Consider the circuit shown below composed of one bulb and one battery. Consider
ID: 1593246 • Letter: C
Question
Consider the circuit shown below composed of one bulb and one battery.
Consider the strength of the electric field through a length of wire, like the portion labeled BC or AD in the circuit above. What will happen to the strength of the electric field in the wires if both of those wires are shortened?
We know that theoretically the sum of the voltages over each segment of a complete circuit should sum to zero. Why, in lab, is it possible/likely that the sum of the voltages over each segment did not exactly equal zero?
Explanation / Answer
1) The potential difference VAD and VBC were small, but not zero because practically wires have some resistance and some potential is dropped across the internal resistance of the battery also. Athough they are quite small as compared to potential between CD but they are not completely negligible.
2) The electric field strength remains same.
3) The sum of the voltages over each segment did not exactly equals zero due to the voltage drop due to the internal resistance of the battery.