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Date May 2012 Marks available 1 Reference code 12M.1.SL.TZ2.17
Level Standard level Paper Paper 1 Time zone Time zone 2
Command term Question number 17 Adapted from N/A

Question

Three identical filament lamps, X, Y and Z, are connected as shown to a battery of negligible internal resistance.

The filament of lamp X breaks. Which of the following correctly describes the change in brightness of lamp Y and of lamp Z?

Markscheme

C

Examiners report

 Most candidates chose A – an intuitive guess, but an incorrect one. When X breaks then the resistance in the circuit increases hence Z will be dimmer. Hence only C or D could be correct. And since Y has half the battery voltage across it, rather than a third previously, it has increased in brightness.

Syllabus sections

Core » Topic 5: Electricity and magnetism » 5.2 – Heating effect of electric currents
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