Halliday, Resnick & Walker — Circuits: Problem 43

43 Figure 27-44 shows the circuit of a flashing lamp, like those attached to barrels at highway construction sites. The fluorescent lamp L (of negligible capacitance) is connected in parallel across the capacitor C of an RC circuit. There is a current through the lamp only when the potential difference across it reaches the breakdown voltage \( V_L \); then the capacitor discharges completely through the lamp and the lamp flashes briefly. For a lamp with breakdown voltage \( V_L = 75.0 \text{ V} \), wired to a \( 95.0 \text{ V} \) ideal battery and a \( 0.150 \text{ }\mu\text{F} \) capacitor, what resistance \( R \) is needed for two flashes per second?