Introduction to Combination of Series Parallel Circuits

A combination circuit is one that has a "combination" of series and parallel paths for the

electricity to flow. Its properties are a combination of the two.

Background

There are two different ways to connect two or more electrical devices together in a circuit. They can be
connected by means of series connections or by means of parallel connections. When all the devices in a
circuit are connected by series connections, then the circuit is referred to as a Series circuit. When all
the devices in a circuit are connected by parallel connections, then the circuit is referred to as
a Parallel circuit. A third type of circuit involves the dual use of series and parallel connections in a
circuit; such circuits are referred to as compound circuits or combination circuits. The circuit depicted at
the right is an example of the use of both series and parallel connections within the same circuit. In this
case, light bulbs A and B are connected by parallel connections and light bulbs C and D are connected by
series connections. This is an example of a combination circuit.

Example 1:

The first example is the easiest case - the resistors placed in parallel have the same

resistance. The goal of the analysis is to determine the current in and the voltage drop

across each resistor.

As discussed above, the first step is to simplify the circuit by replacing the two parallel

resistors with a single resistor that has an equivalent resistance. Two 8 Ω resistors in

series is equivalent to a single 4 Ω resistor. Thus, the two branch resistors (R2 and R3)

can be replaced by a single resistor with a resistance of 4 Ω. This 4 Ω resistor is in

series with R1 and R4. Thus, the total resistance is

Rtot = R1 + 4 Ω + R4 = 5 Ω + 4 Ω + 6 Ω

Rtot = 15 Ω

Now the Ohm's law equation (ΔV = I • R) can be used to determine the total current in

the circuit. In doing so, the total resistance and the total voltage (or battery voltage) will

have to be used.

Itot = ΔVtot / Rtot = (60 V) / (15 Ω)

Itot = 4 Amp

The 4 Amp current calculation represents the current at the battery location. Yet,

resistors R1 and R4 are in series and the current in series-connected resistors is

everywhere the same. Thus,

Itot = I1 = I4 = 4 Amp

For parallel branches, the sum of the current in each individual branch is equal to the

current outside the branches. Thus, I2 + I3 must equal 4 Amp. There are an infinite

number of possible values of I2 and I3 that satisfy this equation. Since the resistance

values are equal, the current values in these two resistors are also equal. Therefore, the

current in resistors 2 and 3 are both equal to 2 Amp.

I2 = I3 = 2 Amp
Now that the current at each individual resistor location is known, the Ohm's law

equation (ΔV = I • R) can be used to determine the voltage drop across each resistor.

These calculations are shown below.

ΔV1 = I1 • R1 = (4 Amp) • (5 Ω)

ΔV1 = 20 V

ΔV2 = I2 • R2 = (2 Amp) • (8 Ω)

ΔV2 = 16 V

ΔV3 = I3 • R3 = (2 Amp) • (8 Ω)

ΔV3 = 16 V

ΔV4 = I4 • R4 = (4 Amp) • (6 Ω)

ΔV4 = 24 V

The analysis is now complete and the results are summarized in the diagram below.

Example 2:

The second example is the more difficult case - the resistors placed in parallel have a

different resistance value. The goal of the analysis is the same - to determine the

current in and the voltage drop across each resistor.

As discussed above, the first step is to simplify the circuit by replacing the two parallel

resistors with a single resistor with an equivalent resistance. The equivalent resistance

of a 4-Ω and 12-Ω resistor placed in parallel can be determined using the usual formula

for equivalent resistance of parallel branches:

1 / Req = 1 / R1 + 1 / R2 + 1 / R3 ...

1 / Req = 1 / (4 Ω) + 1 / (12 Ω)

1 / Req = 0.333 Ω-1

Req = 1 / (0.333 Ω-1)

Req = 3.00 Ω

Based on this calculation, it can be said that the two branch resistors (R2 and R3) can be

replaced by a single resistor with a resistance of 3 Ω. This 3 Ω resistor is in series with

R1 and R4. Thus, the total resistance is

Rtot = R1 + 3 Ω + R4 = 5 Ω + 3 Ω + 8 Ω

Rtot = 16 Ω

Now the Ohm's law equation (ΔV = I • R) can be used to determine the total current in

the circuit. In doing so, the total resistance and the total voltage (or battery voltage) will

have to be used.

