1

Electrical Engineering &

Telecommunications
Lecturer:
Ted Spooner
Series/Parallel
circuits
Elec1111 Elec1111
Rm124A EE email: e.spooner@unsw.edu.au
Short-circuit
0 R = ( ) 0 v t =
( ) i t

( ) i t
( ) 0 v t =
+
_
0 R = ( ) 0 v t =
( ) i t

( ) i t
( ) 0 v t =
+
_
Two points in a circuit
are joined by a wire.
Open-circuit
R =
( ) 0 i t =

( ) 0 i t =
+
( ) v t
_
+
( ) v t
_
R =
( ) 0 i t =

( ) 0 i t =
+
( ) v t
_
+
( ) v t
_
connection between two
points in a circuit broken
Series voltage sources
1 2 3
v v v +
v
1
v
2
v
3
v
1
v
2
Not allowedunless
1 2
v v =
Parallel current sources
1 2 3
i i i +
i
1
i
2
i
3
Not allowedunless
1 2
i i =
i
1
i
2
Resistors in series
+
_
v
1
R
1
R
2
R
N
v
s
+
_
v
2 +
_
v
N
i
R
s
v
s
i
1 2 1 2
... ...
s N N
v v v v Ri R i R i = + + + = + + +
s s
v R i =
1 2
...
s N
R R R R = + + +
2
Resistors in parallel
1 2
1 2
... ...
s N
N
v v v
i i i i
R R R
= + + + = + + +
s
p
v
i
R
=
1 2
1 1 1 1
...
p N
R R R R
= + + +
+
_
i
1
v
i
2
R
1
R
2
i
s
i
N
R
N
+
_
v R
p
i
s
Resistors in parallel
1 2
1 1 1 1
...
p N
R R R R
= + + +
Or:
1 2
...
p N
G G G G = + + +
Shorthand:
1 2
...
p N
R R R R =
Resistors in parallel
1 2
1 1 1
p
R R R
= +
2 resistors:

1 2
1 2
p
R R
R
R R
=
+
3 resistors:
1 2 3
1 1 1 1
p
R R R R
= + +
1 2 3
1 2 3
p
R R R
R
R R R
=
+ +

Quick Quiz on
series & parallel
resistance
400
3k
2k
A
B
500
10k
2k
3k
40
A
B
Quick Quiz on
series & parallel
resistance
400
3k
2k
A
B
Quick Quiz on series & parallel
resistance
500
10k
2k
3k
40
A
B
3
R
eq
18
a
b
18
27 18
12
12
13.5
eq
R =
Each Resistor
= 100
RESISTIVE CUBE PROBLEM
Find R between A-B
A
B
Useful shortcuts
4
Voltage division
In general:

1 2
v
i
R R
=
+
+
_
v
2
+
_
v
1
R
2
R
1
i
+
_
v
1 2 1 2
v v v Ri R i = + = +
1
1 1
1 2
R
v Ri v
R R
= =
+
1 2
...
k
k
N
R
v v
R R R
=
+ + +
10V
2
8
C
V
volts
Current division

1 2
1 2
R R
v i
R R
=
+
1 2
1 2
1 2 1 2
v v R R
i i i v
R R R R
+
= + = + =
2
1
1 1 2
v R
i i
R R R
= =
+
i
1
R
2
v R
1
i
2
i
+
_
1
2
2 1 2
v R
i i
R R R
= =
+
Current division
i
2
5 2
2 3
i A = =
+
5A
2 3
Current division
1 2
1 2
1
1 1 1
...
...
k k
k
N
N
G R
i i i
G G G
R R R
= =
+ + +
+ + +
i
k
R
2
v R
1
i
+
_
R
k
R
N