Question

An 1800-W toaster, a 1400-W electric frying pan, and a 75-W lamp are plugged into the same outlet in a 15-A, 120-V circuit. The three devices are in parallel when plugged into the same socket.What current is drawn by each device?

a) 15 A for the toaster, 11.67 A for the frying pan, 0.625 A for the lamp
b) 5 A for the toaster, 3.85 A for the frying pan, 0.208 A for the lamp
c) 10 A for the toaster, 7.69 A for the frying pan, 0.416 A for the lamp
d) 20 A for the toaster, 15.38 A for the frying pan, 0.833 A for the lamp

Answer 1

The toaster draws 15 A, the electric frying pan draws 11.67 A, and the lamp draws 0.625 A. The total current of 27.295 A exceeds the 15-A fuse limit and will blow the fuse.

Step-by-step explanation:

Calculating Current Drawn by Each Device

To find the current drawn by each device, we use the power formula for electrical devices, which is P = IV, where P is power in watts, I is current in amperes, and V is voltage in volts. Since the devices are connected in parallel, the voltage across each device is the same, which is the voltage of the outlet.

Assessing the 15-A Fuse Limit

To assess whether this combination will blow the 15-A fuse, we must add the currents drawn by all three devices, which sums up to 15 A + 11.67 A + 0.625 A = 27.295 A. This exceeds the 15-A limit of the circuit and will therefore blow the 15-A fuse.