Question

A battery is connected to a resistor. Increasing the resistance of the resistor will __________. A battery is connected to a resistor. Increasing the resistance of the resistor will __________. decrease the current in the circuit not affect the current in the circuit increase the current in the circuit

Answer 1

Answer: the increase in the external resistor will affect and decrease the current in the circuit.

Explanation: A battery has it own internal resistance, r, and given an external resistor of resistance, R, the equation of typical of Ohm's law giving the flow of current is

E = IR + Ir = I(R + r)........(1)

Where IR is the potential difference flowing in the external circuit and Or is the lost voltage due to internal resistance of battery. From (1)

I = E/(R + r)

As R increases, and E, r remain constant, the value (R + r) increases, hence the value of current, I, in the external circuit decreases.