Question

The accompanying figure shows some electrical appliances connected in a circuit in a house. Answer the following questions.

1. By which method are the appliances connected?
2. What must be the potential difference across individual appliances?
3. Will the current passing through each appliance be the same? Justify your answer.
4. Why are the domestic appliances connected in this way?
5. If the T.V. stops working, will the other appliances also stop working? Explain your answer.

Answer 1

1. The appliances are connected in parallel.
2. The potential difference across each appliance should be the same as they are connected in parallel. The potential difference between live and neutral wire in domestic wiring is maintained at 220 V in India. Hence, the potential difference across each appliance should be 220 V.
3. In general, different. We have `"I" = "V"/"R"`. Even if the voltage (V) is the same, the resistance (R) can be different. Hence, the current (I) through each appliance may not be the same.
4. Domestic appliances are connected in parallel because this connection assures that even if one or more appliances become faulty or stop working, the working of others will remain unaffected. 
5. Other appliances won't stop operating even if the TV does because they are linked in parallel across the supply.