Question

Difficulty: EasyOhm's Law

An auxiliary electric bilge pump operates on a 12 V12\text{ V} DC power supply. If the internal electrical resistance of the pump motor is 6 Ω6\ \Omega, what is the steady-state current drawn by the pump during operation?

  1. A
    0.5 A0.5\text{ A}
  2. 2 A2\text{ A}Answer
  3. C
    6 A6\text{ A}
  4. D
    72 A72\text{ A}

Answer

The current drawn by the pump is 2 A2\text{ A}.
According to Ohm's Law, current (II) equals voltage (VV) divided by resistance (RR). Dividing the 12 V12\text{ V} supply by the 6 Ω6\ \Omega load resistance yields exactly 2 A2\text{ A}.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the given circuit parameters and the formula to solve for unknown current.
Given: Voltage V=12 VV = 12\text{ V}, Resistance R=6 ΩR = 6\ \Omega. Ohm's Law states V=I×RV = I \times R, which rearranges to I=VRI = \frac{V}{R}.
Ohm's Law defines the fundamental mathematical relationship between voltage, current, and resistance in a direct current circuit.
2
Substitute the given values into the rearranged formula and compute the current.
I=12 V6 Ω=2 AI = \frac{12\text{ V}}{6\ \Omega} = 2\text{ A}.
Carrying out the division provides the magnitude of electron flow (amperage) through the load.

Key Concept

Ohm's Law formula for calculating current: I=VRI = \frac{V}{R}
Estimated Time:40s
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