
MCAT-Style Passage Problems
Lightbulb Failure
You’ve probably observed that the most common time for an incandescent lightbulb to fail is the moment when it is turned on. Let’s look at the properties of the bulb’s filament to see why this happens.
The current in the tungsten filament of a lightbulb heats the filament until it glows. The filament is so hot that some of the atoms on its surface fly off and end up sticking on a cooler part of the bulb. Thus the filament gets progressively thinner as the bulb ages. There will certainly be one spot on the filament that is a bit thinner than elsewhere. This thin segment will have a higher resistance than the surrounding filament. More power will be dissipated at this spot, so it won’t only be a thin spot, it also will be a hot spot.
Now, let’s look at the resistance of the filament. The graph in Figure P22.70 shows data for the current in a lightbulb as a function of the potential difference across it. The graph is not linear, so the filament is not an ohmic material with a constant resistance. However, we can define the resistance at any particular potential difference ∆V to be R = ∆V/I. This ratio, and hence the resistance, increases with ∆V and thus with temperature.
Figure P22. 70
When the bulb is turned on, the filament is cold and its resistance is much lower than during normal, high-temperature operation. The low resistance causes a surge of higher-than-normal current lasting a fraction of a second until the filament heats up. Because power dissipation is I2R, the power dissipated during this first fraction of a second is much larger than the bulb’s rated power. This current surge concentrates the power dissipation at the high-resistance thin spot, perhaps melting it and breaking the filament.
70. For the bulb in Figure P22.70, what is the approximate resistance of the bulb at a potential difference of 6.0 V?
A. 7.0 Ω
B. 17 Ω
C. 27 Ω
D. 37 Ω

Want to see the full answer?
Check out a sample textbook solution
Chapter 22 Solutions
College Physics: A Strategic Approach (4th Edition)
Additional Science Textbook Solutions
Human Anatomy & Physiology (2nd Edition)
Microbiology: An Introduction
Campbell Biology (11th Edition)
Introductory Chemistry (6th Edition)
Campbell Essential Biology with Physiology (5th Edition)
Biology: Life on Earth (11th Edition)
- Please don't use Chatgpt will upvote and give handwritten solutionarrow_forward6. We used the constant volume heat capacity, Cv, when we talked about thermodynamic cycles. It acts as a proportionality constant between energy and temperature: dU = C₁dT. You can also define a heat capacity for constant pressure processes, Cp. You can think of enthalpy playing a similar role to energy, but for constant pressure processes δαρ C = (37) - Sup Ср ат P = ат Starting from the definition of enthalpy, H = U + PV, find the relationship between Cy and Cp for an ideal gas.arrow_forwardPure membranes of dipalmitoyl lecithin phospholipids are models of biological membranes. They melt = 41°C. Reversible melting experiments indicate that at Tm AHm=37.7 kJ mol-1. Calculate: A. The entropy of melting, ASm- B. The Gibbs free energy of melting, AGm- C. Does the membrane become more or less ordered upon melting? D. There are 32 rotatable CH2 CH2 bonds in each molecule that can rotate more freely if the membrane melts. What is the increase in multiplicity on melting a mole of bonds?arrow_forward
- 5. Heat capacity often has a temperature dependence for real molecules, particularly if you go over a large temperature range. The heat capacity for liquid n-butane can be fit to the equation Cp(T) = a + bT where a = 100 J K₁₁ mol¹ and b = 0.1067 J K² mol¹ from its freezing point (T = 140 K) to its boiling point (T₁ = 270 K). A. Compute AH for heating butane from 170 K to 270 K. B. Compute AS for the same temperature range.arrow_forward4. How much energy must be transferred as heat to cause the quasi-static isothermal expansion of one mole of an ideal gas at 300 K from PA = 1 bar to PB = 0.5 bar? A. What is VA? B. What is VB? C. What is AU for the process? D. What is AH for the process? E. What is AS for the process?arrow_forward1. The diagram shows the tube used in the Thomson experiment. a. State the KE of the electrons. b. Draw the path of the electron beam in the gravitational field of the earth. C. If the electric field directed upwards, deduce the direction of the magnetic field so it would be possible to balance the forces. electron gun 1KVarrow_forward
- as a hiker in glacier national park, you need to keep the bears from getting at your food supply. You find a campground that is near an outcropping of ice. Part of the outcropping forms a feta=51.5* slopeup that leads to a verticle cliff. You decide that this is an idea place to hang your food supply out of bear reach. You put all of your food into a burlap sack, tie a rope to the sack, and then tie a bag full of rocks to the other end of the rope to act as an anchor. You currently have 18.5 kg of food left for the rest of your trip, so you put 18.5 kg of rocks in the anchor bag to balance it out. what happens when you lower the food bag over the edge and let go of the anchor bag? Determine the acceleration magnitude a of the two-bag system when you let go of the anchor bag?arrow_forward2. A thin Nichrome wire is used in an experiment to test Ohm's law using a power supply ranging from 0 to 12 V in steps of 2 V. Why isn't the graph of I vs V linear? 1. Nichrome wire does obey Ohm's law. Explain how that can that be true given the results abovearrow_forward1. The average KE and temperature in Kelvin of the molecules of a gas are related by the equation KE = 3/2 KT where k is the Boltzmann constant 1.38 x 10 m² kg s². The diagram shows the energy levels for a Hydrogen atom. Energy/eV 0.00 -1.51 3.39 13.58 Use this information to show that Hydrogen at room temperature will not emit light. 2. When hydrogen burns in oxygen 241.8 kJ of energy are released per mole. Show that this reaction can produce light.arrow_forward
- 3. By using the fact that around any closed loop the sum of the EMFS = the sum of the PDs. Write equations for the two loops shown in the cct below. 40 ΔΩ I₂ 4V (loop1 20 (loop2) 2v I+12 Use these equations to show that the current flowing through the 20 resistor is 0.75Aarrow_forward5. A potential divider circuit is made by stretching a 1 m long wire with a resistance of 0.1 per cm from A to B as shown. 8V A 100cm B sliding contact 5Ω A varying PD is achieved across the 5 Q resistor by moving the slider along the resistance wire. Calculate the distance from A when the PD across the 5 Q resistor is 6 V.arrow_forward4. A voltmeter with resistance 10 kQ is used to measure the pd across the 1 kQ resistor in the circuit below. 6V 5ΚΩ 1ΚΩ V Calculate the percentage difference between the value with and without the voltmeter.arrow_forward
- Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Technology ...PhysicsISBN:9781305116399Author:Raymond A. Serway, John W. JewettPublisher:Cengage LearningPrinciples of Physics: A Calculus-Based TextPhysicsISBN:9781133104261Author:Raymond A. Serway, John W. JewettPublisher:Cengage LearningPhysics for Scientists and Engineers: Foundations...PhysicsISBN:9781133939146Author:Katz, Debora M.Publisher:Cengage Learning
- College PhysicsPhysicsISBN:9781938168000Author:Paul Peter Urone, Roger HinrichsPublisher:OpenStax CollegePhysics for Scientists and EngineersPhysicsISBN:9781337553278Author:Raymond A. Serway, John W. JewettPublisher:Cengage Learning





