Direct-Current Circuits

Resistors in Series and Parallel

As with capacitors, resistors are often in series and
parallel configurations in circuits

Series

Parallel

The question then is what is the equivalent resistance

 Resistors in Series

Since these resistors are in series, we have the same current in

all three resistors
I1  I 2  I 3  I
We also have that the sum of the potential differences across
the three resistors must be the same as the potential difference
between points a and b

Vab  Vax  Vxy  V yb

 Resistors in Series
Then using Vax  I R1; Vxy  I R2 ; V yb  I R3

We have that Vab  I R1  R2  R3 

Now the equivalent resistor, R, will also have the same

potential difference across it as Vab, and it will also have the
same current I Vab  I R

Equating these last two results, we then have that

R  R1  R2  R3   Ri
i
The equivalent resistance for a sequence of resistors in series
is just the sum of the individual resistances
 Resistors in Parallel

Here we have that the voltage across each resistor has to be

the same (work done in going from a to b is independent of
the path, independent of which resistor you go through)

V1  V2  V3  Vab
 Resistors in Parallel
We now deal with currents through the resistors
At point a the current splits up into three distinct currents
We have that the sum of theses three currents must add to the
value coming into this point
I  I1  I 2  I3
Vab Vab Vab
We also have that I1  ; I2  ; I3 
R1 R2 R3

The equivalent resistor, R, will have also have the

current I going through it
 Resistors in Parallel
Vab
Using I
R
and combining with the previous equations, we then have
Vab Vab Vab Vab
  
R R1 R2 R3
or
1 1 1 1 1
   
R R1 R2 R3 i Ri

The inverse of the effective resistance is given by the sum of the

inverses of the individual resistances
 Solving Resistor Networks
Given the following circuit

What is the equivalent resistance and what is the current

through each resistor

We see that we have two resistors in parallel with each other

and the effective resistance of these two is in series with the
remaining resistor
 Solving Resistor Networks
Step 1: Combine the two
resistors that are in parallel

1 1 1 1
   ; Reff  2 
Reff 6  3  2 

yielding

Step 2: Combine the two resistors that are in series

Reff  4   2   6  yielding
 Solving Resistor Networks
Current through this effective resistor is given by

V 18
I   3 Amps
Reff 6

The current through the resistors in the intermediate

circuit of Step 1 is also 3 Amps with the voltage drop
across the individual resistors being given by

V4   3  4  12Volts;
V2   3  2  6Volts
 Solving Resistor Networks
To find the current through the resistors of the parallel section
of the initial circuit, we use the fact that both resistors have the
same voltage drop – 6 Volts

6Volts
I6    1 Amp ;
6
6Volts
I3    2 Amps
3
 Consistency Check
There is a check that can be made to see if the answers for
the currents make sense:
The power supplied by the battery should equal the total
power being dissipated by the resistors
The power being supplied by the battery is given by P  I V
where I is the total current
P  I V  3 18  54 Watts
The power being dissipated by each of the resistors is
given by P  I 2 R
P4  32  4  36 Watts; P3  22  3  12 Watts;
P6  12  6  6 Watts; PTotal  54 Watts
 Example 1
Two identical light bulbs are
represented by the resistors
R2 and R3 (R2 = R3 ). The
switch S is initially open.
If switch S is closed, what happens to the brightness of the
bulb R2?
a) It increases b) It decreases c) It doesn’t change

2
The power dissipated in R2 is given by P V
R
When the switch is closed neither V nor R changes

So the brightness does not change

 Example 2
Two identical light bulbs are
represented by the resistors
R2 and R3 (R2 = R3 ). The
switch S is initially open.
What happens to the current I, after the switch is closed ?
a) Iafter = 1/2 Ibefore b) Iafter = Ibefore c) Iafter = 2 Ibefore

Initially the current is given by I before   R2

After the switch is closed the net resistance is given by
1 1 1 2
   since R2  R3 Rnet  R2
Rnet R2 R3 R2 2

The new current is then Iafter    2    2 Ibefore

Rnet  R2 