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Science / Electronics basics / Grade 9 / se9v2

Equal Current: Check the Comparison Claim

Read a circuit-design record without mistaking equal current for equal power.

All worksheets

Review three equal-current designs

5 questions0m 0s
Learn the skill

Add the series resistances before finding I = V / total R. Current is shared, but source power uses the whole source voltage: P = V x I. An individual resistor uses P = I x I x its own R. When voltage and total resistance both scale together, equal current does not isolate the effect of voltage alone. These steady ideal paper models do not predict temperature or component safety.

Worked example

Design X uses 4 V with 200 + 200 = 400 ohms: I = 0.01 A = 10 mA and source power is 0.04 W. Design Y uses 8 V with 400 + 400 = 800 ohms: I stays 10 mA, but power is 0.08 W. Both voltage and total resistance doubled, while source power doubled at unchanged current.

Worked design X: 4 V, two 200-ohm series resistors, 10 mA, 0.04 W source power. Worked design Y: 8 V, two 400-ohm series resistors, 10 mA, 0.08 W source power. Voltage and resistance both double.
Use both voltage and resistance when explaining these worked designs.

Three different source-and-resistor pairs

All switches are closed. The sources and constant resistors are ideal. Design A: source 5 V; resistors 250 ohms and 250 ohms. Design B: source 10 V; resistors 500 ohms and 500 ohms. Design C: source 15 V; resistors 750 ohms and 750 ohms.

Question 1 What current flows through each resistor in Design B?
Question 2 What source power does Design B transfer?
Question 3 What power does each 500-ohm resistor in Design B dissipate?
Question 4 Designs A, B and C all carry 10 mA. Which conclusion is supported?
Question 5 A new design keeps 5 V but uses 250 ohms total. Find its current and source power.