An engineer is testing a biomedical device containing several identical sensor channels connected in parallel. She applies a constant potential difference across the parallel network and records the total current as additional channels are activated (connected in parallel).
The results are recorded in the table below:
| Number of active channels in parallel | Total current in μA\mu\text{A}μA | Potential difference in V\text{V}V |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24.0 | 1.20 |
| 2 | 48.0 | 1.20 |
| 3 | 72.0 | 1.20 |
| 4 | 96.0 | 1.20 |
Using data from the table, explain what happens to the total resistance of the sensor network as the number of active channels in parallel increases.
59 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Physics 10.2 Resistance, covering 10.2.1 Current in a circuit and conservation at junctions, 10.2.2 Resistance and variable resistors, 10.2.3 Series and parallel resistance, 10.2.4 I–V characteristics of components, and 10.2.5 LDRs and thermistors. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.