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Resistors in Series and Parallel

Kitronik Ltd How to calculate resistors in series and parallel Resistors in series
When resistors are connected one after each other this is called connecting in series. This is shown below.

R1

R2

R3

To calculate the total overall resistance of a number of resistors connected in this way you add up the individual resistances. This is gives the following formula:

Rtotal = R1 + R 2 + R3 and so on
Example: To calculate the total resistance for these three resistors in series

100

82

Rtotal = R1 + R 2 + R3
= 100 + 82 + 1 = 183

Task 1: Calculate the total resistance of the following resistor in series

1000 470 22

Rtotal = ...
= ...

27

2200

15

Rtotal = ...
= ...

3300

1500

47

Rtotal = ...
= ...

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Resistors in Series and Parallel

Resistors in parallel
When resistors are connected across each other (side by side) this is called connecting in parallel. This is shown below.

R1

R2

Two resistors in parallel

To calculate the total overall resistance of a of two resistors connected in this way you can use the following formula:

Rtotal =

R1 R 2 R1 R 2

Example: To calculate the total resistance for these two resistors in parallel
10

Rtotal =
22

R1 R 2 10 22 220 = = = 6.87 R1 R 2 10 22 32

Task 2: Calculate the total resistance of the following resistors in parallel

10

10

Rtotal =

......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... .........

................ ................ ................ ................

= ...

220

Rtotal =
10

= ...

1000

Rtotal =
330

................ ................

= ...

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Resistors in Series and Parallel

Three or more resistors in parallel

R1 R2 R3

To calculate the total overall resistance of a number of three or more resistors connected in this way you can use the following formula:

1 1 1 1 = + + + and so on Rtotal R1 R 2 R3
Example: To calculate the total resistance for these three resistors in parallel

10 10 33

1 1 1 1 = + + = 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.03 = 0.23 Rtotal 10 10 33

Rtotal =

1 = 4.35 0.23

Task 3: Calculate the total resistance of the following resistors in parallel

10 22 47

1 = Rtotal

1 1 1 + + ......... ......... .........

Rtotal =

= .. + .. + .. = ..

1 .........

= ..

100 33 560

1 = Rtotal

1 1 1 + + ......... ......... .........

Rtotal =

= .. + .. + .. = ..

1 .........

= ..

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Resistors in Series and Parallel

Answers Task 1
1 = 1492 2 = 2242 3 = 4847

Task 2
1=5 2 = 9.57 3 = 248.12

Task 3
1 = 5.95 2 = 23.76

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