Which of the following automotive devices could serve as a resistive load in a circuit?

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Multiple Choice

Which of the following automotive devices could serve as a resistive load in a circuit?

A resistive load is a device that converts electrical energy to another form (like light or heat) with a roughly fixed resistance that follows Ohm’s law under normal operating conditions. The incandescent light bulb is the clearest example in a vehicle circuit because its filament primarily behaves as a resistor, drawing current proportional to voltage and turning most of that energy into light and heat. In contrast, a starter is a motor and behaves as an inductive load, with current more complex than a simple V vs. I relationship. A glow plug is a heating element used to heat the combustion chamber, which is also a resistive element but its role is specialized and its resistance can vary with temperature; it isn’t a general-purpose resistive load in the circuit. A stereo or radio contains active electronics that regulate power and process signals, so its current draw and impedance aren’t simply those of a fixed resistor. So, the light bulb best fits the idea of a resistive load in a straightforward automotive circuit.

A resistive load is a device that converts electrical energy to another form (like light or heat) with a roughly fixed resistance that follows Ohm’s law under normal operating conditions. The incandescent light bulb is the clearest example in a vehicle circuit because its filament primarily behaves as a resistor, drawing current proportional to voltage and turning most of that energy into light and heat.

In contrast, a starter is a motor and behaves as an inductive load, with current more complex than a simple V vs. I relationship. A glow plug is a heating element used to heat the combustion chamber, which is also a resistive element but its role is specialized and its resistance can vary with temperature; it isn’t a general-purpose resistive load in the circuit. A stereo or radio contains active electronics that regulate power and process signals, so its current draw and impedance aren’t simply those of a fixed resistor.

So, the light bulb best fits the idea of a resistive load in a straightforward automotive circuit.

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