The graph shows the variation of the terminal potential difference V across a combination of three cells in series (connected to a resistor) with the current i. (i) Calculate the EMF of each cell. (ii) For what current I will the power dissipation be maximum?
Solution
From V=Etotal−irtotal, the V-intercept (i=0) gives the total EMF of the three series cells, so each cell's EMF is one-third of it; the magnitude of the slope gives the total internal resistance rtotal. The power in the external load P=i2R is maximum under matching (R=rtotal), when the current is half the short-circuit current: I=2rtotalEtotal.