Parallel Resistors

• In general, two elements, branches, or circuits are in parallel if they have two
points in common.
Parallel Resistors
• For resistors in parallel as shown in Fig. 6.3, the total resistance is determined from the following
equation:

• 𝑅𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑙 ↑↑ , 𝑅𝑇 ↓↓
• The total resistance of parallel resistors is always less than the value of the smallest resistor.
• The smallest resistor in a parallel combination will have the most impact on the total resistance.
Parallel Resistors
EXAMPLE 6.3: Find the total Solution:
resistance of the circuit.

Total Resistance,

1 1
𝑅𝑇 = = = 0.69Ω
1 1 1 1 1 1
+ + + +
𝑅1 𝑅2 𝑅3 1 4 5
Parallel Resistors
Solution:
a. What is the effect of adding another resistor of −1
100Ω in parallel with the parallel resistors of the 1 1
𝑅𝑇 = + = 2Ω
following figure? 3 6
b. What is the effect of adding a parallel 0.1 Ω After adding a 100 Ω resistor in parallel, equivalent
resistor to the configuration? resistance will be,
−1
1 1 1
𝑅𝑇,1 = + + = 1.96Ω
3 6 100
After adding a 100 Ω resistor in parallel, equivalent
resistance will be,
−1
1 1 1
𝑅𝑇,2 = + + = 0.095Ω
3 6 0.1
Comment: Adding a resistor in parallel of 100 Ω has
little effect on the total resistance while adding a
resistor of 0.1 Ω in parallel has a great effect on the total
resistance.
Parallel Resistors
Example 6.6. Find the total resistance for Solution:
the configuration in 6.10. The network is redrawn as follows:

−1 −1
1 1 1 1 1 2 𝑅
𝑅𝑇 = + + + = 4× = = = 0.5Ω
2 2 2 2 2 4 𝑁

❑ The total resistance of N parallel resistors of equal

𝑅
value (R) is, 𝑅𝑇 =
𝑁
Two Parallel Resistors
For two parallel resistors,
−1 −1
1 1 𝑅2 + 𝑅1 𝑅1 𝑅2
𝑅𝑇 = + = =
𝑅1 𝑅2 𝑅1 𝑅2 𝑅1 + 𝑅2

EXAMPLE 6.10: Determine the value of R2 in Fig. 6.15 to establish a total resistance of 9 k Ω.
Solution:
𝑅1 𝑅2 12𝑅2
𝑅𝑇 = = =9
𝑅1 + 𝑅2 12 + 𝑅2
12𝑅2 = 108 + 9𝑅2

108
𝑅2 = = 36
3
So, 𝑅2 = 36 kΩ
Parallel Circuits
In general, voltage is always the same across parallel
elements, i.e. 𝑉1 = 𝑉2 = 𝐸.
E 1 1 𝐸 𝐸
Source current, 𝐼𝑠 = =𝐸 + = + = 𝐼1 + 𝐼2
𝑅𝑇 𝑅1 𝑅2 𝑅1 𝑅2

𝑉1 𝑉2 𝑅1 𝑅2
Here, 𝐼1 = , 𝐼2 = , and 𝑅𝑇 =
𝑅1 𝑅2 𝑅1 +𝑅2

Example 6.14 Given the information provided in Fig. 6.24.

a. Determine 𝑅3 .
b. Find the applied voltage E.
c. Find the source current 𝐼𝑠 .
d. Find 𝐼2 .
 Power Distribution in a Parallel Circuit
• For any network composed of resistive elements, the power applied by the battery will equal that
dissipated by the resistive elements.

For the parallel circuit in Fig. 6.29,

Where,
Example 6.15: For the parallel network in Fig. 6.30:
a. Determine the total resistance 𝑅𝑇 .
b. Find the source current and the current through each resistor.
c. Calculate the power delivered by the source.
d. Determine the power absorbed by each parallel resistor.
Solution:
(a)

(b)
(c)

(d)
Kirchhoff’s Current Law
Kirchhoff’s Current Law (KCL):
• The algebraic sum of the currents entering and leaving a junction
of a network is zero.
The law can also be stated in the following way:
• The sum of the currents entering a junction of a network must
equal the sum of the currents leaving the same junction.
෍ 𝐼𝑖 = ෍ 𝐼𝑜 𝑜𝑟, ෍ 𝐼𝑖 − ෍ 𝐼𝑜 = 0

In, Fig. 6.31, σ 𝐼𝑖 = 𝐼1 + 𝐼4 = 4 + 8 = 12A, and

σ 𝐼𝑜 = 𝐼2 + 𝐼3 = 2 + 10 = 12A
i.e. σ 𝐼𝑖 = σ 𝐼𝑜
In other words, 𝐼1 + 𝐼4 − 𝐼2 − 𝐼3 = 0
 KCL Examples

• For the parallel

dc network, find
the value of 𝐼𝑠 ,
E, 𝑅3 , and 𝑅𝑇 .

