NEIEP Mechanics Practice Exam

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Prepare for the NEIEP Mechanics Exam with multiple choice questions, hints, and detailed explanations. Ace your test and advance your career!

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When the resistance in a circuit is doubled, what happens to the current if the voltage remains constant?

The current will double
The current will remain the same
The current will be halved
The current will quadruple

The correct answer is: The current will be halved

When the resistance in a circuit is doubled while keeping the voltage constant, the current will be halved. This relationship is derived from Ohm's Law, which states that current (I) is equal to voltage (V) divided by resistance (R), formulated as I = V / R. If the resistance (R) increases, while the voltage (V) stays the same, the value of the current (I) must decrease to balance the equation. Specifically, if the original resistance is R and the original current is I, when the resistance is changed to 2R, the new current (I') becomes: I' = V / (2R) This shows that the new current is half of the original current. Therefore, the correct answer reflects the direct inverse relationship between resistance and current when voltage is constant.