University Physics, 13e (Young/Freedman)

Chapter 25 Current, Resistance, and Electromotive Force

25.1 Conceptual Questions

1) The figure shows a steady electric current passing through a wire with a narrow region. What
happens to the drift velocity of the moving charges as they go from region A to region B and then
to region C?

A) The drift velocity decreases from A to B and increases from B to C.

B) The drift velocity increases all the time.
C) The drift velocity remains constant.
D) The drift velocity decreases all the time.
E) The drift velocity increases from A to B and decreases from B to C.
Answer: E
Var: 1

2) When electric current is flowing in a metal, the electrons are moving

A) at nearly the speed of light.
B) at the speed of light.
C) at the speed of sound in the metal.
D) at the speed of sound in air.
E) at none of the above speeds.
Answer: E
Var: 1

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3) The figure shows two connected wires that are made of the same material. The current
entering the wire on the left is 2.0 A and in that wire the electron drift speed is vd. What is the
electron drift speed in the wire on the right side?

A) 4vd
B) 2vd
C) vd
D) vd/2
E) vd/4
Answer: E
Var: 1

4) A narrow copper wire of length L and radius b is attached to a wide copper wire of length L
and radius 2b, forming one long wire of length 2L. This long wire is attached to a battery, and a
current is flowing through it. If the electric field in the narrow wire is E, the electric field in the
wide wire is
A) E.
B) 2E.
C) 4E.
D) E/2.
E) E/4.
Answer: E
Var: 1

5) A cylindrical wire has a resistance R and resistivity ρ. If its length and diameter are BOTH cut
in half,
(a) what will be its resistance?
A) 4R
B) 2R
C) R
D) R/2
E) R/4
(b) what will be its resistivity?
A) 4ρ
B) 2ρ
C) ρ
D) ρ/2
E) ρ/4
Answer: (a) B (b) C
Var: 1

6) You are given a copper bar of dimensions 3 cm × 5 cm × 8 cm and asked to attach leads to it
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in order to make a resistor.
(a) If you want to achieve the SMALLEST possible resistance, you should attach the leads to the
opposite faces that measure
A) 3 cm × 5 cm.
B) 3 cm × 8 cm.
C) 5 cm × 8 cm.
D) Any pair of faces produces the same resistance.
(b) If you want to achieve the LARGEST possible resistance, you should attach the leads to the
opposite faces that measure
A) 3 cm × 5 cm.
B) 3 cm × 8 cm.
C) 5 cm × 8 cm.
D) Any pair of faces produces the same resistance.
Answer: (a) C (b) A
Var: 1

7) A wire of resistivity ρ must be replaced in a circuit by a wire of the same material but 4 times
as long. If, however, the resistance of the new wire is to be the same as the resistance of the
original wire, the diameter of the new wire must be
A) the same as the diameter of the original wire.
B) 1/2 the diameter of the original wire.
C) 1/4 the diameter of the original wire.
D) 2 times the diameter of the original wire.
E) 4 times the diameter of the original wire.
Answer: D
Var: 1

8) As current flows through a uniform wire, the wire gets hotter because the electrons stop
moving and therefore transform their lost kinetic energy into thermal energy in the wire.
A) True
B) False
Answer: B
Var: 1

9) When a potential difference of 10 V is placed across a certain solid cylindrical resistor, the
current through it is 2 A. If the diameter of this resistor is now tripled, the current will be
A) 2/9 A.
B) 2/3 A.
C) 2 A.
D) 3 A.
E) 18 A.
Answer: E
Var: 1

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10) Two cables of the same length are made of the same material, except that one cable has twice
the diameter of the other cable. When the same potential difference is maintained across both
cables, which of the following statements are true? (There may be more than one correct choice.)
A) The same current flows through both cables.
B) Both cables carry the same current density.
C) The electrons have the same drift velocity in both cables.
D) The current in the thin cable is twice as great as the current in the thick cable.
E) The current in the thin cable is four times as great as the current in the thick cable.
Answer: B, C
Var: 1

