How much power is produced if a voltage of 4 V4V is applied to a circuit with a resistance of 27 Omega?

1 Answer
Feb 18, 2016

Combining P=VI and V=IR (Ohm's Law) yields P=V^2/R = 4^2/27 = 16/27 ~~0.59 W

Explanation:

Probably not a lot more explanation needed. We are given a voltage (V) and a resistance (Omega). We know that the expression for power in a circuit is P=VI, but we don't know the current.

We do know a way to find the current, given the voltage and the resistance: Ohm's Law :

V=IR

Rearranging:

I=V/R

We could calculate the current and then substitute that into the expression for the power, but I decided to combine the equations instead:

P=VI=V(V/R)=V^2/R

Then it's just a matter of substituting in the values we have and we know the power produced by the circuit.