In that same six-resistor circuit, the middle branch dissipates 2.4 W, the left branch dissipates 3.2 W, and the right branch (a single 30 ohm resistor) dissipates 4.8 W. What is the total power dissipated in the whole circuit?

1. Each of the three branches is a separate path across the same 12 V battery, and each dissipates its own share of power independently. 2. Total power dissipated is the sum of the power in each branch: P = P_left + P_middle + P_right. 3. Substitute the three branch powers: P = 3.2 W + 2.4 W + 4.8 W. 4. P = 10.4 W. 5. This total can be checked against the battery's own output, P = IV, using the sum of the three branch currents and the 12 V rating, which gives the same 10.4 W and confirms energy is conserved in the circuit. 6. 8.0 W and 12.0 W do not match the direct sum of the three given branch powers. 7. 2.4 W is only the middle branch's power alone, not the total for the whole circuit. _Source: OpenStax Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 19 "Electrical Circuits", section Power through a Branch of a Circuit_