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The emf of a storage battery of a car is 6.0 V. If internal resistance of the battery is 0.2 Ω, then maximum power drawn from the battery is ______ W.

Asked in GUJCET 2026 · Maximum power transfer

Answer: (3) 180

Step-by-step solution

Given: E = 6.0 V, r = 0.2 Ω.

Idea: the power drawn from the battery is the rate at which its emf does work, P = EI. It is greatest when the current is greatest.

The current is greatest when the terminals are joined by a wire of negligible resistance: Iₘₐₓ = E/r = (6.0)/(0.2) = 30 A.

Pₘₐₓ = EIₘₐₓ = (E²)/r = 6.0×30 = 180 W, all of it dissipated inside the battery.

Note: the largest power an external resistor can take is (E²)/(4r) = 45 W, at R = r. That is a different quantity, and the paper does not offer it.

Why the other options are wrong

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