this question is about resistors in parallel.
If i have a circuit, and it starts at point A with one resistor, then splits to flow to two resistors, and one of those two splits agin, to two more, then they all join again at the end at point B, what equation do I use?
is it R1+(1/R2+1/R3+1/R4+1/R5)^-1?
Or, since the second parallel is IN a parallel, do I have to do something else with the equation?
Without a schematic, it is difficult to know your circuit configuration.
Leaving point A you go through R1, thru
parallel resistrs R1-R2, through series resistor R4 and parallel resistors R5-R6. I COUNTED 6 RES., you show only 5.
so i missed something.
yes you were right, I only showed 5 and the question had six. I figured it out finally. What I didn't understand was that I had to find the resistance of the first set of parallels and then ADD that to the one beside it in series, then take the parallel of that whole circuit. I'm sure this makes little to no sense, but I finally get it. Thank you for looking at my question though!
To solve this problem, you can use the concept of equivalent resistance for resistors in parallel. When resistors are connected in parallel, the equivalent resistance (R_eq) is given by the formula:
1/R_eq = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3 + ...
In your case, you have a circuit that starts at point A with one resistor (R1), then splits into two resistors (R2 and R3), with one of them (R2) splitting again into two more resistors (R4 and R5), before all the currents join back together at point B.
To calculate the equivalent resistance of this entire circuit, you need to find the total resistance between A and B. Let's break down the steps:
1. Combine resistors R4 and R5 into a single equivalent resistor (let's call it R45). Using the formula for resistors in parallel, you get:
1/R45 = 1/R4 + 1/R5
2. Now, you have three resistors: R2 and the combined resistance (R45), connected in parallel. Apply the formula again:
1/R23 = 1/R2 + 1/R45
3. Next, you need to combine the resulting resistor (R23) with resistor R3, once again using the formula for resistors in parallel:
1/R123 = 1/R23 + 1/R3
4. Finally, combine the resistor R1 with the resulting resistance (R123) connected in parallel:
1/R_eq = 1/R1 + 1/R123
By solving this equation, you will find the equivalent resistance for the entire circuit, which can be used in further calculations.
So, in summary, your equation should be:
1/R_eq = 1/R1 + 1/R123,
where R123 is found by combining resistors R2, R3, R4, and R5 iteratively using the formula for resistors in parallel.
Note: Make sure to substitute the actual resistance values of R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 in the equation to get the numerical result.