The current passing through the battery in the given circuit is:

Question

The current passing through the battery in the given circuit is:

1. A. 2.0 A
2. B. 0.5 A (Correct answer)
3. C. 2.5 A
4. D. 1.5 A

Correct Answer

Option B — 0.5 A

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is 0.5 A.

Key Points

• The bridge in the circuit is a balanced Wheatstone bridge, so the 6 $\Omega$ arm carries no current and is removed.
• The bridge then reduces to two parallel branches (4 $\Omega$ and 8 $\Omega$): $R'=\dfrac{4\times 8}{4+8}=\dfrac{8}{3}\,\Omega$.
• Total resistance: $R_{eq}=\dfrac{8}{3}+\dfrac{1}{3}+1.5+5.5=10\,\Omega$.
• Current through the battery: $i=\dfrac{V}{R_{eq}}=\dfrac{5}{10}=0.5$ A.