Solution:
𝐼𝑠 = 𝐼1 + 𝐼2 + 𝐼3 = 8 + 10 + 2 = 20𝑚𝐴
16
In this circuit, 𝐼1 + 𝐼2 = 𝐼3 = 4 + 3 = 7A 𝐸 = 𝐼1 𝑅1 = 16𝑉 = 𝑉2 = 𝑉3 = 𝐼3 𝑅3 = 2 × 𝑅3 ⇨ 𝑅3 = = 8𝑘Ω
2
𝐼3 = 𝐼4 + 𝐼5 ⇨ 𝐼5 = 𝐼3 − 𝐼4 = 7 − 1 = 6𝐴 𝐸 16
𝐴𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛, 𝐸 = 𝐼𝑠 𝑅𝑇 ⇨ 𝑅𝑇 = = = 0.8𝑘Ω
𝐼𝑠 20
Therefore, 𝐼𝑠 = 20mA, E = 16V, 𝑅3 = 8𝑘Ω, 𝑅𝑇 = 0.8𝑘Ω
Current Divider Rule (CDR)

𝑉 𝐼1 𝑅1 𝐼2 𝑅2 𝐼𝑥 𝑅𝑥
𝐼𝑠 = = = =
𝑅𝑇 𝑅𝑇 𝑅𝑇 𝑅𝑇

𝑅𝑇
⇨ 𝐼𝑥 = 𝐼𝑠 ×
𝑅𝑥

Current Divider Rule: The current through any branch of a parallel resistive network is equal to the
total resistance of the parallel network divided by the resistor of interest and multiplied by the total
current entering the parallel configuration.
CDR Example

In this Circuit,

−1 −1
1 1 1 1 1 1
𝑅𝑇 = + + = + +
𝑅1 𝑅2 𝑅3 1 10 22

= 0.873𝑘Ω
Applying current divider rule,

𝑅𝑇 0.873𝑘Ω
𝐼1 = 𝐼𝑇 × = 12𝑚𝐴 × = 10.476mA
𝑅1 1𝑘Ω
Open and Short Circuits
• An open circuit can have a potential difference (voltage) across its terminals, but the current is
always zero amperes.
• A short circuit can carry a current of a level determined by the external circuit, but the potential
difference (voltage) across its terminals is always zero volts.

(a) Defining an Open Circuit (b) Defining a Short Circuit

Math
EXAMPLE 6.26 Determine voltages 𝑉𝑎𝑏 and 𝑉𝑐𝑑 for the
network in Fig. 6.55.
Solution:
The circuit is open, hence I = 0.
𝑉𝑅1 = 𝐼𝑅1 = 0 = 𝑉𝑅2
Applying KVL to the first loop,
−𝐸1 + 0 + 𝑉𝑎𝑏 = 0 ⇨ 𝑉𝑎𝑏 = 𝐸1 = 10𝑉
Applying KVL to the second loop, −𝑉𝑎𝑏 + 𝐸2 + 𝑉𝑐𝑑 = 0
⇨ 𝑉𝑐𝑑 = +𝑉𝑎𝑏 − 𝐸2 = 10 − 30 = −20𝑉
The negative sign in the solution indicates that the actual voltage
𝑉𝑐𝑑 has the opposite polarity of that appearing in Fig. 6.55.
Self-Study
Practice Problem
• Relevant problems from 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, and 6.6
Summery
• Equivalent Resistance of Series and Parallel Configurations
• Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law
• Voltage Divider Rule
• Kirchhoff’s Current Law
• Current Divider Rule
• Power Distribution in Series/Parallel Circuits
• Open and Short Circuits
Reference
• Introductory Circuit Analysis By Robert L. Boylestad