High School Physics : Electric Circuits

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for High School Physics

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Example Questions

Example Question #4 : Calculating Total Capacitance

What is the total capacitance of a series circuit with capacitors of , and ?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The total capacitance of a series circuit is 

Plug in our given values.

Example Question #1 : Calculating Total Capacitance

Calculate the total capacitance of a circuit with the following three capacitors in parallel.

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

To calculate the total capacitance for capacitors in parallel, simply sum the value of each individual capacitor.

Example Question #6 : Calculating Total Capacitance

Calculate the total capacitance of a circuit with the following three capacitors in series.

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

To find the total capacitance for capacitors in series, we must sum the inverse of each individual capacitance and take the reciprocal of the result.

Remember, you must still take the final reciprocal!

Example Question #3 : Capacitors

Three capacitors in parallel have a capacity of , and , respectively. What is the total capacitance?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The formula for capacitors in parallel is:

Plug in our given values:

Example Question #1 : Using Capacitor Equations

Three capacitors in series have a capacity of , and , respectively. What is the total capacitance?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The formula for capacitors in series is:

Plug in our given values:

 

Example Question #2 : Using Capacitor Equations

Three capacitors of equal capacitance are in a series circuit. If the total capacitance is , what is the capacitance of each individual capacitor?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The formula for capacitors in a series is:

Since we have three equal capacitors, we can say:

Using the value for total capacitance, we can find the value for the individual capacitance.

Example Question #12 : Capacitors

Three capacitors of equal capacitance are in a parallel circuit. If the total capacitance is , what is the capacitance of each individual capacitor?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The formula for capacitors in parallel is:

Since we have three equal capacitors, we can say:

Use the value for total capacitance to find the individual capacitance value.

 

Example Question #53 : Electric Circuits

What is the maximum power consumption of  portable CD player that draw a maximum of  of current?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The power in a circuit is equal to the current times the voltage.

 

Example Question #54 : Electric Circuits

The total amount of charge that passes through a wire’s full cross section at any point per unit of time is referred to as

 

Possible Answers:

Wattage

Voltage

Current

Electric potential

Correct answer:

Current

Explanation:

Current is defined as the amount of charge that passes through a specific area of a wire in a specific interval of time.  It is measured in Amps which are Coulombs per second.

Example Question #55 : Electric Circuits

If the resistance in a constant voltage circuit is doubled, the power dissipated by that circuit

Possible Answers:

Increase by a factor of two

Decrease to one fourth its original value

Decrease to one half its original value

Increase by a factor of four

Correct answer:

Decrease to one half its original value

Explanation:

Decrease to one half its original value

 

The equation for Power is 

 

 

According to Ohm’s Law

 

 

We can rearrange this equation for current as this is what is changing in our circuit.

 

 

We can then substitute this back into the power equation.

 

 

 

If we have the original value

  and our second value

 

We can rearrange both for the voltage and set them equal to each other

 

 

 

We know that

 

So we can substitute this value in

 

 

And solve for 

 

 

Therefore the power would be cut in half.

 

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