Answered

A hair dryer has a resistance of [tex]$11.5 \Omega$[/tex]. What current does it conduct when it is plugged into a wall outlet that provides [tex]$120 V$[/tex]?

A. [tex]0.10 A[/tex]

B. [tex]10.4 A[/tex]

C. [tex]109 A[/tex]

D. [tex]1380 A[/tex]



Answer :

To determine the current conducted by a hair dryer with a resistance of [tex]\(11.5 \Omega\)[/tex] when plugged into a wall outlet providing [tex]\(120 V\)[/tex], we can use Ohm’s law. Ohm's law states that the current [tex]\( I \)[/tex] flowing through a circuit is equal to the voltage [tex]\( V \)[/tex] divided by the resistance [tex]\( R \)[/tex].

The formula for Ohm’s law is:
[tex]\[ I = \frac{V}{R} \][/tex]

Given:
- Voltage [tex]\( V = 120 \)[/tex] Volts
- Resistance [tex]\( R = 11.5 \)[/tex] Ohms

Now, substitute the given values into the formula:
[tex]\[ I = \frac{120}{11.5} \][/tex]

Carrying out the division:
[tex]\[ I = 10.434782608695652 \][/tex]

Rounding this to the nearest tenth, we get:
[tex]\[ I \approx 10.4 \, \text{A} \][/tex]

So, the current conducted by the hair dryer is approximately [tex]\(10.4 \, \text{A}\)[/tex].

Therefore, the correct answer is:
[tex]\[ 10.4 \, \text{A} \][/tex]