Skip to ContentGo to accessibility pageKeyboard shortcuts menu
OpenStax Logo
Physics

Critical Thinking Items

PhysicsCritical Thinking Items
Search for key terms or text.

Critical Thinking Items

19.1 Ohm's law

11.

An accelerator accelerates He nuclei (charge = 2e) to a speed of v = 2 × 106 m/s. What is the current if the linear density of He nuclei is λ = 108 m–1?

  1. I = 9.6 × 10–5 A
  2. I = 3.2 × 10–5 A
  3. I = 12.8 × 10–5 A
  4. I = 6.4 × 10–5 A
12 .
How can you verify whether a certain material is ohmic?
  1. Make a resistor from this material and measure the current going through this resistor for several different voltages. If the current is proportional to the voltage, then the material is ohmic.
  2. Make a resistor from this material and measure the current going through this resistor for several different voltages. If the current is inversely proportional to the voltage, then the material is ohmic.
  3. Make a resistor from this material and measure the current going through this resistor for several different voltages. If the current is proportional to the square of the voltage, then the material is ohmic.
  4. Make a resistor from this material and measure the current going through this resistor for several different voltages. If the current is inversely proportional to the square of the voltage, then the material is ohmic.

19.2 Series Circuits

13.

Given three batteries (5V, 9V, 12V) and five resistors (10, 20, 30, 40, 50Ω) to choose from, what can you choose to form a circuit diagram with a current of 0.175A? You do not need to use all of the components.

  1. Batteries (5V, 9V) and resistors (30Ω, 50Ω) connected in series
  2. Batteries (5V4, 12V) and resistors (10Ω, 20Ω, 40Ω, and 50Ω) connected in series.
  3. Batteries (5V, 9V, and 12V) and resistors (10Ω, 20Ω, and 30Ω) connected in series.
14 .
What is the maximum resistance possible given a resistor of 100 and a resistor of 40 Ω ?
  1. 100 Ω
  2. 140 Ω
  3. 180 Ω
  4. 240 Ω
15.

Rank the points A, B, C, and D in the circuit diagram from lowest voltage to highest voltage.

The figure shows a circuit with four points labeled A, B, D, and C in clockwise direction. Between points A and B is a voltage of 5 volts with the negative terminal connected to point A. Between points B and D is a resistor of 500 ohms. Between points D and C is a voltage of 24 volts with negative terminal connected to point D and ground. Finally, between points C and A is a resistor of 300 ohms.
  1. A, B, C, D
  2. B, C, A, D
  3. C, B, A, D
  4. D, A, B, C

19.3 Parallel Circuits

16 .
Can all resistor combinations be reduced to series and parallel combinations?
  1. No, all practical resistor circuits cannot be reduced to series and parallel combinations.
  2. Yes, all practical resistor circuits can be reduced to series and parallel combinations.
17.

What is the equivalent resistance of the circuit shown below?

The figure shows a horizontal circuit with three resistors. Two horizontal resistors are connected on both ends and labeled 75 ohms and 100 ohms. A third resistor is connected diagonally across the two resistors and labeled 20 ohms.
Figure 19.23
  1. The equivalent resistance of the circuit 14 Ω.
  2. The equivalent resistance of the circuit 16.7 Ω.
  3. The equivalent resistance of the circuit 140 Ω.
  4. The equivalent resistance of the circuit 195 Ω.

19.4 Electric Power

18.

Two lamps have different resistances. (a) If the lamps are connected in parallel, which one is brighter, the lamp with greater resistance or the lamp with less resistance? (b) If the lamps are connected in series, which one is brighter? Note that the brighter lamp dissipates more power.

  1. (a) lamp with greater resistance; (b) lamp with less resistance
  2. (a) lamp with greater resistance; (b) lamp with greater resistance
  3. (a) lamp with less resistance; (b) lamp with less resistance
  4. (a) lamp with less resistance; (b) lamp with greater resistance
19.

To measure the power consumed by your laptop computer, you place an ammeter (a device that measures electric current) in series with its DC power supply. When the screen is off, the computer draws 0.40 A of current.
When the screen is on at full brightness, it draws 0.90 A of current. Knowing the DC power supply delivers 16 V, how much power is used by the screen?

  1. The power used by the screen is −8.0 W.
  2. The power used by the screen is 0.3 W.
  3. The power used by the screen is 3.2 W.
  4. The power used by the screen is 8.0 W.
PreviousNext
Order a print copy
Citation/Attribution

This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's permission.

Want to cite, share, or modify this book? This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution License and you must attribute Texas Education Agency (TEA). The original material is available at: https://www.texasgateway.org/book/tea-physics . Changes were made to the original material, including updates to art, structure, and other content updates.

Attribution information
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a print format, then you must include on every physical page the following attribution:
    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/physics/pages/1-introduction
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a digital format, then you must include on every digital page view the following attribution:
    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/physics/pages/1-introduction
Citation information

© Feb 19, 2025 Texas Education Agency (TEA). The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.