Itot = ΔVtot / Rtot = (24 V) / (16 Ω)

Itot = 1.5 Amp

The 1.5 Amp current calculation represents the current at the battery location. Yet,

resistors R1 and R4 are in series and the current in series-connected resistors is

everywhere the same. Thus,

Itot = I1 = I4 = 1.5 Amp

For parallel branches, the sum of the current in each individual branch is equal to the

current outside the branches. Thus, I2 + I3 must equal 1.5 Amp. There are an infinite

possibilities of I2 and I3 values that satisfy this equation. In the previous example, the

two resistors in parallel had the identical resistance; thus the current was distributed

equally among the two branches. In this example, the unequal current in the two

resistors complicates the analysis. The branch with the least resistance will have the

greatest current. Determining the amount of current will demand that we use the Ohm's

law equation. But to use it, the voltage drop across the branches must first be known.

So the direction that the solution takes in this example will be slightly different than that

of the simpler case illustrated in the previous example.

To determine the voltage drop across the parallel branches, the voltage drop across the

two series-connected resistors (R1 and R4) must first be determined. The Ohm's law

equation (ΔV = I • R) can be used to determine the voltage drop across each resistor.

These calculations are shown below.

ΔV1 = I1 • R1 = (1.5 Amp) • (5 Ω)

ΔV1 = 7.5 V

ΔV4 = I4 • R4 = (1.5 Amp) • (8 Ω)

ΔV4 = 12 V

This circuit is powered by a 24-volt source. Thus, the cumulative voltage drop of a

charge traversing a loop about the circuit is 24 volts. There will be a 19.5 V drop (7.5 V

+ 12 V) resulting from passage through the two series-connected resistors (R1 and R4).

The voltage drop across the branches must be 4.5 volts to make up the difference

between the 24 volt total and the 19.5-volt drop across R1 and R4. Thus,
 ΔV2 = V3 = 4.5 V

Knowing the voltage drop across the parallel-connected resistors (R1 and R4) allows

one to use the Ohm's law equation (ΔV = I • R) to determine the current in the two

branches.

I2 = ΔV2 / R2 = (4.5 V) / (4 Ω)

I2 = 1.125 A

I3 = ΔV3 / R3 = (4.5 V) / (12 Ω)

I3 = 0.375 A

The analysis is now complete and the results are summarized in the diagram below.

EXAMPLE 3:
This circuit is neither simple series nor simple parallel. Rather, it contains elements of

both. The current exits the bottom of the battery, splits up to travel through R 3 and R4,

rejoins, then splits up again to travel through R1 and R2, then rejoins again to return to

the top of the battery. There exists more than one path for current to travel (not series),

yet there are more than two sets of electrically common points in the circuit (not

parallel).

Because the circuit is a combination of both series and parallel, we cannot apply the

rules for voltage, current, and resistance “across the table” to begin analysis like we

could when the circuits were one way or the other. For instance, if the above circuit

were simple series, we could just add up R1 through R4 to arrive at a total resistance,

solve for total current, and then solve for all voltage drops. Likewise, if the above circuit

were simple parallel, we could just solve for branch currents, add up branch currents to

figure the total current, and then calculate total resistance from total voltage and total

current. However, this circuit’s solution will be more complex.

The table will still help us manage the different values for series-parallel combination

circuits, but we’ll have to be careful how and where we apply the different rules for
series and parallel. Ohm’s Law, of course, still works just the same for determining

values within a vertical column in the table.

If we are able to identify which parts of the circuit are series and which parts are

parallel, we can analyze it in stages, approaching each part one at a time, using the

appropriate rules to determine the relationships of voltage, current, and resistance. The

rest of this chapter will be devoted to showing you techniques for doing this.

Analysis Technique

The goal of series-parallel resistor circuit analysis is to be able to determine all voltage drops,

currents, and power dissipations in a circuit. The general strategy to accomplish this goal is as

follows:

 Step 1: Assess which resistors in a circuit are connected together in simple

series or simple parallel.

