Calculate Battery Discharge Time for Car Lights | 60 Ah Capacity

[Procrastinate]

The headlights on a car operate typically at 60 W and the parking lights
typically at 5 W. Assuming there are two main headlights and four parking lights,
what length of time will it take to discharge a 60 Ah battery, if the
lights are left on?


I'm trying to practice my problem solving skills, but I'm just a bit suck here. Could someone please offer me a hint? No solutions of course.


Would I add the the power of all the lights together?

 

[mgb_phys]

Yes power adds.
You also need to know the current taken by the lights, (P=IV)
And the typical voltage of a car battery.

 

[nlightner]

Yes, in order to calculate the total power consumption of the lights, you would need to add the power of all the lights together. This would give you the total power in watts (W) being drawn from the battery. From there, you can use the formula P = VI (power = voltage x current) to calculate the current (I) being drawn from the battery. Then, you can use the formula Q = It (charge = current x time) to calculate the time (t) it would take for the battery to discharge completely. Remember to convert the current from amperes (A) to milliamperes (mA) to match the units of the battery's capacity (Ah). Hope this helps!