Simple Resistor Circuits

Definitions, circuit types,

and calculations

Developed by John H. Pinkerton,

Texas A&M Physics & Computer Science grad,
High School Math & Science Teacher
Circuits are pathways for the flow of electrons.
Electrons (negative) try to get away from each other,
and flow towards unpaired protons (positive) due to
…theProtons
ELECTRICAL FORCE.
don’t move because they are 2000
times bigger than an electron, and they are stuck
in the nucleus…
If electrons can make it all the way around the circuit,
through every desired part: the circuit is said to be
CLOSED. If there is a break in the wire, a part is
burned out, or anything else prevents the flow of
electrons around the circuit, the circuit is said to be
OPEN.
If for any reason electrons are diverted from the path
they are supposed to follow, it is called a SHORT
The charge on an electron is measured in COULOMBS
(C). One electron has a charge of 1.6 x 10-19 C .
Because electrons are so small and their charge is so
tiny, it takes 1.6 million trillion (1.6 quintillion) of
them to make 1 Coulomb!
Current is the amount of charge that goes through a
given location per unit of time. In order to have a
positive current, we say it flows in the opposite
direction that the electrons go.
1 Coulomb per second (1C/s) is given the name 1
Ampere (Amp for short), and is the common Physics
unit for current flow.
Most cell phone charges produce a current of 1-3
Electrons do not flow without some form of electrical
pressure. This “pressure” is called VOLTAGE, and is
measured in Volts (V)
Voltage may be supplied by the power company (who
use generators or solar panels to produce it), or from
some sort of battery. Sometimes the voltage source is
called the Electro-Motive Force, or EMF for short.
Because Voltage really only makes sense when we are
comparing the “electrical pressure” between TWO
different points in a circuit, sometimes we call Voltage
the “Potential Difference”
Sending a steady, one-way flow of electrons through a
wire or circuit is called DC current (Direct Current).
Edison wanted to use DC current to power houses. We
still use DC power in computer circuits…
Tesla proposed that we just alternate between pushing
and pulling on the electrons that are already in the
wire or circuit. In this way, the circuit would
continuously have electrons moving through it without
sending any new ones. Today, houses are provided
with this “Alternating Current” (AC) from the power
company.
Your outlets in your house are wired for 110V, and
cycle the current back and forth 60 times per second
A resistor can be any circuit part that slows down the
flow of electricity (i.e. any circuit part ). For example,
a light bulb is just an example of a resistor that glows
when it gets hot.
Resistance is measured in Ohms (). There are
actually parts manufactured whose only job is to resist
the flow of electricity. These resistors (formal) are
usually either peanut shaped or box shaped.
Resistance goes up in a wire (or circuit part) if it is
1. Narrower
2. Longer, or
3. Hotter.
If we want to show a picture of a circuit, rather than
just talking about it, we don’t actually draw the parts.
Instead, we use symbols to represent each part, and
the overall drawing is called a schematic.
A sample schematic:
If the current has to flow through a resistor (or other part) in
order to get to the rest of the circuit, it is said to be in series.
Here are three resistors in series with each other:

If the current has a choice of where to flow in a circuit, the

parts on those alternate routes are said to be in parallel.
Here are two resistors in parallel with each other:
 Rules for Series & Parallel Subcircuits
Series
1. The current is the same everywhere
The voltage drops across each resistor
… all voltages add to the total
3. Resistors add directly (3 + 2 = 5)
Parallel
1. The voltage is the same everywhere
The current splits at each juncture, but
… all currents add to the total
3. Resistors add inversely (flip – add – flip )
 Using Ohm’s Law
& the Power Formula
Any time you have any TWO of either the Voltage, Current
Resistance you can use Ohm’s Law to solve for the third val
V = Where
IR V is the voltage, I is the current and R is the resistance…
V
If you need to calculate the POWER
I R
used in a
resistor, use P = IV or P = I2R P
This can be done for the whole circuit or I V
just one resistor…
 Example of A Series Circuit:
V I R
R1
Battery 36V 2A 18
R1 8V 2A 4
R2
R2 12V 2A 6
R3 16V 2A 8
Solving: R 3

1. We have both I and R for R1. Using V = IR, V1 = 2A x 4 = 8V

2. In a series circuit, the current is the same everywhere, so…
I1 = I2 = I3 = Ibattery = 2A
3. Using V = IR for R2 and R3:
V2 = 2A x 6 = 12V V3 = 2A x 8 = 16V
4. In a series circuit, the resistors ADD, so the circuit
resistance is:
5. In a series=circuit,
Rcircuit 4 + each
6 +resistor’s
8 = 18voltage adds to the
total, so:
 Example of A Parallel Circuit:
V I R
Battery 16V 7A 2.29
R1 16V 2A 8
R2 16V 1A 16
R3 4A 16V 4
Solving:
1. If you ever have any TWO of V,I, or R, use V = IR to solve for the 3
for R1, V = IR = 2A * 8 = 16V
. Voltage is the same everywhere on a parallel circuit (or subcircuit)…
so, Vtotal, V2 and V3 are also 16V
3. Now, for R2 and R3, we can use V=IR…
R2 = V / I2 = 16V/1A = 16 I3 = V / R3 = 16V/4 = 4A
. The sum of the currents through all the legs equals the battery curr
Ibattery = I1 + I2 + I3 = 2A + 1A + 4A = 7A
5. To get the equivalent resistance of the circuit (also called the ):
Requivalent = V / Ibattery = 16V/7A = 2.29
 Example of HOW to find the
Equivalent Resistance of a Parallel Circuit:
If R1 = 3, R2 = 4 and R3 = 5

Flip-Add-Flip…

First, Flip and add them…

+ + + + = + +

Finish by Flipping your answer back…

   1.27 

NOTE: To do this on the calculator, press 1/3+1/4+1/5 <Enter> 1/<Ans> <Enter>

 HOW to work a “Combo” Circuit…
1. Remember as you go around the circuit, every time you go across
a series resistor OR set of parallel resistors, the voltage drops…
2. You can turn it into a “Series ONLY” circuit by using Flip-Add-Flip to
compress parallel resistors into a SINGLE equivalent resistor.
3. Once you have done HOWTO #2 above, just work the circuit like a
normal series circuit. When you have the Voltage, Current and
Resistance for each resistor, re-expand back into the original
circuit. Values you’ve figured out still apply 
i.e. – if you figured 2A of current is flowing through
a resistor, when you expand it back into multiples
Developed by John H. Pinkerton,
again, the total current through those will still be 2A
Texas A&M Physics & Computer Science grad,
High School Math & Science Teacher