 23-8

626 Chapter 23 Series and Parallel Circuits physicspp.com/self_check_quiz

23.2 Applications of Circuits

Y ou have learned about some of the elements of household wiring cir-

cuits. It is important to understand the requirements and limitations
of these systems. Above all, you need to be aware of the safety measures

Objectives
• Explain how fuses, circuit
breakers, and ground-fault
that must be followed to prevent accidents and injuries. interrupters protect
household wiring.

Safety Devices • Analyze and solve problems

involving combined series-
In an electric circuit, fuses and circuit breakers act as safety devices. They parallel circuits.
prevent circuit overloads that can occur when too many appliances are • Explain how voltmeters and
turned on at the same time or when a short circuit occurs in one appliance. ammeters are used in circuits.
A short circuit occurs when a circuit with a very low resistance is formed.
Vocabulary
The low resistance causes the current to be very large. When appliances are short circuit
connected in parallel, each additional appliance placed in operation reduces fuse
the equivalent resistance in the circuit and increases the current through circuit breaker
the wires. This additional current might produce enough thermal energy to ground-fault interrupter
combination series-parallel
melt the wiring’s insulation, cause a short circuit, or even begin a fire.
circuit
A fuse is a short piece of metal that melts when too large a current ammeter
passes through it. The thickness of the metal used in the fuse is determined voltmeter
by the amount of current that the circuit is designed to handle safely. If a
large, unsafe current passes through the circuit, the fuse melts and breaks
the circuit. A circuit breaker, shown in Figure 23-9, is an automatic
switch that opens when the current reaches a threshold value. If there is a
current greater than the rated (threshold) value in the circuit, the circuit
becomes overloaded. The circuit breaker opens and stops the current.
Current follows a single path from the power source through an electri-
cal appliance and back to the source. Sometimes, a faulty appliance or an
accidental drop of the appliance into water might create another current
pathway. If this pathway flows through the user, serious injury could result.
A current as small as 5 mA flowing through a person could result in
electrocution. A ground-fault interrupter in an electric outlet prevents
such injuries because it contains an electronic circuit that detects small
differences in current caused by an extra current path and opens the circuit.
Electric codes for buildings often require ground-fault interrupters to be
used in bathroom, kitchen, and exterior outlets.

Circuit Breaker

On/off reset Bimetallic strip

switch handle

Latch
Switch ■ Figure 23-9 When too much
contacts current flows through the bimetallic
strip, the heat that is generated
causes the strip to bend and
Current out Current in from
release the latch. The handle
to loads central switch
moves to the off position, causing
the switch to open and break
the circuit.

Section 23.2 Applications of Circuits 627

 Household applications Figure 23-10 diagrams a parallel circuit used in
the wiring of homes, and also shows some common appliances that would
be connected in parallel. The current in any one circuit does not depend
upon the current in the other circuits. Suppose that a 240-W television is
plugged into a 120-V outlet. The current is represented by I
P/V. For the
television, I
(240 W)/(120 V)
2.0 A. When a 720-W curling iron is
plugged into the outlet, its current draw is I
(720 W)/(120 V)
6.0 A.
Finally, a 1440-W hair dryer is plugged into the same outlet. The current
through the hair dryer is I
(1440 W)/(120 V)
12 A. The resistance of
each appliance can be calculated using the equation R
V/I. The equivalent
15-A fuse
resistance of the three appliances is as follows.
1 1 1 1

    
120 V R 60  20  10 
1


6
R
6
■ Figure 23-10 The parallel wiring
A fuse is connected in series with the power source so that the entire cur-
arrangement used in homes allows
the simultaneous use of more rent passes through it. The current through the fuse is calculated using the
than one appliance. However, if equivalent resistance.
too many appliances are used V 120 V
I


20 A
at once, the fuse could melt. R 6
If the fuse in the circuit is rated as 15 A, the 20-A current would exceed the
rating and cause the fuse to melt, or “blow,” and cut off current.
Fuses and circuit breakers also protect against the large currents created
by a short circuit. Without a fuse or a circuit breaker, the current caused by
a short circuit easily could start a fire. For example, a short circuit could
occur if the insulation on a lamp cord became old and brittle. The two
wires in the cord might accidentally touch, resulting in a resistance in the
wire of only 0.010 . This resistance results in a huge current.
V 120 V
I


12,000 A
R 0.010 
Such a current would cause a fuse or a circuit breaker to open the circuit,
thereby preventing the wires from becoming hot enough to start a fire.

