Question

In the circuit below, there is one battery, three identical lightbulbs, and a voltmeter. All lightbulbs are lit up, and the voltmeter measures 6V. How does this reading change if the lightbulb marked by ( x ) burns out?

a) The voltmeter reading will increase.
b) The voltmeter reading will decrease.
c) The voltmeter reading will remain the same.
d) The voltmeter will stop functioning.

Answer 1

When the lightbulb marked by (x) burns out in the given circuit, the voltmeter reading will remain the same.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the given circuit, when the lightbulb marked by (x) burns out, the voltmeter reading will remain the same (c).

In a series circuit, the total voltage across the circuit is divided equally among the components. Each component receives a portion of the total voltage. Since the lightbulbs are identical, they have the same resistance and therefore share the voltage equally.

If one lightbulb burns out, the remaining lightbulbs will still receive the same amount of voltage, so the voltmeter reading will not change.