Internal Resistance
Batteries and generators add some resistance to a circuit Batteries and generators add some resistance to a circuit. This resistance is called internal resistance. The actual voltage between the terminals of a batter is known as the terminal voltage.
The Terminal Voltage of a Battery The car battery has an emf of 12.0 V and an internal resistance of 0.0100 Ω. What is the terminal voltage when the current drawn from the battery is (a) 10.0 A and (b) 100.0 A? (a) (b)
Practice 2 A new “D” battery has an emf of 1.5 V. When a wire of negligible resistance is connected between the terminals of the battery, a current of 28 A is produced. Find the internal resistance of the battery.
Practice 3 A battery has an internal resistance of 0.012 Ω and an emf of 9.00 V. What is the maximum current that can be drawn from the battery without the terminal voltage dropping below 8.90 V?
Practice 4 When a light bulb is connected across the terminals of a battery, the battery delivers 24 W of power to the bulb. A voltage of 11.8 V exists between the terminals of the battery, which has an internal resistance of 0.10Ω. What is the emf of the battery?
Lab Materials: Multi-meter, ceramic resistor, battery, wires. What you are allowed to do: use M-meter as an A-meter and a V-meter. Direct measurement of resistance is not allowed.