Final answer:
To find the total current in the circuit with three resistors connected in parallel to a 12V battery, calculate the equivalent resistance of the parallel combination, then apply Ohm's law to determine the current.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the total current in the circuit with three resistors of 10 Ω, 7.98 Ω, and 4.40 Ω connected in parallel to a 12V battery, we need to find the equivalent resistance (Req) of the parallel combination and use Ohm's law. The equivalent resistance of resistors in parallel is calculated using the formula:
1/Req = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3
Substituting the given values, we get:
1/Req = 1/10 + 1/7.98 + 1/4.40
Calculating this gives us Req. Next, using Ohm's law (V = IR), where V is the voltage and I is the current, the total current (I) supplied by the battery can be calculated as:
I = V / Req
Since the voltage (V) is 12V, we plug in our value for Req to find the total current leaving the positive battery terminal.