Question

In the following circuit, where V5 = 0.58 V, use the voltage divider rule to find V1. Do not use node or mesh equations. To review the voltage divider rule.

Answer 1

To find V1 using the voltage divider rule, calculate the total current with Ohm's law, using the formula I = V / Rtot, and then apply the voltage divider formula V1 = I × R1, where R1 is the resistance at the point V1 is measured.

Step-by-step explanation:

Calculating Voltage Using Voltage Divider Rule

To find the voltage V1 in a circuit with resistors using the voltage divider rule, you first need to calculate the total current I.

The total current is found by applying Ohm's law to the whole circuit. In a provided example with a total voltage (V) of 12.0 volts and a total resistance (Rtot) of 5.11 ohms, the current I can be calculated by dividing the voltage by the total resistance, resulting in 2.35 amperes (A).

After calculating the current, you can use the voltage divider formula to find V1:

1. Identify the resistors in series with the point where V1 is measured.
2. Apply the formula V1 = I × R1, where I is the total current and R1 is the resistance at the point where V1 is measured.
3. Calculate V1 by multiplying the found current I by the resistance value of R1.

It's important not to confuse this method with node or mesh equations, which are different techniques for analyzing circuits.