A uniform Nichrome wire of length 0.40 m and cross-sectional area 1.0×10−6m2 is connected to an ideal 3.0 V battery with ideal wires completing the circuit. The resistivity of Nichrome is 1.1×10−6Ω⋅m. When a potential–position graph is recorded clockwise around the loop starting at the negative battery terminal, the following features are observed.
• A vertical rise of 3.0 V across the battery.
• A linear decrease of 3.0 V along the entire Nichrome segment.
• A horizontal segment at 0 V along the ideal return wire.
(a) Use the slope of the linear segment to calculate the magnitude of the electric field inside the Nichrome wire.
(b) Determine the current in the circuit.
(c) Calculate the rate at which thermal energy is produced in the Nichrome wire.
(d) If the wire were replaced by another Nichrome wire twice as long but otherwise identical and connected to the same 3.0 V battery, qualitatively describe how the potential–position graph would change and explain why.