25.2 Problems

1) An electric device delivers a current of 5.0 A to a device. How many electrons flow through
this device in 10 s? (e = 1.60 × 10-19 C)
A) 0.20
B) 20
C) 2.0
D) 3.1 × 1020
E) 31 × 1020
Answer: D
Var: 5

2) In a certain electroplating process gold is deposited by using a current of 14.0 A for 19

minutes. A gold ion, Au+, has a mass of approximately 3.3 × 10-22 g. How many grams of gold
are deposited by this process?
A) 33 g
B) 16 g
C) 22 g
D) 28 g
E) 97 g
Answer: A
Var: 50+

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3) The figure shows a 2.0-cm diameter roller that turns at 90 rpm. A 4.0-cm wide plastic film is
being wrapped onto the roller, and this plastic carries an excess electric charge having a uniform
surface charge density of 5.0 nC/cm2. What is the current of the moving film?

A) 190 nA
B) 23 μA
C) 30 nA
D) 11 μA
Answer: A
Var: 50+

4) The current supplied by a battery as a function of time is I(t) = (0.88 A)e-t/(6.0hr). What is the
total number of electrons transported from the positive electrode to the negative electrode from
the time the battery is first used until it is essentially dead? (e = 1.60 × 10-19 C)
A) 1.2 × 1023
B) 4.4 × 1022
C) 5.3 × 1023
D) 3.3 × 1019
Answer: A
Var: 50+

5) A gold wire that is 1.8 mm in diameter and 15 cm long carries a current of 260 mA. How
many electrons per second pass a given cross section of the wire? (e = 1.60 × 10-19 C)
A) 1.6 × 1018
B) 1.6 × 1017
C) 1.5 × 1023
D) 3.7 × 1015
E) 6.3 × 1015
Answer: A
Var: 50+

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6) In an electroplating process, copper (ionic charge +2e, atomic weight 63.6 g/mol) is deposited
using a current of 10.0 A. What mass of copper is deposited in 10.0 minutes? Avogadro's number
is 6.022 × 1023 molecules/mol and e = 1.60 × 10-19 C.
A) 3.96 g
B) 2.52 g
C) 0.99 g
D) 2.52 g
E) 1.98 g
Answer: E
Var: 1

7) The current in a wire varies with time according to the equation I(t) = 6.00 A + (4.80 A/s)t,
where t is in seconds. How many coulombs of charge pass a cross section of the wire in the time
period between t = 0.00 s and t = 3.00 s?
Answer: 39.6 C
Var: 50+

8) If a current of 2.4 A is flowing in a cylindrical wire of diameter 2.0 mm, what is the average
current density in this wire?
A) 7.6 × 105 A/m2
B) 5.2 × 10-6 A/m2
C) 1.9 × 105 A/m2
D) 3.6 × 105 A/m2
E) 21 × 10-6 A/m2
Answer: A
Var: 1

9) A proton beam that carries a total current of 1.3 mA has 10.0 mm diameter. The current
density in the proton beam increases linearly with distance from the center. This is expressed
mathematically as J(r) = J0 (r/R), where R is the radius of the beam and J0 is the current density
at the edge. Determine the value of J0.
A) 25 A/m2
B) 6.2 A/m2
C) 12 A/m2
D) 17 A/m2
Answer: A
Var: 50+

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10) A certain fuse "blows" if the current in it exceeds 1.0 A, at which instant the fuse melts with
a current density of 620 A/cm2. What is the diameter of the wire in the fuse?
A) 0.45 mm
B) 0.63 mm
C) 0.68 mm
D) 0.91 mm
Answer: A
Var: 50+

11) If the current density in a wire or radius R is given by J = kr, 0 < r < R, what is the current in
the wire?
A) 2πkR3/3
B) 3πkR3/2
C) kR3/3
D) kR2
E) kR2/2
Answer: A
Var: 1

12) A silver wire has a cross sectional area A = 2.0 mm2. A total of 9.4 × 1018 electrons pass
through the wire in 3.0 s. The conduction electron density in silver is 5.8 × 1028 electrons/m3
and e = 1.60 × 10-19 C. What is the drift velocity of these electrons?
A) 2.7 × 10-5 m/s
B) 9.1 × 10-5 m/s
C) 5.2 × 10-5 m/s
D) 1.1 × 10-5 m/s
E) 7.4 × 10-5 m/s
Answer: A
Var: 1