When the galvanometer, a device used to measure very small currents or voltages, in this
circuit measures zero, the circuit is said to be balanced.
1. Your lab partner states that the only way to balance this circuit is to make all the resistors equal.
Will this balance the circuit? Is there more than one way to balance this circuit? Explain.
2. Derive a general equation for a balanced circuit using the
given labels. Hint: Treat the circuit as a voltage divider.
R1
3. Which of the resistors can be replaced with a variable resistor R2 R4
and then used to balance the circuit?

4. Which of the resistors can be replaced with a variable resistor V A B
and then used as a sensitivity control? Why would this be 
necessary? How would it be used in practice? R3 R5

628 Chapter 23 Series and Parallel Circuits

Horizons Companies
 ■ Figure 23-11 The small
resistance inherent in wires is
Small resistance
in series with the parallel
from wiring
resistances of household
120 V appliances.

Appliances in parallel

Combined Series-Parallel Circuits

Have you ever noticed the light in your bathroom or bedroom dim when
you turned on a hair dryer? The light and the hair dryer are connected in
parallel across 120 V. Because of the parallel connection, the current through
the light should not have changed when you turned on the hair dryer. Yet
the light did dim, so the current must have changed. The dimming occurred
because the house wiring had a small resistance. As shown in Figure 23-11,
this resistance was in series with the parallel circuit. Such a circuit, which
includes series and parallel branches, is called a combination series-
parallel circuit. The following are strategies for analyzing such circuits.

Series-Parallel Circuits
Reducing Circuit Diagrams
When analyzing a combination series-parallel
RA
circuit, use the following steps to break down 8.0

Step 1
the problem.
1. Draw a schematic diagram of the circuit. IA


2. Find any parallel resistors. Resistors in IB RB I RC
60 V C
25
15

parallel have separate current paths. 
They must have the same potential
differences across them. Calculate the
single equivalent resistance of a resistor
that can replace them. Draw a new Step 2
schematic using that resistor.
RA
3. Are any resistors (including the equivalent
8.0
RBC
resistor) now in series? Resistors in series 9.4

have one and only one current path through 

them. Calculate a single new equivalent

resistance that can replace them. Draw a
new schematic diagram using that resistor. Step 3

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you can reduce

the circuit to a single resistor. Find the total

R
circuit current. Then go backwards through 17.4

the circuits to find the currents through and 
the voltages across individual resistors.

Section 23.2 Applications of Circuits 629

 Series-Parallel Circuit A hair dryer with a resistance of 12.0
and a lamp
with a resistance of 125
are connected in parallel to a 125-V source
RC
through a 1.50-
resistor in series. Find the current through the lamp
when the hair dryer is on. RA RB
1 Analyze and Sketch the Problem IA IB
• Draw the series-parallel circuit including the hair dryer and lamp.
• Replace RA and RB with a single equivalent resistance, Rp.
Known: Unknown:
RC
RA  125
RC  1.50
I ? IA  ?
RB  12.0
Vsource = 125 V R? Rp  ? RP
2 Solve for the Unknown
Find the equivalent resistance for the parallel circuit, then find the I
equivalent resistance for the entire circuit, and then calculate the current.
1 1 1 1 1
         Substitute RA
125 , RB
12.0 
Rp RA RB 125
12.0

RP  10.9
R

R  RC  Rp  1.50
 11.0
Substitute RC
1.50 , Rp
10.9 

 12.4

V 125 V
I    
source
Substitute Vsource
125 V, R
12.4 
R 12.4

 10.1 A
VC  IRC  (10.1 A)(1.50
) Substitute I
10.1 A, RC
1.50 
 15.2 V
VA  Vsource  VC  125 V  15.2 V Substitute Vsource
125 V, VC
15.2 V

 1.10102 V
V 1.10102 V Math Handbook
IA  
A
  Substitute VA
1.10102 V, RA
125 
RA 125
Operations with
Significant Digits
 0.880 A
pages 835—836
3 Evaluate the Answer
• Are the units correct? Current is measured in amps, and potential
drops are measured in volts.
• Is the magnitude realistic? The resistance is greater than
the voltage, so the current should be less than 1 A.

25. A series-parallel circuit has three resistors: one dissipates 2.0 W, the second 3.0 W, and
the third 1.5 W. How much current does the circuit require from a 12-V battery?
26. There are 11 lights in series, and they are in series with two lights in parallel. If the 13 lights
are identical, which of them will burn brightest?
27. What will happen to the circuit in problem 26 if one of the parallel lights burns out?
28. What will happen to the circuit in problem 26 if one of the parallel lights shorts out?

