Question

Would your headlights dim when you start your car’s engine if the wires in your automobile were superconductors? (Do not neglect the battery’s internal resistance.) Explain.

a) Yes, because superconductors have high resistance.

b) No, because superconductors have zero resistance.

c) Yes, because superconductors interfere with battery function.

d) No, because superconductors enhance battery performance.

Answer 1

Headlights may still dim when starting the car's engine even with superconductor wires, due to the battery's internal resistance, not because of the wires. Superconductors have zero resistance, which doesn't influence the battery's inherent resistance.

Step-by-step explanation:

The headlights of a car dimming when starting the engine is a common observation, often due to the voltage drop across the battery's internal resistance when the starter motor draws significant current. If the wires in your automobile were superconductors, which by definition have zero resistance, this would not change the fundamental behavior caused by the battery’s internal resistance. Hence, the headlights may still dim since the internal resistance of the battery would remain as the bottleneck for the delivery of current. Therefore, the correct answer is:

(b) No, because superconductors have zero resistance.

It is important to note that the superconductor wires themselves would not contribute any additional resistance or voltage drop to the circuit, but they do not affect the battery's internal resistance, which would be responsible for the dimming of the headlights during startup.