Final answer:
To find the total current in the parallel circuit with three resistors and a battery, calculate the equivalent resistance and then apply Ohm's law using the voltage of the battery.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the total current in a system where a 34.85 ohm resistor, a 20.86 ohm resistor, and a 22.81 ohm resistor are connected in parallel to a 14.57 volt battery, we first find the equivalent resistance (Req) of the parallel combination. Using the formula for parallel resistance 1/Req = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3, we find the reciprocal of the equivalent resistance.
Once we have Req, we use Ohm's law to find the total current (Itotal) with the formula Itotal = Vbattery / Req, where Vbattery is the voltage of the battery. This calculation will give us the total current running through the circuit.
Example Calculation:
Step 1: Calculate the reciprocal of the equivalent resistance.
1/Req = 1/34.85 + 1/20.86 + 1/22.81
Step 2: Find the equivalent resistance by taking the reciprocal of the result from Step 1.
Req = 1 / (1/Req)
Step 3: Use Ohm's law to determine the total current.
Itotal = Vbattery / Req
Note: The specific values are not calculated here, but this method will yield the correct total current flowing through the system.