630 Chapter 23 Series and Parallel Circuits

Ammeters and Voltmeters 0.01-
Ammeter
a
An ammeter is a device that is used to measure the current in
any branch or part of a circuit. If, for example, you wanted to measure RA
the current through a resistor, you would place an ammeter in series 10.00

with the resistor. This would require opening the current path and insert-

ing an ammeter. Ideally, the use of an ammeter should not change the 20 V RB
 10.00

current in the circuit. Because the current would decrease if the ammeter
increased the resistance in the circuit, the resistance of an ammeter is 0.01

10.00

10.00

designed to be as low as possible. Figure 23-12a shows an ammeter as  20.01

a meter placed in parallel with a 0.01-
resistor. Because the resistance of
the ammeter is much less than that of the resistors, the current decrease b
is negligible. 10.00
RA
Another instrument, called a voltmeter, is used to measure the voltage Voltmeter


drop across a portion of a circuit. To measure the potential drop across a
20 V
resistor, a voltmeter is connected in parallel with the resistor. Voltmeters 
10 k

are designed to have a very high resistance so as to cause the smallest
10.00
RB
possible change in currents and voltages in the circuit. Consider the circuit
shown in Figure 23-12b. A voltmeter is shown as a meter in series with a
10-k
resistor. When the voltmeter is connected in parallel with RB, the
equivalent resistance of the combination is smaller than RB alone. Thus, ■ Figure 23-12 An ammeter is
the total resistance of the circuit decreases, and the current increases. The connected in series with two
value of RA has not changed, but the current through it has increased, resistors (a). The small resistance
thereby increasing the potential drop across it. The battery, however, holds of the ammeter slightly alters the
current in the circuit. A voltmeter is
the potential drop across RA and RB constant. Thus, the potential drop
connected in parallel with a resistor
across RB must decrease. The result of connecting a voltmeter across a resis- (b). The high resistance of the
tor is to lower the potential drop across it. The higher the resistance of voltmeter results in a negligible
the voltmeter, the smaller the voltage change. Practical meters have resist- change in the circuit current and
ances of 10 M
. voltage.

23.2 Section Review

Refer to Figure 23-13 for questions 29–33, and 35. 31. Circuits in Series The wire at point C is broken
The bulbs in the circuit are identical. and a small resistor is inserted in series with bulbs
2 and 3. What happens to the brightnesses of the
A two bulbs? Explain.
B
I3 A I1 I2 A 32. Battery Voltage A voltmeter connected across
bulb 2 measures 3.8 V, and a voltmeter connected
A
across bulb 3 measures 4.2 V. What is the battery
1 2 voltage?


V C
 33. Circuits Using the information from problem 32,
3 determine if bulbs 2 and 3 are identical.

■ Figure 23-13 34. Circuit Protection Describe three common

safety devices associated with household wiring.
29. Brightness How do the bulb brightnesses compare?
35. Critical Thinking Is there a way to make the
30. Current If I3 measures 1.7 A and I1 measures three bulbs in Figure 23-13 burn with equal inten-
1.1 A, how much current is flowing in bulb 2? sity without using any additional resistors? Explain.

physicspp.com/self_check_quiz Section 23.2 Applications of Circuits 631

 Series and Parallel Circuits
Alternate CBL instructions
In every circuit there is a relationship among current, potential difference, and
can be found on the
Web site. resistance in electric circuits. In this experiment, you will investigate how the
physicspp.com relationship of current, potential difference, and resistance in series circuits
compares to that in parallel circuits.

QUESTION
How do relationships among current, potential difference,
and resistance compare in series and parallel circuits?

Objectives Materials
■ Describe the relationship among current, poten- low-voltage power supply
tial difference, and resistance in a series circuit. two light sockets
■ Summarize the relationship among current, two small lightbulbs
potential difference, and resistance in a ammeter or multimeter (0–500-mA scale)
parallel circuit. voltmeter or multimeter (0–30-V scale)
■ Collect data for current and potential differ- about ten copper wires with alligator clips
ence using electric meters.
■ Calculate resistance in a lightbulb from current
and potential-difference data. Procedure
1. Wire two lightbulb sockets in series with an
Safety Precautions ammeter and a low-voltage power supply.
Observe the correct polarity when wiring
the ammeter.

■ Hazard from electric shock is minimal 2. Screw the lightbulbs into the sockets. Turn on
because of the low currents used in this the power supply. Adjust the power control so
experiment. This experiment should not be that the bulbs are dimly lit.
carried out using current from an AC circuit,
3. Unscrew one of the bulbs. Record your obser-
as this current is deadly.
vations in the data table.
■ Handle wire ends with care as they may be
sharp and could cause cuts. 4. Screw in the bulb again and find the potential
difference across both sets of bulbs by placing
the positive probe of the voltmeter on the posi-
tive end of the circuit and the negative probe
on the negative end of the circuit. Record your
data in the data table.

5. Find the potential difference across each indi-

vidual lightbulb by placing the positive probe
of the voltmeter on the positive end of a bulb
and the negative probe on the negative end of
the bulb. Record your data in the data table.
Repeat for the other bulb in series.

