Chapter 19, Problem 11Q

To determine

• Does the battery emf depend on the direction of current through the battery?
• Does the terminal voltage depend on the direction of current through the battery?

Answer to Problem 11Q

Solution:

• No, the sign of battery emf does not depend on the direction of current through battery while applying Kirchhoff’s rule.
• Yes, the terminal voltage depends upon the current through the battery.

Explanation of Solution

Sign of the battery emf does not depend on the current through the battery as it only depends on the direction you go through the circuit. If you go to the positive terminal of the battery to the negative terminal of other battery, then emf must be subtracted and vice versa.

The terminal voltage of the circuit depends on the direction of the current going through the circuit.If the current is leaving the positive terminal and entering into the negative terminal then there will be a voltage drop across the internal resistance, and terminal voltage will be less than the emf of the battery and vice versa.