13) The diameter of a 12-gauge copper wire is 0.081 in. The maximum safe current it can carry
(in order to prevent fire danger in building construction) is 20 A. At this current, what is the drift
velocity of the electrons? The number of electron carriers in 1.0 cm3 of copper is 8.5 × 1022 and
e = 1.60 × 10-19 C.
A) 0.044 mm/s
B) 0.44 mm/s
C) 0.44 cm/s
D) 0.44 m/s
E) 4.4 cm/s
Answer: B
Var: 1

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14) A wire has a cross-sectional area of 0.10 mm2. If there are 4.0 × 1028 atoms per cubic meter
in this wire, and if each atom contributes 2 free electrons, what is the drift velocity of the
electrons when the current in the wire is 6.0 A? (e = 1.60 × 10-19 C)
A) 0.0047 m/s
B) 0.0092 m/s
C) 0.94 m/s
D) 0.019 m/s
Answer: A
Var: 1

15) Building codes usually limit the current carried by a No. 14 copper wire to 15 A. Many
household circuits are wired with this size wire. What is the drift velocity of the electrons in this
case? The diameter of this wire is 1.6 mm. Assume one conduction electron per atom in copper.
The atomic weight of copper is 63.3 g/mol and its density is 8900 kg/m3. Avogadro's number is
6.022 × 1023 molecules/mol and e = 1.60 × 10-19 C.
A) 5.51 × 10-4 m/s
B) 4.56 × 10-4 m/s
C) 1.65 × 10-3 m/s
D) 4.44 × 10-2 m/s
E) 4.89 × 10-5 m/s
Answer: A
Var: 1

16) The resistivity of gold is 2.44 × 10-8 Ω ∙ m at room temperature. A gold wire that is 0.9 mm
in diameter and 14 cm long carries a current of 940 mA. What is the electric field in the wire?
A) 0.036 V/m
B) 0.0090 V/m
C) 0.028 V/m
D) 0.046 V/m
E) 0.090 V/m
Answer: A
Var: 50+

17) A silver wire with resistivity 1.59 × 10-8 Ω ∙ m carries a current density of 4.0 A/mm2. What
is the magnitude of the electric field inside the wire?
A) 0.064 V/m
B) 2.5 V/m
C) 0.040 V/m
D) 0.10 V/m
Answer: A
Var: 7

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18) A tube of mercury with resistivity 9.84 × 10-7 Ω ∙ m has an electric field inside the column
of mercury of magnitude 23 N/C that is directed along the length of the tube. How much current
is flowing through this tube if its diameter is 1.0 mm?
A) 18 A
B) 180 A
C) 29 A
D) 280 A
Answer: A
Var: 1

19) What length of a certain metal wire of diameter 0.15 mm is needed for the wire to have a
resistance of 15 Ω? The resistivity of this metal is 1.68 × 10-8 Ω ∙ m.
A) 16 mm
B) 16 cm
C) 1.6 m
D) 16 m
E) 160 m
Answer: D
Var: 1

20) A 2.0 mm diameter wire of length 20 m has a resistance of 0.25 Ω. What is the resistivity of
the wire?
A) 5.0 × 10-7 Ω ∙ m
B) 3.9 × 10-8 Ω ∙ m
C) 4.0 × 10-7 Ω ∙ m
D) 16 × 10-8 Ω ∙ m
E) 0.25 Ω ∙ m
Answer: B
Var: 1

21) What must be the diameter of a cylindrical 120-m long metal wire if its resistance is to be 6.0
Ω? The resistivity of this metal is 1.68 × 10-8 Ω ∙ m.
A) 0.065 mm
B) 0.65 mm
C) 0.65 cm
D) 0.325 mm
E) 0.0325 mm
Answer: B
Var: 1