6. Place the ammeter at various locations in the

series circuit. Record these currents in the
data table.
7. Wire the two lightbulb sockets in parallel with
the low-voltage power supply and in series
with an ammeter.

632
Horizons Companies
 Data Table
Step Observations
3
4
5
6
8
9
10
11

8. Screw the lightbulbs into the sockets. Turn on

the power supply. Adjust the power control so Conclude and Apply
that the bulbs are dimly lit. Record the current 1. Summarize the relationship among current,
shown on the ammeter in the data table. potential difference, and resistance in a
9. Check the potential difference across the entire series circuit.
circuit and across each lightbulb. Record the 2. Summarize the relationship between current
values in the data table. and potential difference in a parallel circuit.
10. Place the voltmeter probes across one of the
lightbulbs. Now unscrew one of the lightbulbs.
Record your observations of both lightbulbs, Going Further
and record the current and potential difference Repeat the experiment using lightbulbs of
read by the meters in the data table. different voltage ratings (for example: 1.5 V, 3.0 V,
11. Return the lightbulb you removed in the previ- and 6.0 V).
ous step to its socket. Now unscrew the other
lightbulb. Record your observations of both
lightbulbs, and record the current and potential Real-World Physics
difference read by the meters in the data table.
1. The lightbulbs in most homes all are rated for
120 V, no matter how many bulbs there are.
Analyze How is the ability to use any number of same-
voltage bulbs affected by the way in which the
1. Calculate the resistance of the pair of lightbulbs bulbs are wired (series or parallel)?
in the series circuit.
2. Why do lights in a home dim when a large
2. Calculate the resistance of each lightbulb in the appliance, such as an air conditioner, is
series circuit. turned on?
3. How does the resistance of the pair of light-
bulbs compare to the individual resistance of
each lightbulb?
4. How does the potential difference across the
individual lightbulbs compare to the potential
difference across the pair of lightbulbs in the
series circuit?
5. Calculate the resistance of each of the light-
bulbs while they are in the parallel circuit. How To find out more about series and parallel
does this compare to the resistance calculated circuits, visit the Web site: physicspp.com
for the bulbs in the series circuit?

633
 Ground Fault Circuit
Interrupters (GFCI)
A ground fault occurs when electricity takes an incorrect path to
ground, such as through a person’s body. Charles Dalziel, an engi-
neering professor at the University of California, was an expert on the
effects of electric shock. When he realized that ground faults were the
cause of many electrocutions, he invented a device to prevent such
accidents. How does a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) work?

No current Sensor 3 The net current induces a

here electronics
changing magnetic field in the
transformer core, which induces
Trip coil
a current in the loop with the
sensor electronics. The sensor
To load
detects the current and energizes
Equal Neutral an electromagnet, called the trip
current Transformer
coil, thus breaking the circuit.
No ground current This process takes 0.025 s.

1 In normal operation,
Current in
there are equal and sensor loop Coil trips
opposite currents
through the wires,
so the net current
through the
transformer is zero.
Unequal Fault
current current

Circuit
interrupted

4 A test button on Thinking Critically

the GFCI connects 2 In a ground fault, there
a small resistor to is current from the hot 1. Hypothesize Ground faults can occur
the circuit, again conductor through a when a person standing in water
creating unequal person and to the touches an appliance that is plugged
currents in the ground. The currents in. How is water a factor in creating
transformer and in the two wires are the ground fault?
opening the circuit. unequal, and a net 2. Analyze and Conclude Will a GFCI
current passes through protect a person who touches one wire
the transformer. with one hand and the other wire with
the other hand? Explain.
3. Calculate In one GFCI, the test resistor
is 14.75 kΩ. For a voltage of 115 V, cal-
culate the current through this resistor.
Is this a lot of current?

634 How It Works

23.1 Simple Circuits
Vocabulary Key Concepts
• series circuit (p. 618) • The current is the same everywhere in a simple series circuit.
• equivalent resistance • The equivalent resistance of a series circuit is the sum of the resistances of
(p. 619) its parts.
• voltage divider (p. 620)
R  RA  RB  . . .
• parallel circuit (p. 623)
• The current in a series circuit is equal to the potential difference divided
by the equivalent resistance.

V
I
source


R

• The sum of the voltage drops across resistors that are in series is equal to
the potential difference applied across the combination.
• A voltage divider is a series circuit used to produce a voltage source of
desired magnitude from a higher-voltage battery.
• The voltage drops across all branches of a parallel circuit are the same.
• In a parallel circuit, the total current is equal to the sum of the currents in
the branches.
• The reciprocal of the equivalent resistance of parallel resistors is equal to
the sum of the reciprocals of the individual resistances.
1 1 1 1








 . . .
R RA RB RC

• If any branch of a parallel circuit is opened, there is no current in that

branch. The current in the other branches is unchanged.

