What happens when a light bulb is removed from a series circuit?

What will happen when a light bulb is removed from the circuit below, leaving a gap?

1) The remaining light bulbs will go out.
2) The remaining light bulbs will dim.
3) The brightness of the remaining light bulbs will not change.
4) The remaining light bulbs will brighten.

Final answer:

When a bulb is removed from a series circuit, the remaining bulbs will go out because the circuit is broken. Each bulb in a 40-bulb string with a total voltage of 120 V operates at 3 V. If one bulb burns out and short-circuits in a newer version, the remaining 39 bulbs would operate at roughly 3.08 V each.

Explanation:

When a light bulb is removed from a series circuit, the remaining light bulbs will go out. This is because, in a series circuit, the electrical current must flow through every component sequentially. If one component is removed, creating a gap, there is no complete path for the electricity to follow, and the circuit is broken. Therefore, option 1) The remaining light bulbs will go out is the correct answer.

The normal operating voltage of each bulb in a string of 40 identical bulbs operating on 120 V is calculated by dividing the total voltage by the number of bulbs. This would be 120 V / 40 bulbs = 3 V per bulb. If a newer version of the bulbs, which short circuits when they burn out, has one bulb that burns out, the total operating voltage is still 120 V but now divided among the 39 remaining bulbs, yielding approximately 120 V / 39 bulbs ≈ 3.08 V per bulb.

What is the reason behind the remaining light bulbs going out in a series circuit when one bulb is removed? In a series circuit, when a light bulb is removed, the remaining light bulbs go out because the circuit is broken. Since the electrical current must flow through every component sequentially in a series circuit, the absence of one component creates a gap in the circuit, disrupting the flow of electricity and causing the remaining bulbs to turn off.
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