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6. (a) A technician investigates a light-dependent resistor (LDR) connected in series with a 120 Ω resistor and a voltage source - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 6 - 2015 - Paper 1

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6. (a) A technician investigates a light-dependent resistor (LDR) connected in series with a 120 Ω resistor and a voltage source. The technician measures the voltag... show full transcript

Worked Solution & Example Answer:6. (a) A technician investigates a light-dependent resistor (LDR) connected in series with a 120 Ω resistor and a voltage source - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 6 - 2015 - Paper 1

Step 1

Which one of these circuits should the technician use?

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Answer

The technician should choose circuit B. This circuit allows the technician to measure the voltage across the LDR while connected in series with the 120 Ω resistor.

Step 2

When the LDR is in bright sunlight, its resistance is 185 Ω. The voltage across the LDR is then 7.2 V. Show that the current in the LDR is about 0.039 A.

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Answer

To find the current in the LDR, we apply Ohm's law, which is given by the formula:

I=VRI = \frac{V}{R}

Substituting the values we have:

I=7.2 V185ΩI = \frac{7.2 \text{ V}}{185 \Omega}

Calculating this gives:

I0.03892 AI \approx 0.03892 \text{ A}

This rounds to approximately 0.039 A.

Step 3

An explanation to include (the resistance of the LDR changes)

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Answer

The resistance of the LDR varies based on light exposure. In bright sunlight, its resistance decreases, allowing more current to flow through the circuit. Conversely, in the dark, the resistance increases, resulting in less current flow.

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