23.2 Applications of Circuits

Vocabulary Key Concepts
• short circuit (p. 627) • A fuse or circuit breaker, placed in series with appliances, creates an open
• fuse (p. 627) circuit when dangerously high currents flow.
• circuit breaker (p. 627) • A complex circuit is a combination of series and parallel branches. Any
• ground-fault interrupter parallel branch first is reduced to a single equivalent resistance. Then,
(p. 627)
any resistors in series are replaced by a single resistance.
• combination series- • An ammeter is used to measure the current in a branch or part of a circuit.
parallel circuit (p. 629) An ammeter always has a low resistance and is connected in series.
• ammeter (p. 631) • A voltmeter measures the potential difference (voltage) across any part or
combination of parts of a circuit. A voltmeter always has a high resistance
• voltmeter (p. 631)
and is connected in parallel with the part of the circuit being measured.

physicspp.com/vocabulary_puzzlemaker 635
Concept Mapping Applying Concepts
36. Complete the concept map using the following 48. What happens to the current in the other two lamps
terms: series circuit, R
R1  R2  R3, constant if one lamp in a three-lamp series circuit burns out?
current, parallel circuit, constant potential.
49. Suppose the resistor, RA, in the voltage divider in
Figure 23-4 is made to be a variable resistor. What
Resistors in happens to the voltage output, VB, of the voltage
circuits divider if the resistance of the variable resistor is
increased?
Type of circuit 50. Circuit A contains three 60- resistors in series.
Circuit B contains three 60- resistors in parallel.
How does the current in the second 60- resistor
of each circuit change if a switch cuts off the current
Principle to the first 60- resistor?
51. What happens to the current in the other two lamps
if one lamp in a three-lamp parallel circuit burns out?
52. An engineer needs a 10- resistor and a 15-
Resistance
1 1 1

    . . .
resistor, but there are only 30- resistors in stock.
R R1 R2 Must new resistors be purchased? Explain.
53. If you have a 6-V battery and many 1.5-V bulbs,
Mastering Concepts how could you connect them so that they light but
do not have more than 1.5 V across each bulb?
37. Why is it frustrating when one bulb burns out on a
string of holiday tree lights connected in series? (23.1) 54. Two lamps have different resistances, one larger
than the other.
38. Why does the equivalent resistance decrease as more a. If the lamps are connected in parallel, which is
resistors are added to a parallel circuit? (23.1) brighter (dissipates more power)?
39. Several resistors with different values are connected b. When the lamps are connected in series, which
in parallel. How do the values of the individual lamp is brighter?
resistors compare with the equivalent resistance? (23.1) 55. For each of the following, write the form of circuit
40. Why is household wiring constructed in parallel that applies: series or parallel.
instead of in series? (23.1) a. The current is the same everywhere throughout
the entire circuit.
41. Why is there a difference in equivalent resistance
b. The total resistance is equal to the sum of the
between three 60- resistors connected in series
individual resistances.
and three 60- resistors connected in parallel? (23.1)
c. The voltage drop across each resistor in the
42. Compare the amount of current entering a junction circuit is the same.
in a parallel circuit with that leaving the junction. d. The voltage drop in the circuit is proportional to
(A junction is a point where three or more the resistance.
conductors are joined.) (23.1) e. Adding a resistor to the circuit decreases the
total resistance.
43. Explain how a fuse functions to protect an electric
f. Adding a resistor to the circuit increases the
circuit. (23.2)
total resistance.
44. What is a short circuit? Why is a short circuit g. If the current through one resistor in the circuit
dangerous? (23.2) goes to zero, there is no current in the entire
circuit.
45. Why is an ammeter designed to have a very low
h. If the current through one resistor in the circuit
resistance? (23.2)
goes to zero, the current through all other
46. Why is a voltmeter designed to have a very high resistors remains the same.
resistance? (23.2) i. This form is suitable for house wiring.
47. How does the way in which an ammeter is 56. Household Fuses Why is it dangerous to replace
connected in a circuit differ from the way in which the 15-A fuse used to protect a household circuit
a voltmeter is connected? (23.2) with a fuse that is rated at 30 A?

