Electricity: Electric Ciruits

Electric Circuits: Audio Guided Solution

Problem 12:

Having recently lost her job, Penny Penching is looking for every possible means of cutting costs. She decides that her 4.0-Watt clock radio alarm does not need to be on for 24 hours every day since she only needs it for waking up after her average 8-hour sleep. So she decides to plug it in before going to sleep and to unplug it when waking. Penny pays 12 cents per kiloWatt•hour for her electricity. How much money is Penny able to save over the course of a month (31 days) with her new alarm clock usage pattern?

Audio Guided Solution

Habits of an Effective Problem Solver

  • Read the problem carefully and develop a mental picture of the physical situation. If necessary, sketch a simple diagram of the physical situation to help you visualize it.
  • Identify the known and unknown quantities and record them in an organized manner. Equate given values to the symbols used to represent the corresponding quantity - e.g., ΔV = 9.0 V; R = 0.025 Ω; I = ???.
  • Use physics formulas and conceptual reasoning to plot a strategy for solving for the unknown quantity.
  • Identify the appropriate formula(s) to use.
  • Perform substitutions and algebraic manipulations in order to solve for the unknown quantity.

Read About It!

Get more information on the topic of Electric Circuits at The Physics Classroom Tutorial.

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