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Jun 9th, 2004, 02:31 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Conquistador
Simple Physics Question
3 chains of light globes
the chains are in parallel
they're connected to a battery
the lightglobes in the chains are in series
one of the lightglobes in the 2nd chain breaks
What happens to the brightness of the other two chains?
a) They get brighter
b) They stay the same
I've done it two different ways, and have two seemingly correct ideas working.
What's the answer!
(And reasoning too)
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Jun 9th, 2004, 02:36 AM
#2
KING BODWAD XXI
they stay the same
Chains dont glow the lights do
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Jun 9th, 2004, 02:37 AM
#3
Thread Starter
Conquistador
you knew what i meant,
how come ?
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Jun 9th, 2004, 02:44 AM
#4
KING BODWAD XXI
If we are talking of the lightglobes then they turn off because the circuit is broken
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Jun 9th, 2004, 03:27 AM
#5
It would look like this, with the lit globes 50% brighter than before the breakage.
I don't live here any more.
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Jun 9th, 2004, 03:30 AM
#6
They stay the same because the current across all the chains has the same voltage whether it was only 2 or 20. That's what i was taught.
I use Microsoft Visual Basic 2005. (Therefore, most code samples I provide will be based around the .NET Framework v2.0, unless otherwise specified)
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Jun 9th, 2004, 03:54 AM
#7
What the **** is a light globe anyway?
Does it still conduct when it's broken?
I don't live here any more.
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Jun 9th, 2004, 04:04 AM
#8
Thread Starter
Conquistador
light globe = globe etc
that's what i thought wossname
i don't think the circuit is really broken, only one bit of it is,
the 3 chains are connected to the same point in the circuit
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Jun 9th, 2004, 04:17 AM
#9
Not NoteMe
Light globe = light bulb?
Wouldn't the remaining lightbulbs get brighter. If you had thousands connected to 1 battery they'd be dim wouldn't they?
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"And I am going to meat her again later on tonight." NoteMe
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Jun 9th, 2004, 04:51 AM
#10
KING BODWAD XXI
Looking at the diagram the left and right bulbs would stay the same but all the center ones would go out.
I think so anyway. Putting them in series will dim them but putting them in parrallel splits the amps. AKA the amount of bulbs it could support
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Jun 9th, 2004, 05:37 AM
#11
Fanatic Member
Easy answer: The lamps stay the same brightness - Loads connected in parallel have no impact on each other. If you don't believe me just try switching all the lights in your house on and then turning one off - do the others get brighter? No because they are connected in parallel.
Complex answer: It depends on the capacity (VA rating) of the power source. If the three bulbs are drawing more power than the source can supply then they will be glowing dimmer than they should. Removing one will decrease the load on the source and could result in the remaining lamps having full power. ie. 3x60W bulbs running from a 150VA source will only be burning at the equivilent of a 50W bulb (150/3). Remove one and the load is now 120W which the source can supply thus the bulbs burn at 60W - that is they are brighter.
(Ex lighting engineer, and Electronic Systems Engineer graduate)
Last edited by Slaine; Jun 9th, 2004 at 05:40 AM.
Martin J Wallace (Slaine)
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Jun 9th, 2004, 05:39 AM
#12
Originally posted by SLH
Wouldn't the remaining lightbulbs get brighter. If you had thousands connected to 1 battery they'd be dim wouldn't they?
You'd think that, but physics proves otherwise, something because the electrons don't loose energy by going down multiple paths, but by going down a series. Hence why when you have a short curcuit, none come on and the battery usually gets very hot and may explode.
I use Microsoft Visual Basic 2005. (Therefore, most code samples I provide will be based around the .NET Framework v2.0, unless otherwise specified)
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Jun 9th, 2004, 05:44 AM
#13
KING BODWAD XXI
Electricity follows the path of least resistance
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Jun 9th, 2004, 05:46 AM
#14
Fanatic Member
Martin J Wallace (Slaine)
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Jun 9th, 2004, 05:48 AM
#15
Not NoteMe
Originally posted by Ideas Man
You'd think that, but physics proves otherwise, something because the electrons don't loose energy by going down multiple paths, but by going down a series. Hence why when you have a short curcuit, none come on and the battery usually gets very hot and may explode.
Ah, that's why i was never good at physics.
With an avatar like yours i guess you should know this one.....
Quotes:
"I am getting better then you guys.." NoteMe, on his leet english skills.
"And I am going to meat her again later on tonight." NoteMe
"I think you should change your name to QuoteMe" Shaggy Hiker, regarding NoteMe
"my sweet lord jesus. I've decided never to have breast implants" Tom Gibbons
Have I helped you? Please Rate my posts.
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Jun 9th, 2004, 07:16 AM
#16
Fanatic Member
Originally posted by BodwadUK
Electricity follows the path of least resistance
Technically, and no one has ever accused me of being too technical,
electricity follows ALL paths. It's just that the path of least resistance
gets the most traffic, hence the abundance of trash bins.
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Jun 9th, 2004, 07:32 AM
#17
KING BODWAD XXI
Short curcuits occur due to a path with less resistance. I didnt think the circuit had any power in event of a short circuit
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Jun 9th, 2004, 08:22 AM
#18
Originally posted by SLH
With an avatar like yours i guess you should know this one.....
Very well spotted
I use Microsoft Visual Basic 2005. (Therefore, most code samples I provide will be based around the .NET Framework v2.0, unless otherwise specified)
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Jun 9th, 2004, 02:13 PM
#19
Fanatic Member
Originally posted by BodwadUK
Short curcuits occur due to a path with less resistance. I didnt think the circuit had any power in event of a short circuit
Practically speaking, yes.
Ohms law is I = V/r
as your resistance(r) approaches 0, as in a short circuit,
the electricity amps (I) will approach infinity.
BUT
there will still be a teeny weeny bit of electricity going through
the rest of the circuit.
It's the same principle that makes a pound of bricks heavier
than a pound of feathers.
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Jun 10th, 2004, 02:07 AM
#20
KING BODWAD XXI
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