 Step 2: Re-draw the circuit, replacing each of those series or parallel resistor

combinations identified in step 1 with a single, equivalent-value resistor. If using

a table to manage variables, make a new table column for each resistance

equivalent.

 Step 3: Repeat steps 1 and 2 until the entire circuit is reduced to one equivalent

resistor.

 Step 4: Calculate total current from total voltage and total resistance (I=E/R).

 Step 5: Taking total voltage and total current values, go back to last step in the

circuit reduction process and insert those values where applicable.

  Step 6: From known resistances and total voltage / total current values from step

5, use Ohm’s Law to calculate unknown values (voltage or current) (E=IR or

I=E/R).

 Step 7: Repeat steps 5 and 6 until all values for voltage and current are known in

the original circuit configuration. Essentially, you will proceed step-by-step from

the simplified version of the circuit back into its original, complex form, plugging

in values of voltage and current where appropriate until all values of voltage and

current are known.

 Step 8: Calculate power dissipations from known voltage, current, and/or

resistance values.

This may sound like an intimidating process, but its much easier understood through

example than through description.

In the example circuit above, R1 and R2 are connected in a simple parallel arrangement,

as are R3 and R4. Having been identified, these sections need to be converted into

equivalent single resistors, and the circuit re-drawn:

The double slash (//) symbols represent “parallel” to show that the equivalent resistor

values were calculated using the 1/(1/R) formula. The 71.429 Ω resistor at the top of the

circuit is the equivalent of R1 and R2 in parallel with each other. The 127.27 Ω resistor at

the bottom is the equivalent of R3 and R4 in parallel with each other.

Our table can be expanded to include these resistor equivalents in their own columns:
It should be apparent now that the circuit has been reduced to a simple series

configuration with only two (equivalent) resistances. The final step in reduction is to add

these two resistances to come up with a total circuit resistance. When we add those two

equivalent resistances, we get a resistance of 198.70 Ω. Now, we can re-draw the

circuit as a single equivalent resistance and add the total resistance figure to the

rightmost column of our table. Note that the “Total” column has been relabeled (R 1//R2—

R3//R4) to indicate how it relates electrically to the other columns of figures. The “—”

symbol is used here to represent “series,” just as the “//” symbol is used to represent

“parallel.”
Now, total circuit current can be determined by applying Ohm’s Law (I=E/R) to the

“Total” column in the table:

Back to our equivalent circuit drawing, our total current value of 120.78 milliamps is

shown as the only current here:

Now we start

to work backwards in our progression of circuit re-drawings to the original configuration.

The next step is to go to the circuit where R1//R2 and R3//R4 are in series:
Since R1//R2 and R3//R4 are in series with each other, the current through those two sets

of equivalent resistances must be the same. Furthermore, the current through them

must be the same as the total current, so we can fill in our table with the appropriate

current values, simply copying the current figure from the Total column to the R 1//R2 and

R3//R4 columns:

Now, knowing the current through the equivalent resistors R1//R2 and R3//R4, we can

apply Ohm’s Law (E=IR) to the two right vertical columns to find voltage drops across

them:
Because we know R1//R2 and R3//R4 are parallel resistor equivalents, and we know that

voltage drops in parallel circuits are the same, we can transfer the respective voltage

drops to the appropriate columns on the table for those individual resistors. In other

words, we take another step backwards in our drawing sequence to the original

configuration, and complete the table accordingly:

Finally, the original section of the table (columns R1 through R4) is complete with

enough values to finish. Applying Ohm’s Law to the remaining vertical columns (I=E/R),

we can determine the currents through R1, R2, R3, and R4 individually:

Having found all voltage and current values for this circuit, we can show those values in

the schematic diagram as such:

As a final check of our work, we can see if the calculated current values add up as they

should to the total. Since R1 and R2 are in parallel, their combined currents should add

up to the total of 120.78 mA. Likewise, since R3 and R4 are in parallel, their combined

currents should also add up to the total of 120.78 mA. You can check for yourself to

verify that these figures do add up as expected.

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