636 Chapter 23 Series and Parallel Circuits For more problems, go to Additional Problems, Appendix B.
Mastering Problems 65. Refer to Figure 23-16 to answer the following
questions.
23.1 Simple Circuits a. What should the ammeter read?
57. Ammeter 1 in Figure 23-14 reads 0.20 A. b. What should voltmeter 1 read?
a. What should ammeter 2 indicate? c. What should voltmeter 2 read?
b. What should ammeter 3 indicate? d. How much energy is supplied by the battery
per minute?
A1
V1
22

A2
A


V 35



15

10 V 15
V2

A3
■ Figure 23-14
■ Figure 23-16
58. Calculate the equivalent resistance of these series-
connected resistors: 680
, 1.1 k
, and 10 k
. 66. For Figure 23-17, the voltmeter reads 70.0 V.
a. Which resistor is the hottest?
59. Calculate the equivalent resistance of these parallel-
b. Which resistor is the coolest?
connected resistors: 680
, 1.1 k
, and 10.2 k
.
c. What will the ammeter read?
60. A series circuit has two voltage drops: 5.50 V and d. What is the power supplied by the battery?
6.90 V. What is the supply voltage?
61. A parallel circuit has two branch currents: 3.45 A and V
1.00 A. What is the current in the energy source?
62. Ammeter 1 in Figure 23-14 reads 0.20 A. A
a. What is the total resistance of the circuit? 35

b. What is the battery voltage?

c. How much power is delivered to the 22-
resistor? V 15

d. How much power is supplied by the battery? 
63. Ammeter 2 in Figure 23-14 reads 0.50 A. 50

a. Find the voltage across the 22-
resistor.
b. Find the voltage across the 15-
resistor. ■ Figure 23-17
c. What is the battery voltage?
67. For Figure 23-18, the battery develops 110 V.
64. A 22-
lamp and a 4.5-
lamp are connected in a. Which resistor is the hottest?
series and placed across a potential difference of 45 V b. Which resistor is the coolest?
as shown in Figure 23-15. c. What will ammeter 1 read?
a. What is the equivalent resistance of the circuit? d. What will ammeter 2 read?
b. What is the current in the circuit? e. What will ammeter 3 read?
c. What is the voltage drop across each lamp? f. What will ammeter 4 read?
d. What is the power dissipated in each lamp?

A2 A3 A4
22



V
45 V 4.5
 20.0
50.0
10.0



A1
■ Figure 23-15 ■ Figure 23-18

physicspp.com/chapter_test Chapter 23 Assessment 637

68. For Figure 23-18, ammeter 3 reads 0.40 A. 23.2 Applications of Circuits
a. What is the battery voltage?
77. Refer to Figure 23-19 and assume that all the
b. What will ammeter 1 read?
resistors are 30.0
. Find the equivalent resistance.
c. What will ammeter 2 read?
d. What will ammeter 4 read?
69. What is the direction of the conventional current in
the 50.0-
resistor in Figure 23-18?
IA
IB IC
70. The load across a battery consists of two resistors, 
with values of 15
and 47
, connected in series.
a. What is the total resistance of the load?
b. What is the voltage of the battery if the current ■ Figure 23-19
in the circuit is 97 mA?
78. Refer to Figure 23-19 and assume that each resistor
71. Holiday Lights A string of 18 identical holiday tree dissipates 120 mW. Find the total dissipation.
lights is connected in series to a 120-V source. The
string dissipates 64 W. 79. Refer to Figure 23-19 and assume that IA  13 mA
a. What is the equivalent resistance of the light string? and IB  1.7 mA. Find IC.
b. What is the resistance of a single light? 80. Refer to Figure 23-19 and assume that IB  13 mA
c. What power is dissipated by each light? and IC  1.7 mA. Find IA.
72. One of the lights in problem 71 burns out. The light
81. Refer to Figure 23-20 to answer the following
shorts out the bulb filament when it burns out. This
questions.
drops the resistance of the lamp to zero.
a. Determine the total resistance.
a. What is the resistance of the light string now?
b. Determine the current through the 25-
resistor.
b. Find the power dissipated by the string.
c. Which resistor is the hottest? Coolest?
c. Did the power increase or decrease when the
bulb burned out?
73. A 16.0-
and a 20.0-
resistor are connected in 25.0

parallel. A difference in potential of 40.0 V is 30.0
10.0

applied to the combination.

