Confirming Pages

18.6

659

SERIES AND PARALLEL CIRCUITS

Note that the equivalent resistance for two or more resistors in parallel is smaller
than any of the resistances (1/Req > 1/Ri, so Req < Ri). Note also that the equivalent
resistance for resistors in parallel is found in the same way as the equivalent
capacitance for capacitors in series. The reason is that resistance is defined as R = V/I
and capacitance as C = Q/V. One has V in the numerator, the other in the
denominator.

CHECKPOINT 18.6
What is the equivalent resistance for two equal resistors (R) in parallel?

Example 18.6
Current for Two Parallel Resistors
(a) Find the equivalent resistance for the two resistors in Fig.
18.23 if R1 = 20.0 and R2 = 40.0 . (b) What is the ratio of
the current through R1 to the current through R2?
R2
B

C
R1

I2
D

A
I

I1

+

Therefore,
I 1 ___
R
40.0 = 2.00
__
= 2 = ______
I 2 R 2 20.0
Discussion Note that the current in each branch of the
circuit is inversely proportional to the resistance of that
branch. Since R2 is twice R1, it has half as much current
flowing through it. At the junction of two or more
parallel branches, the current does not all flow
through the path of least resistance, but more current
flows through the branch of least resistance than through
the branches with larger resistances.

Figure 18.23
Circuit with parallel resistors for Example 18.6.

Practice Problem 18.6 Three Resistors in Parallel

Strategy Points A and B are at the same potential; points
C and D are at the same potential. Therefore, the voltage
drops across the two resistors are equal; the two resistors are
in parallel. The ratio of the currents can be found by equating the potential differences in the two branches in terms of
the current and resistance.
Solution (a) The equivalent resistance for two parallel
resistors is
1 = ___
1 = 0.0750 1
1 + ___
1 = ______
1 + ______
___
R eq R 1 R 2 20.0 40.0
1
R eq = _________
= 13.3
0.0750 1

Find the equivalent resistance from point A to point B for the

three resistors in Fig. 18.24.

2.0

A
I

4.0

4.0

Figure 18.24
Three parallel resistors.

(b) The potential differences across the resistors are equal

I1R1 = I2R2

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