Section 2 Resistors in Series or

Chapter 18 in Parallel

Preview

• Objectives
• Resistors in Series
• Resistors in Parallel
• Sample Problem

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 Section 2 Resistors in Series or
Chapter 18 in Parallel

Objectives
• Calculate the equivalent resistance for a circuit of
resistors in series, and find the current in and
potential difference across each resistor in the circuit.

• Calculate the equivalent resistance for a circuit of

resistors in parallel, and find the current in and
potential difference across each resistor in the circuit.

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Circuits and Circuit Elements Section 2

Resistors in Series

• Series describes components of a circuit that provide a

single path for the current.
– The same electrons must pass through both light bulbs so the
current in each is the same.

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 Section 2 Resistors in Series or
Chapter 18 in Parallel

Resistors in Series
• A series circuit describes two or more components of
a circuit that provide a single path for current.

• Resistors in series carry the same current.

• When many resistors are connected in series, the
current in each resistor is the same.
• The equivalent resistance can be used to find the
current in a circuit.

• The equivalent resistance in a series circuit is the sum

of the circuit’s resistances.
Req = R1 + R2 + R3…

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 Section 2 Resistors in Series or
Chapter 18 in Parallel

Resistors in Series, continued

• Two or more resistors in
the actual circuit have the
same effect on the current
as one equivalent resistor.

• The total current in a series

circuit equals the potential
difference divided by the
equivalent resistance.
V
I=
Req

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 Section 2 Resistors in Series or
Chapter 18 in Parallel

Resistors in Series, continued

• The equivalent resistance
of a series combination of
resistors is always greater
than any individual
resistance.

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 Section 2 Resistors in Series or
Chapter 18 in Parallel

Sample Problem
Resistors in Series
A 9.0 V battery is
connected to four light
bulbs, as shown at
right. Find the
equivalent resistance
for the circuit and the
current in the circuit.

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 Section 2 Resistors in Series or
Chapter 18 in Parallel

Sample Problem, continued

Resistors in Series Unknown:
1. Define Req = ?
Given: I=?
∆V = 9.0 V Diagram:
R1 = 2.0 Ω
R2 = 4.0 Ω
R3 = 5.0 Ω
R4 = 7.0 Ω

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 Section 2 Resistors in Series or
Chapter 18 in Parallel

Sample Problem, continued

Resistors in Series
3. Calculate
Substitute the values into the equation and solve:
Req = 2.0  + 4.0  + 5.0  + 7.0 
Req = 18.0 
Substitute the equivalent resistance value into the
equation for current.

I= V 9.0 V
= = 0.50 A
Req 18.0 

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 Section 2 Resistors in Series or
Chapter 18 in Parallel

Sample Problem, continued

Resistors in Series
4. Evaluate
For resistors connected in series, the equivalent
resistance should be greater than the largest
resistance in the circuit.
18.0 Ω > 7.0 Ω

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 Section 2 Resistors in Series or
Chapter 18 in Parallel

Resistors in Series, continued

• What happens to a series circuit when a single bulb
burns out?

• Why, then, would anyone arrange resistors in series?

Resistors can be placed in series with a device in order
to regulate the current in that device.

• In the case of decorative lights, adding an additional

bulb will decrease the current in each bulb. Thus, the
filament of each bulb need not withstand such a high
current.

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 Section 2 Resistors in Series or
Chapter 18 in Parallel

Resistors in Series, continued

• Series circuits require all elements to conduct
electricity

• As seen below, a burned out filament in a string of

bulbs has the same effect as an open switch. Because
the circuit is no longer complete, there is no current.

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 Section 2 Resistors in Series or
Chapter 18 in Parallel

Resistors in Parallel
• A parallel arrangement describes two or more
components of a circuit that provide separate
conducting paths for current because the components
are connected across common points or junctions

• Lights wired in parallel have more than one path for

current. Parallel circuits do not require all elements to
conduct.

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Circuits and Circuit Elements Section 2

Resistors in Parallel

• Parallel describes components providing separate

conducting paths with common connecting points.
– The potential difference is the same for parallel components.
– Electrons lose the same amount of energy with either path.

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 Section 2 Resistors in Series or
Chapter 18 in Parallel

Resistors in Parallel, continued

• Resistors in parallel have the same potential
differences across them.

• The sum of currents in parallel resistors equals the

total current.