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22) Nichrome wire, often used for heating elements, has resistivity of 1.0 × 10-6 Ω ∙ m at room
temperature. What length of No. 30 wire (of diameter 0.250 mm) is needed to wind a resistor that
has 50 ohms at room temperature?
A) 3.66 m
B) 2.45 m
C) 0.61 m
D) 6.54 m
E) 22.4 m
Answer: B
Var: 1

23) The temperature coefficient of resistivity for copper is 0.0068 (C°)-1. If a copper wire has a
resistance of 104 Ω at 20°C, what is its resistance 80°C?
A) 192 Ω
B) 42 Ω
C) 71 Ω
D) 161 Ω
E) 146 Ω
Answer: E
Var: 1

24) A Nichrome wire is used as a heating element in a toaster. From the moment the toaster is
first turned on to the moment the wire reaches it maximum temperature, the current in the wire
drops by 20.0% from its initial value. What is the temperature change in the wire? The
temperature coefficient of resistivity for Nichrome is 0.000400 (°C)-1.
A) 200°C
B) 400°C
C) 500°C
D) 625°C
E) 300°C
Answer: D
Var: 1

25) A platinum wire is used to determine the melting point of indium. The resistance of the
platinum wire is 2.000 Ω at 20°C and increases to 3.072 Ω as the indium starts to melt. What is
the melting point of indium? The temperature coefficient of resistivity for platinum is 3.9 × 10-
3(C°)-1.
A) 120°C
B) 140°C
C) 160°C
D) 240°C
E) 350°C
Answer: C
Var: 1

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26) A piece of wire 58.4 cm long carries a current I when a voltage V is applied across its ends at
a temperature of 0°C. If the resistivity of the material of which the wire is made varies with
temperature as shown in the graph in the figure, what length of the same diameter wire is needed
so that the same current flows when the same voltage is applied at temperature 400°C?

Answer: 19.5 cm
Var: 50+

27) Calculate the current through a 10.0-m long 22 gauge (having radius 0.321 mm) nichrome
wire if it is connected to a 12.0-V battery. The resistivity of nichrome is 100 × 10-8 Ω ∙ m.
A) 17.5 A
B) 30.9 A
C) 61.8 A
D) 388 mA
E) 776 mA
Answer: D
Var: 1

28) How much current will be flowing through a 40.0 m length of cylindrical metal wire with
radius 0.0 mm if it is connected to a source supplying 16.0 V? The resistivity of this metal is
1.68 × 10-8 Ω ∙ m.
A) 1200 A
B) 9.5 × 108 A
C) 68 nA
D) 710 A
Answer: A
Var: 1

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29) When a voltage difference is applied to a piece of metal wire, a 5.0-mA current flows
through it. If this metal wire is now replaced with a silver wire having twice the diameter of the
original wire, how much current will flow through the silver wire? The lengths of both wires are
the same, and the voltage difference remains unchanged. (The resistivity of the original metal is
1.68 × 10-8 Ω ∙ m, and the resistivity of silver is 1.59 × 10-8 Ω ∙ m.)
A) 21 mA
B) 19 mA
C) 11 mA
D) 5.3 mA
Answer: A
Var: 9

30) A cylindrical wire of radius 2.0 mm carries a current of 2.5 A. The potential difference
between points on the wire that are 46 m apart is 3.7 V.
(a) What is the electric field in the wire?
(b) What is the resistivity of the material of which the wire is made?
Answer:
a) 0.080 V/m
b) 4.0 × 10-7 Ω ∙ m
Var: 50+

31) The power rating of a 400-Ω resistor is 0.800 W.

