3 resistors having the same resistance value are wired in parallel, how does the equivalent resistance compare to the resistance value of a single resistor?
1) The equivalent resistance is thrice the value of a single resistor.
2) The equivalent resistance is the same as the value of a single resistor.
3) The equivalent resistance is one third of the value of a single resistor.
4) The equivalent resistance is greater than the value of a single resistor.
1/R = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3
Plug any value into R and calculate it.
To find the equivalent resistance of resistors wired in parallel, you can use the formula:
1/Req = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3 + ...
In this case, since all the three resistors have the same resistance value, we can simplify the formula to:
1/Req = 1/R + 1/R + 1/R
Simplifying further:
1/Req = 3/R
Taking the reciprocal of both sides:
Req = R/3
So, the equivalent resistance (Req) is one-third (1/3) of the value of a single resistor (R).
Therefore, the correct answer is option 3) The equivalent resistance is one third of the value of a single resistor.