Re: Circuit Question

[Rick Tarara <rtarara@SAINTMARYS.EDU>]

Write down Ohm's Law, consider the battery and bulb(s), and think hard about
it!

Rick

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Richard W. Tarara
Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556
rtarara@saintmarys.edu

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----- Original Message -----
From: "Tina Fanetti" <FanettT@QUEST.WITCC.CC.IA.US>
To: <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 3:45 PM
Subject: Circuit Question


> Hello
> I am getting ready to teach circuits in the next week.
>
> I was looking at a question that has a battery hooked up to a 5 W bulb and
then the battery is hooked to a 10 W.  It then asks which case has the
greater current and then which light bulb has the greater resistance.
> Now comes the silly part.
>
> How does the batter "know" that it is supposed to put out more current for
different lighbulbs?  Mathematically it makes sense but conceptually it
doesn't to me.
> I know my students are going to ask me this and I am not wanting to say
cause of the little guy that lives in batteries.
> Doesn't a battery put the same amount of current out regardless of what is
hooked to it?
> Thanks
> tina
>
> Tina Fanetti
> Physics Instructor
> Western Iowa Technical Community College
> 4647 Stone Ave
> Sioux City IA 51102
> 712-274-8733 ext 1429