25 V
a. Compute the equivalent resistance of the parallel

circuit.
20.0
40.0

b. What is the total current in the circuit?
c. What is the current in the 16.0-
resistor?
74. Amy needs 5.0 V for an integrated-circuit ■ Figure 23-20
experiment. She uses a 6.0-V battery and two
resistors to make a voltage divider. One resistor 82. A circuit contains six 60-W lamps with a resistance
is 330
. She decides to make the other resistor of 240-
each and a 10.0-
heater connected in
smaller. What value should it have? parallel. The voltage across the circuit is 120 V. Find
the current in the circuit for the following situations.
75. Pete is designing a voltage divider using a 12-V a. Four lamps are turned on.
battery and a 82-
resistor as RB. What resistor b. All of the lamps are turned on.
should be used as RA if the output voltage across c. Six lamps and the heater are operating.
RB is to be 4.0 V?
83. If the circuit in problem 82 has a 12-A fuse, will the
76. Television A typical television dissipates 275 W fuse melt if all the lamps and the heater are on?
when it is plugged into a 120-V outlet.
a. Find the resistance of the television. 84. During a laboratory exercise, you are supplied with
b. The television and 2.5-
wires connecting the a battery of potential difference V, two heating
outlet to the fuse form a series circuit that works elements of low resistance that can be placed in water,
like a voltage divider. Find the voltage drop an ammeter of very small resistance, a voltmeter
across the television. of extremely high resistance, wires of negligible
c. A 12-
hair dryer is plugged into the same resistance, a beaker that is well insulated and has
outlet. Find the equivalent resistance of the negligible heat capacity, and 0.10 kg of water at 25°C.
two appliances. By means of a diagram and standard symbols, show
d. Find the voltage drop across the television and how these components should be connected to heat
the hair dryer. the water as rapidly as possible.

638 Chapter 23 Series and Parallel Circuits For more problems, go to Additional Problems, Appendix B.
85. If the voltmeter used in problem 84 holds steady 93. Determine the maximum safe voltage that can
at 45 V and the ammeter reading holds steady at be applied across the three series resistors in
5.0 A, estimate the time in seconds required to Figure 23-22 if all three are rated at 5.0 W.
completely vaporize the water in the beaker. Use
4.2 kJ/kg
°C as the specific heat of water and 92  150  220 
2.3106 J/kg as the heat of vaporization of water.

86. Home Circuit A typical home circuit is shown in

■ Figure 23-22
Figure 23-21. The wires to the kitchen lamp each
have a resistance of 0.25 . The lamp has a 94. Determine the maximum safe total power for the
resistance of 0.24 k. Although the circuit is circuit in problem 93.
parallel, the lead lines are in series with each of
the components of the circuit.
95. Determine the maximum safe voltage that can be
applied across three parallel resistors of 92 ,
a. Compute the equivalent resistance of the circuit 150 , and 220 , as shown in Figure 23-23,
consisting of just the lamp and the lead lines if all three are rated at 5.0 W.
to and from the lamp.
b. Find the current to the lamp. 92 
c. Find the power dissipated in the lamp.
150 
0.25  Kitchen
light 240  220 
Switch
Power
box
saw ■ Figure 23-23
120 V

Wall outlets
0.25 
Thinking Critically
96. Apply Mathematics Derive equations for the
■ Figure 23-21 resistance of two equal-value resistors in parallel,
three equal-value resistors in parallel, and N equal-
value resistors in parallel.
Mixed Review 97. Apply Concepts Three-way lamps, of the type in
87. A series circuit has two voltage drops: 3.50 V and Figure 23-24, having a rating of 50 W, 100 W, and
4.90 V. What is the supply voltage? 150 W, are common. Draw four partial schematic
diagrams that show the lamp filaments and the
88. A parallel circuit has two branch currents: 1.45 A and switch positions for each brightness level, as well
1.00 A. What is the current in the energy source? as the off position. (You do not need to show the
energy source.) Label each diagram.
89. A series-parallel circuit has three resistors, dissipating
5.50 W, 6.90 W, and 1.05 W, respectively. What is
the supply power?

90. Determine the maximum safe power in each of

three 150-, 5-W resistors connected in series.

91. Determine the maximum safe power in each of

three 92-, 5-W resistors connected in parallel.

92. A voltage divider consists of two 47-k resistors

connected across a 12-V battery. Determine the
measured output for the following.
a. an ideal voltmeter
b. a voltmeter with a resistance of 85 k
c. a voltmeter with a resistance of 10106  ■ Figure 23-24

