Question

If the combination is connected to a battery of emf 20 V and negligible internal resistance, determine the current through each resistor, and the total current drawn from the battery.

Answer 1

Emf of the battery, V = 20 V

Current (I₁) flowing through resistor R₁ is given by,

I₁ = `"V"/"R"_1`

= `20/2`

= 10 A 

Current (I₂) flowing through resistor R₂ is given by,

I₂ = `"V"/"R"_2`

= `20/4`

= 5 A

Current (I₃) flowing through resistor R₃ is given by,

I₃ = `"V"/"R"_3`

= `20/5`

= 4 A

Total current, I = I₁ + I₂ + I₃ = 10 + 5 + 4 = 19 A

Therefore, the current through each resister is 10 A, 5 A, and 4 A respectively and the total current is 19 A.