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Thread: Simple Physics Question

  1. #1

    Thread Starter
    Conquistador
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    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)

  2. #2
    KING BODWAD XXI BodwadUK's Avatar
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    they stay the same

    Chains dont glow the lights do
    If you dribble then you are as mad as me

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  3. #3

    Thread Starter
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    you knew what i meant,

    how come ?

  4. #4
    KING BODWAD XXI BodwadUK's Avatar
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    If we are talking of the lightglobes then they turn off because the circuit is broken
    If you dribble then you are as mad as me

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  5. #5
    type Woss is new Grumpy; wossname's Avatar
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    It would look like this, with the lit globes 50% brighter than before the breakage.
    I don't live here any more.

  6. #6
    Frenzied Member Ideas Man's Avatar
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    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)

  7. #7
    type Woss is new Grumpy; wossname's Avatar
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    What the **** is a light globe anyway?

    Does it still conduct when it's broken?
    I don't live here any more.

  8. #8

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    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



  9. #9
    Not NoteMe SLH's Avatar
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    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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  10. #10
    KING BODWAD XXI BodwadUK's Avatar
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    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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  11. #11
    Fanatic Member Slaine's Avatar
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    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)

  12. #12
    Frenzied Member Ideas Man's Avatar
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    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)

  13. #13
    KING BODWAD XXI BodwadUK's Avatar
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    Electricity follows the path of least resistance
    If you dribble then you are as mad as me

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  14. #14
    Fanatic Member Slaine's Avatar
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    resistance is futile
    Martin J Wallace (Slaine)

  15. #15
    Not NoteMe SLH's Avatar
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    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.....
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  16. #16
    Fanatic Member JPicasso's Avatar
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    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.
    Merry Christmas

  17. #17
    KING BODWAD XXI BodwadUK's Avatar
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    Short curcuits occur due to a path with less resistance. I didnt think the circuit had any power in event of a short circuit
    If you dribble then you are as mad as me

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  18. #18
    Frenzied Member Ideas Man's Avatar
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    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)

  19. #19
    Fanatic Member JPicasso's Avatar
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    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.
    Merry Christmas

  20. #20
    KING BODWAD XXI BodwadUK's Avatar
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    If you dribble then you are as mad as me

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