• The equivalent resistance of resistors in parallel can

be calculated using a reciprocal relationship
1 1 1 1
= + + ...
Req R1 R2 R3

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 Section 2 Resistors in Series or
Chapter 18 in Parallel

Resistors in Parallel, continued

• Notice that this equation does not give the value of
the equivalent resistance directly. You must take the
reciprocal of your answer to obtain the value of the
equivalent resistance.

• Because of the reciprocal relationship, the equivalent

resistance for a parallel arrangement of resistors
must always be less than the smallest resistance in
the group of resistors.

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 Section 2 Resistors in Series or
Chapter 18 in Parallel

Resistors in Series or in Parallel

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 Section 2 Resistors in Series or
Chapter 18 in Parallel

Sample Problem
Resistors in Parallel
A 9.0 V battery is
connected to four
resistors, as shown at
right. Find the
equivalent resistance
for the circuit and the
total current in the
circuit.

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 Section 2 Resistors in Series or
Chapter 18 in Parallel

Sample Problem, continued

Resistors in Parallel Unknown:
1. Define Req = ?
Given: I=?
∆V = 9.0 V Diagram:
R1 = 2.0 Ω
R2 = 4.0 Ω
R3 = 5.0 Ω
R4 = 7.0 Ω

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 Section 2 Resistors in Series or
Chapter 18 in Parallel

Sample Problem, continued

Resistors in Parallel
3. Calculate
Substitute the values into the equation and solve:
1 1 1 1 1
= + + +
Req 2.0 Ω 4.0 Ω 5.0 Ω 7.0 Ω
1 0.50 0.25 0.20 0.14 1.09
Ω = Ω
= + + +
Req Ω Ω Ω

1Ω
Req = = 0.917
1.09

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 Section 2 Resistors in Series or
Chapter 18 in Parallel

Sample Problem, continued

Resistors in Parallel
3. Calculate, continued
Substitute the equivalent resistance value into the
equation for current.

I= V 9.0 V
=
Req 0.917 Ω
I = 9.8 A

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 Section 2 Resistors in Series or
Chapter 18 in Parallel

Sample Problem, continued

Resistors in Parallel
4. Evaluate
For resistors connected in parallel, the equivalent
resistance should be less than the smallest
resistance in the circuit.
0.917 Ω < 2.0 Ω

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 Section 3 Complex Resistor
Chapter 18 Combinations

Preview

• Objectives
• Resistors Combined Both in Parallel and in Series
• Sample Problem

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 Section 3 Complex Resistor
Chapter 18 Combinations

Objectives
• Calculate the equivalent resistance for a complex
circuit involving both series and parallel portions.

• Calculate the current in and potential difference

across individual elements within a complex circuit.

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 Section 3 Complex Resistor
Chapter 18 Combinations

Resistors Combined Both in Parallel and in

Series
• Many complex circuits can be understood by isolating
segments that are in series or in parallel and
simplifying them to their equivalent resistances.

• Work backward to find the current in and potential

difference across a part of a circuit.

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 Section 3 Complex Resistor
Chapter 18 Combinations

Sample Problem
Equivalent Resistance
Determine the equivalent resistance of the complex
circuit shown below.

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 Section 3 Complex Resistor
Chapter 18 Combinations

Sample Problem, continued

Equivalent Resistance
Reasoning
The best approach is to divide the circuit into groups
of series and parallel resistors. This way, the methods
presented in Sample Problems A and B can be used
to calculate the equivalent resistance for each group.

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 Section 3 Complex Resistor
Chapter 18 Combinations

Sample Problem, continued

Equivalent Resistance
1. Redraw the circuit as a group of resistors along
one side of the circuit.
Because bends in a wire do not affect the circuit, they
do not need to be represented in a schematic
diagram. Redraw the circuit without the corners,
keeping the arrangement of the circuit elements the
same.
TIP: For now,
disregard the
emf source,
and work only
with the
resistances.

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 Section 3 Complex Resistor
Chapter 18 Combinations

Sample Problem, continued

Equivalent Resistance
2. Identify components
in series, and calcu-
late their equivalent
resistance.
Resistors in group (a) and
(b) are in series.
For group (a):
Req = 3.0 Ω + 6.0 Ω = 9.0 Ω
For group (b):
Req = 6.0 Ω + 2.0 Ω = 8.0 Ω

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 Section 3 Complex Resistor
Chapter 18 Combinations

Sample Problem, continued

Equivalent Resistance
3. Identify components in
parallel, and calculate
their equivalent resis-
tance.
Resistors in group (c) are in
parallel.

