Question

Consider the circuit given below when A, B and C are three identical light bulbs of constant resistance.   

(a) List the bulbs in order of increasing brightness.
(b) If C burns out, what will be the brightness of A now compared with before?
(c) If B burns out instead, what will be the brightness of A and C compared with before?

Answer 1

(a) The brightness of A and B is the same. C is brighter since in A and B, the same amount of current flows but the voltage gets divided into two parts. Therefore, bulbs A and B glow dimmer.
(b) The brightness of A will remain the same because voltage distribution will have no effect if bulb C burns out.
(c) Bulb A will get switched off because the current will not flow to it if bulb B burns out since they are in a series circuit. The brightness of C will remain the same because the same current will continuously flow through bulb C.