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QPage 196: Q17: HC Verma: Concepts of Physics - Volume 2 Electric Current in Conductors Page 196: Q17 Solution: Can the potential difference across a battery be greater than…
⚠️ Common Exam Traps & Conceptual Pitfalls
Students often apply $V=E- Ir$ indiscriminately and conclude the terminal voltage can never exceed the emf. Remember that this relation holds only for a discharging battery (current leaving the positive terminal). When the battery is being charged, the current enters the positive terminal, so the internal‑resistance drop adds: $V=E+ Ir$, allowing $V>E$. Always check the direction of current relative to the emf before signing the $Ir$ term.
Can the potential difference across a battery be greater than its emf?
Step-by-Step Verified Solution
**Answer:** No, the potential difference across a battery cannot be greater than its emf (for a discharging battery).
**Step-by-Step Explanation:**
For a discharging battery, , where is the emf and is the internal resistance. Since , . For a charging battery, , but that is not the terminal potential difference in the usual sense. For an ideal battery, [citation:8].
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