The wattage marked on a lightbulb is not an inherent property of the bulb but depends on the voltage to which it is connected, usually 110 V or 120 V. How many amperes flow through a 60-W bulb connected in a 120-V circuit

Question

Physics

Tristen Oconnell

29 November, 00:04

The wattage marked on a lightbulb is not an inherent property of the bulb but depends on the voltage to which it is connected, usually 110 V or 120 V. How many amperes flow through a 60-W bulb connected in a 120-V circuit

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Answers (1)

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Daniel Morrison · Answer 1

The current that flows through the lamp is 0.5 A.

Explanation:

A lamp functions like a resistor and the real power absorbed by a resistor is given by the product of the voltage drop across it's terminals and the current that flows through it. If we wish to find the current that this lamp draws we should divide the wattage given (60 W) by the voltage drop provided (120 V). We then have:

i = P/V = 60/120 = 0.5 A.