physicspp.com/chapter_test Chapter 23 Assessment 639

Horizons Companies
 98. Apply Concepts Design a circuit that will light Writing in Physics
one dozen 12-V bulbs, all to the correct (same)
intensity, from a 48-V battery. 101. Research Gustav Kirchhoff and his laws. Write a
a. Design A requires that should one bulb burn one-page summary of how they apply to the
out, all other bulbs continue to produce light. three types of circuits presented in this chapter.
b. Design B requires that should one bulb burn
out, those bulbs that continue working must
produce the correct intensity.
Cumulative Review
c. Design C requires that should one bulb burn 102. Airplane An airplane flying through still air
out, one other bulb also will go out. produces sound waves. The wave fronts in front
d. Design D requires that should one bulb burn of the plane are spaced 0.50 m apart and those
out, either two others will go out or no others behind the plane are spaced 1.50 m apart. The
will go out. speed of sound is 340 m/s. (Chapter 15)
a. What would be the wavelength of the sound
99. Apply Concepts A battery consists of an ideal
waves if the airplane were not moving?
source of potential difference in series with a small
resistance. The electric energy of the battery is b. What is the frequency of the sound waves
produced by chemical reactions that occur in the produced by the airplane?
battery. However, these reactions also result in a c. What is the speed of the airplane?
small resistance that, unfortunately, cannot be d. What is the frequency detected by an observer
completely eliminated. A flashlight contains two located directly in front of the airplane?
batteries in series, as shown in Figure 23-25. e. What is the frequency detected by an observer
Each has a potential difference of 1.50 V and an located directly behind the airplane?
internal resistance of 0.200
. The bulb has a
resistance of 22.0
. 103. An object is located 12.6 cm from a convex mirror
a. What is the current through the bulb? with a focal length of 18.0 cm. What is the
b. How much power does the bulb dissipate? location of the object’s image? (Chapter 17)
c. How much greater would the power be if the
batteries had no internal resistance? 104. The speed of light in a special piece of glass is
1.75108 m/s. What is its index of refraction?
Battery Battery (Chapter 18)

105. Monocle An antireflective coating with an index

of refraction of 1.4 is applied to a monocle with
an index of refraction of 1.52. If the thickness of
1.50 V 0.200
1.50 V 0.200
the coating is 75 nm, what is/are the wavelength(s)
of light for which complete destructive interference
will occur? (Chapter 19)
22.0
106. Two charges of 2.0105 C and 8.0106 C
experience a force between them of 9.0 N. How far
apart are the two charges? (Chapter 20)
■ Figure 23-25
107. A field strength, E, is measured a distance, d, from
a point charge, Q. What would happen to the
100. Apply Concepts An ohmmeter is made by magnitude of E in the following situations?
connecting a 6.0-V battery in series with an (Chapter 21)
adjustable resistor and an ideal ammeter. The
a. d is tripled
ammeter deflects full-scale with a current of
1.0 mA. The two leads are touched together and b. Q is tripled
the resistance is adjusted so that 1.0 mA flows. c. both d and Q are tripled
a. What is the resistance of the adjustable resistor? d. the test charge q is tripled
b. The leads are now connected to an unknown e. all three, d, Q, and q, are tripled
resistance. What resistance would produce a
current of half-scale, 0.50 mA? Quarter-scale, 108. The current flow in a 12-V circuit drops from 0.55 A
0.25 mA? Three-quarters-scale, 0.75 mA? to 0.44 A. Calculate the change in resistance.
c. Is the ohmmeter scale linear? Explain. (Chapter 22)

640 Chapter 23 Series and Parallel Circuits For more problems, go to Additional Problems, Appendix B.
Multiple Choice
Use the following circuit diagram to answer 6. What is the current in the circuit?
questions 1–3.
1.15 A 2.80 A
2.35 A 5.61 A

7. Nina connects eight 12- lamps in series.

6.0 V
R1 R2 R3 What is the total resistance of the circuit?
3.0  12  4.0 
0.67  12 
1.5  96 

8. Which statement is true?

1. What is the equivalent resistance of the circuit? The resistance of a typical ammeter is
1



very high.
1.5 
19 The resistance of a typical voltmeter is
1.0  19 
very low.
Ammeters have zero resistance.
2. What is the current in the circuit?
A voltmeter causes a small change
0.32 A 1.2 A in current.
0.80 A 4.0 A

Extended Answer
3. How much current is in R3?
9. Chris is throwing a tailgate party before a
0.32 A 2.0 A nighttime football game. To light the tailgate
1.5 A 4.0 A party, he connects 15 large outdoor lamps to
his 12.0-V car battery. Once connected, the
lamps do not glow. An ammeter shows that
4. What would a voltmeter placed across R2 read?
the current through the lamps is 0.350 A. If
0.32 V 3.8 V the lamps require a 0.500-A current in order
1.5 V 6.0 V to work, how many lamps must Chris remove
from the circuit?

Use the following circuit diagram to answer

10. A series circuit has an 8.0-V battery and four
questions 5 and 6.
resistors, R1  4.0 , R2  8.0 , R3  13.0 ,
and R4  15.0 . Calculate the current and
RA the power in the circuit.

12.0 
RB RC
60.0 V
25.0  15.0 

Take a Break
If you have the opportunity to take a break or get up
from your desk during a test, take it. Getting up and
moving around will give you extra energy and help
5. What is the equivalent resistance of the circuit? you clear your mind. During the break, think about
something other than the test so you’ll be able to
8.42  21.4 
begin again with a fresh start.
10.7  52.0 

physicspp.com/standardized_test Chapter 23 Standardized Test Practice 641