To calculate the total resistance of the circuit, we need to consider the resistance of each wire and the resistance of the entire circuit. The resistance of a wire can be determined using the formula:
Resistance (R) = (ρ * L) / A
where:
ρ is the resistivity of copper (approximately 1.68 x 10^-8 ohm-meter),
L is the length of the wire (in meters), and
A is the cross-sectional area of the wire (in square meters).
Since the length of each wire is given in feet, we need to convert it to meters:
100 feet = 30.48 meters (approximately).
Now, let's calculate the cross-sectional area (A) of a No. 12 AWG solid copper conductor. The AWG (American Wire Gauge) standard specifies the diameter of the wire, and the cross-sectional area can be calculated using the formula:
A (in square meters) = (π * d^2) / 4
where d is the diameter of the wire (in meters).
For No. 12 AWG, the diameter (d) is approximately 0.0808 meters.
Let's proceed with the calculations:
Calculate the cross-sectional area of the wire (A):
A = (π * (0.0808 meters)^2) / 4
A ≈ 0.002048 square meters
Calculate the resistance of each wire (R_wire):
R_wire = (ρ * L) / A
R_wire = (1.68 x 10^-8 ohm-meter * 30.48 meters) / 0.002048 square meters
R_wire ≈ 0.2518 ohms (approximately)
Since the circuit consists of two wires in series, add their resistances to get the total resistance (R_total):
R_total = R_wire + R_wire
R_total ≈ 0.2518 ohms + 0.2518 ohms
R_total ≈ 0.5036 ohms
So, the total resistance of the 120V, two-wire circuit is approximately 0.5036 ohms.