Abu Dhabi University Review Problems

College of CAS Chapter 25. Current and Resistance

PHY201. Physics II.

1. If the magnitude of the drift velocity of free electrons in a copper wire is 7.84 ×10-4 m/s,
what is the electric field in the conductor? The molar mass of copper is M = 63.5 g/mol.
Avogadro’s number of atoms (NA = 6.02 = 1023 mol–1). The density of copper is ρd =8.92 g/cm3
and copper resistivity ρcu =1.7 ×10−7 Ω. m. Ans: 1.8V/m

Equivalent resistance

4. A light bulb is rated at 30 W when operated at 120 V. How much charge passes through this
bulb in 1 minute? Ans. 15 C

18 C

5. A rod (length = 80 cm) with a rectangular cross section (1.5 mm × 2 mm) has a resistance of
0.2 . What is the resistivity of the material used to make the rod? Ans. 7.5 × 10-7.m

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6. A 50 V potential difference is maintained across a 2 m length wire that has a diameter of 0.5
mm. If the wire is made of material that has a resistivity of 7 × 10-8.m, what is the current in
the wire? Ans. 70 A

8. A conductor of radius r, length l and resistivity ρ has resistance R. What is the new
resistance if it is stretched to 4 times its original length?

9. A small bulb is rated at 7.5 W when operated at 125 V. The tungsten filament has a
temperature coefficient of resistivity α = 4.5 × 10-3 /oC. When the filament is hot and glowing,
its temperature is seven times room temperature (20 °C). What is the resistance of the filament
at room temperature? Ans. 1350 

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10. What maximum power can be generated from an 18V emf using any combination of a
6.0  resistor and a 9.0  resistor? Ans. 90 W

11. A 4  resistor has a current of 3 A in it for 5 min. How many electrons pass through the
resistor during this time interval?

a. 7.5  1021
b. 5.6  1021
c. 6.6  1021
d. 8.4  1021
e. 2.1  1021

12. Determine the temperature at which the resistance of an aluminum wire will be twice its
value at 20oC. Assume its coefficient of resistivity o -1
C
remains constant.
Ans: 276oC

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13. What is the resistance of a wire made of a material with a resistivity of 3.2  108m, if
its length is 2.5 m and its diameter is 0.50 mm? Ans: 0.41 

14. The current in a conductor varies in time as shown in the figure below.

(a) How many coulombs of charge pass through a cross section of the conductor in the
Interval from t = 0 to t = 5.0 s?

(b) What constant current would transport the same total charge during the 5.0-sinterval
as does the actual current?

15. Two wires A and B with circular cross sections are made of the same metal and have equal
lengths, but the resistance of wire A is three times greater than that of wire B.
(i) What is the ratio of the cross-sectional area of A to that of B?
(a) 3 (b) √ 3 (c) 1 (d) 1/√ 3 (e) 1/3

(ii) What is the ratio of the radius of A to that of B?

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(a) 3 (b) √ 3 (c) 1 (d) 1/√ 3 (e) 1/3

16. Two conductors made of the same material are connected across the same potential
difference. Conductor A has twice the diameter and twice the length of conductor B. What is
the ratio of the power delivered to A to the power delivered to B?

(a) 8 (b) 4 (c) 2 (d) 1 (e) 1/2

17. Two conducting wires A and B of the same length and radius are connected across the same
potential difference. Conductor A has twice the resistivity of conductor B. What is the ratio of
the power delivered to A to the power delivered to B?

(a) 2 (b)√ 2 (c) 1 (d) 1/ √ 2 (e) 1/2

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