Homework Help: Physics-Please help

Posted by Sally on Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 2:13pm.

I need a little direction with this question:If someone could provide the correct formula, I think I divide each reistor by 12V but I'm not sure. To find total resistance, do I just add the reciprocals?

Three resistors connected in parallel have individual values of 4.0, 6.0 and 10.0 W, respectively. If this combination is connected in series with a 12.0 V battery and a 2.0 W resistor, what is the current in each of the resistors and what is the total resistance of the circuit?

a. 0.59 A

b. 1.0 A

c. 11.2 A

d. 16.0 A

Physics-Please help - Sally, Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 2:15pm
Please irnore the multiple choice answers-they were for a different problem that I copied down
Physics-Please help - bobpursley, Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 2:57pm
find total resistance of the parallel network. I assume you mean ohms, not watts on the reistors.

1/Rt=1/4+1/6+1/10=1/60 (15+10+6)=31/60
Rt=60/31

Now add that inseries to 2 ohm, or total resistance is 151/60
current= V/R=12(60/151) check that
now, having total current, how does it divide in the paralel branch.
the voltage across the parallel branch is Rt*It= 60/131*69/151)

so current in each resistor is that voltage divided by either 4,6, or 10 ohms
Physics-Please help - Sally, Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 3:07pm
Thank you for your help-I can really use the explanation for my other problems too.
Thank you again-
Physics-BobPursley please recheck - Sally, Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 3:27pm
I have another question-I looked closely at the explanation and when you added the three resistors together you came up with Rt=60/31. Then you added the series to the 2Ohm and said total equals 151/60-I'm lost there because 2 Ohms would equal 30/60 or when added to the inseries it would become resistance total = 60/61 so where does the 151/60 come from? Sorry if I'm just not understanding
Physics-You don't have to respond-I figured it all out - Sally, Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 6:12pm
I figured it out-thank you

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