1 1 1 0.12 0.25 0.37

= + = + =
Req 8.0 Ω 4.0 Ω 1 Ω 1Ω 1Ω
Req = 2.7 Ω

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 Section 3 Complex Resistor
Chapter 18 Combinations

Sample Problem, continued

Equivalent Resistance
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until
the resistors in the circuit
are reduced to a single
equivalent resistance.The
remainder of the resistors,
group (d), are in series.
For group (d):
Req = 9.0 Ω+ 2.7Ω + 1.0 Ω
Req = 12.7Ω

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 Section 2 Kirchhoff's laws
Chapter 18

Kirchhoff's laws
• Gustav Robert Kirchhoff was a German physicist
who, in 1845, when he was only 21 years old,
formulated two rules that govern electric circuits—the
loop rule and the junction rule.

• You can use these two rules to analyze complex

electric circuits. Both rules are based on fundamental
scientific laws.

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 Section 2 Kirchhoff's laws
Chapter 18

The loop rule

• The loop rule is based on the law of conservation of
energy.
• The situation of the circuits occurs as an electric
charge moves around any loop in an electric circuit.
Instead of increases and decreases in height,
however, electric charges move through increases
and decreases in electric potential.
• The sum of increases in electric potential around a
loop in an electric circuit equals the sum of
decreases in electric potential around that loop.

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 Section 2 Kirchhoff's laws
Chapter 18

The loop rule

• For an application of the loop rule, look at the Figure,
Picture an electric charge traveling clockwise around
the red loop.
• Electric potential increases by 9 V as this charge
travels through the battery, and electric potential
drops by 5 V as this charge travels through resistor 1.
• What will be the change in potential as the charge
travels through resistor 2? Because the increases in
electric potential around a loop must equal the
decreases in electric potential around that loop, the
drop in electric potential across.

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 Section 2 Kirchhoff's laws
Chapter 18

The Junction rule

• The loop rule describes electric potential differences
and is based on the law of conservation of energy.
describes currents and is based on the law The
junction rule of conservation of charge.

• Recall that the law of conservation of charge states

that charge can neither be created nor destroyed. So,
the total current into a section of an electric circuit
must equal the total current out of that same section.

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 Section 2 Kirchhoff's laws
Chapter 18

The Junction rule

• The circuit shown in Figure has two junctions—points
where three or more wires join—at points A and B.

• According to the law of conservation of charge, the

sum of currents entering a junction is equal to the sum
of currents leaving that junction.

• Otherwise, charge would build up at the junction.

This is Kirchhoff’s junction rule.

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 Section 2 Kirchhoff's laws
Chapter 18

Kirchhoff's laws

Notice that resistor 3 does not affect our answer. Why

is this? Resistor 3 is not a part of the loop that includes
the battery, resistor 1,and resistor 2.

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 Section 2 Kirchhoff's laws
Chapter 18

Kirchhoff's laws

> +I at junction A, and I> + I3 = I; at junction B. For

example, if, =0.3 A and I; = 0.7 A, then I; = 1.0 A.

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 Section 3 Circuits fuse and
Chapter 18 breakers

Fuse
• What is the fuse:
• Fuse is a piece of wire of a material with a very low
melting point. When a high current flows through the
circuit due to overloading or short circuit, the wires
gets heated and melts. As a result, the circuit is
broken and current stops flowing.

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 Section 3 Circuits fuse and
Chapter 18 breakers

Fuse
• What is the role of fuse?
• The fuse breaks the circuit if a fault in an appliance
causes too much current to flow.

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 Section 3 Circuits fuse and
Chapter 18 breakers

Circuit Breaker
• What is circuit breaker ?
• A circuit breaker is an automatically-operated
electrical switch designed to protect an electrical
circuit from damage caused by overload of electricity
or short circuit. A circuit breakers function is to detect
a fault condition and, by interrupting continuity, to
immediately discontinue electrical flow.

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 Section 3 Circuits fuse and
Chapter 18 breakers

Circuit Breaker

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 Section 3 Circuits fuse and
Chapter 18 breakers

• The End of the Chapter

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