A non-inductive carbon resistor consumes 50 Watts when connected across a 120 volt DC source. What is the power consumed when connected across a 120 volt AC source?

The power consumed by a resistor is determined by the voltage across it and its resistance, and this relationship holds true for both AC and DC sources.

For a non-inductive carbon resistor, the type of current (AC or DC) does not affect the power consumed, as resistors are passive components that obey Ohm’s law. The power consumed by the resistor can be calculated using the formula:

[ P = \frac{V^2}{R} ]

Where ( P ) is the power, ( V ) is the voltage, and ( R ) is the resistance. Since the resistor is non-inductive, it will have the same electrical properties regardless of whether the source is AC or DC, given that the voltage values are the same.

In the scenario presented, the resistor consumes 50 Watts when connected to a 120 volt DC source, indicating that the resistance calculated from these values will result in the same power consumption when connected to a 120 volt AC source because the voltage across the resistor remains unchanged.

Thus, when the same resistor is connected to a 120 volt AC source, it will also consume 50 Watts of power. This consistency results from the fact that the resistive load does not change with the