(a) What is the maximum voltage that can be applied across this resistor without damaging it?
(b) What is the maximum current this resistor can draw without damaging it?
Answer: (a) 17.9 V (b) 44.7 mA
Var: 1

32) A 110-V hair dryer is rated at 1200 W. What current will it draw when operating from a 110-
V electrical outlet?
A) 90 mA
B) 1.0 A
C) 5.0 A
D) 11 A
E) 14 A
Answer: D
Var: 1

33) A light bulb is connected to a 110-V source. What is the resistance of this bulb if it is a 100-
W bulb?
A) 100 Ω
B) 8.0 mΩ
C) 6.0 mΩ
D) 120 Ω
E) 240 Ω
Answer: D
Var: 1

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34) A certain electric furnace consumes 24 kW when it is connected to a 240-V line. What is the
resistance of the furnace?
A) 1.0 kΩ
B) 10 Ω
C) 2.4 Ω
D) 0.42 Ω
E) 100 Ω
Answer: C
Var: 1

35) A 1500-W heater is connected to a 120-V line. How much heat energy does it produce in 2.0
hours?
A) 1.5 kJ
B) 3.0 kJ
C) 0.18 MJ
D) 11 MJ
E) 18 MJ
Answer: D
Var: 1

36) The resistivity of gold is 2.44 × 10-8 Ω ∙ m at room temperature. A gold wire that is 1.8 mm
in diameter and 11 cm long carries a current of 170 mA. How much power is dissipated in the
wire?
A) 0.030 mW
B) 0.0076 mW
C) 0.013 mW
D) 0.019 mW
E) 0.025 mW
Answer: A
Var: 1

37) A 400-W computer (including the monitor) is turned on for 8.0 hours per day. If electricity
costs 10¢ per kWh, how much does it cost to run the computer annually for a typical 365-day
year?
A) $120
B) $1200
C) $15
D) $17
E) $150
Answer: A
Var: 1

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38) The voltage and power ratings of a particular light bulb, which are its normal operating
values, are 110 V and 60 W. Assume the resistance of the filament of the bulb is constant and is
independent of operating conditions. If the light bulb is operated with a current that is 50% of the
current rating of the bulb, what is the actual power drawn by the bulb?
A) 10 W
B) 15 W
C) 20 W
D) 25 W
E) 30 W
Answer: B
Var: 1

39) The voltage and power ratings of a particular light bulb, which are its normal operating
values, are 110 V and 60 W. Assume the resistance of the filament of the bulb is constant and is
independent of operating conditions. If the light bulb is operated at a reduced voltage and the
power drawn by the bulb is 36 W, what is the operating voltage of the bulb?
A) 66 V
B) 72 V
C) 78 V
D) 85 V
E) 90 V
Answer: D
Var: 1

40) The heater element of a particular 120-V toaster is a 8.9-m length of nichrome wire, whose
diameter is 0.86 mm. The resistivity of nichrome at the operating temperature of the toaster is 1.3
× 10-6 Ω ∙ m. If the toaster is operated at a voltage of 120 V, how much power does it draw?
A) 720 W
B) 700 W
C) 750 W
D) 770 W
E) 800 W
Answer: A
Var: 50+

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41) The emf and the internal resistance of a battery are as shown in the figure. If a current of 8.3
A is drawn from the battery when a resistor R is connected across the terminals ab of the battery,
what is the power dissipated by the resistor R?

A) 440 W
B) 700 W
C) 620 W
D) 530 W
E) 790 W
Answer: A
Var: 1

42) The emf and the internal resistance of a battery are as shown in the figure. When the terminal
voltage Vab is equal to 17.4 V, what is the current through the battery, including its direction?

A) 6.8 A, from b to a
B) 8.7 A, from b to a
C) 6.8 A, from a to b
D) 8.7 A, from a to b
E) 16 A, from b to a
Answer: A
Var: 1

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43) The emf and the internal resistance of a battery are shown in the figure. If a current of 7.8 A
is established through the battery from b to a, what is the terminal voltage Vab of the battery?

A) -30 V
B) 80 V
C) 30 V
D) -80 V
E) zero
Answer: A
Var: 1

44) In the figure a current of 6.0 A is drawn from the battery. What is the terminal voltage Vab of
the battery?

A) 0.00 V
B) +12 V
C) +24 V
D) -12 V
E) -24 V
Answer: A
Var: 1

45) In the figure, when the terminal voltage Vab of the battery is equal to 20 V, how much
current passes through the battery, including its direction?

A) 4 A, from a to b
B) 5 A, from a to b
C) 6 A, from a to b
D) 4 A, from b to a
E) 5 A, from b to a
Answer: A
Var: 1
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