Question

All household circuits are wired in parallel. A 1120-W toaster, a 310-W blender, and a 50-W lamp are plugged into the same outlet. (The three devices are in parallel when plugged into the same outlet.) Assume that this is the standard household 120-V circuit with a 15-A fuse.
Required:
a. What current is drawn by each device?
b. What is the potential difference across the toaster?
c. What is the potential difference across the blender?
d. What is the potential difference across the lamp?

Answer 1

Answer:

The voltage across each device is the same, that is 120 V

Current drawn by toaster, blender and lamp are; 9.3 A, 2.6 A and 0.42 A respectively

Explanation:

To obtain the current across each device; remember that the voltage across the toaster,blender and lamp are all the same (120V).

For voltage across the toaster;

Power of the toaster= 1120 W

Since P=IV

P= power

I= current

V= voltage

Making current the subject of the formula;

I=P/V

Therefore, current drawn by the toaster= 1120 W/120 V =9.3 A

Current drawn by blender=310W/120V = 2.6 A

Current drawn by Lamp= 50 W/120V =0.42 A