Voltage/current dividers

Trivial to understand, but still very useful.

Use in combination with equivalent resistances to quickly find a
particular voltage or current in a circuit.

Voltage divider
R1

+ Want to know vR2.

iS
VS + R2 vR2
– Easily solved with KCL, KVL, &
R3 – equivalent resistances.

= =

= = That’s it.
+ + + +

The total voltage across a series string is divided

among the resistors according to a simple ratio.
EE 201 voltage/current dividers – 1
 + vR1 –

+ Easy to find the other voltages, too.

R1
VS + R2 vR2
– =
R3 – + +

– vR3 + =
+ +

Put in some values.

+ vR1 – = ( )= .
+ +
5 kΩ +
+ 15 kΩ vR2 = ( )= .
15 V – + +
10 kΩ –
= ( )=
– vR3 + + +

EE 201 voltage/current dividers – 2

 Current divider
Same idea, but with current.

R1 R2 R3 + Want to know iR2.

iR2
IS vR
Easily solved with KCL, KVL, &
–
equivalent resistances.

= =

= =
+ + + +

The total is divided according a simple ratio determined by

the resistors.

EE 201 voltage/current dividers – 3

 The other currents are just as easy.

R1 iR1 R2 iR2 R3 iR3 =

IS + +

=
+ +

Plug in some numbers.

= ( )=
+ +
15 k!
9 mA 3 k! 5 k!
iR1 iR2 iR3
= ( )=
+ +

= ( )=
+ +

EE 201 voltage/current dividers – 4

 Example 1 24 !
R1

R2 36 !
48 ! R3 R4 + In the circuit, find vR4.
VS + 36 ! vR4
–
12 V –
R5

12 !

vR4 = vR3
Combine parallel combinations. Use voltage divider.

R12 16 ! =
+ +
18 ! +
VS + R34 vR4 = ( )
– + +
12 V –
R5 = .

EE 201 12 ! voltage/current dividers – 5

 Example 2
IS Find the equivalent
0.5 A
resistance in each branch.
R2 120 ! IS 0.5 A
R1 10 !
R3 40 !
R13 40 !
iR3
R5 R4 20 ! iR13
60 ! R45 80 !
R6 80 !
R6 80 !
In the circuit, find iR3.
Referring back to the original circuit,
Use a current divider to find iR13. iR13 divides between R2 and R3.
=
+ + =
+
= ( . )= . = ( . )= .
+ + +
EE 201 voltage/current dividers – 6
 Example 3
R1 1 k!
In the simple divider circuit at
+ R2 RL right, if RL is attached in parallel
VS
– 3 k! with R2, the voltage across R1
doubles. What is the value of
RL?

Without RL, From the two expressions for v’R1

= + = +
+

With RL, = = =

= Then
+
= +
=
+
= = .
EE 201 voltage/current dividers – 7
 Example 4
For the simple current divider at right,
R1 R2 R3 design it (i.e. choose resistor values)
iR1 iR2 iR3 so that the currents are in the ratio
IS
1 mA iR1:iR2 :iR3 = 1:2:4 and the total power
dissipated in the resistors is 10 mW.

From the current divider equation, we The equivalent resistance of

know that the currents are proportional to the three in parallel is
the inverse of the resistance in each branch.
= + +
: : = : : .
= + + =
Therefore,
: : = : : =
.
R2 = 2R3 and R1 = 2R2 (R1 = 4R3). Find Req,
= = =
Finally:
R3 = 1.75Req = 17.5 kΩ; R2 = 2R3 = 35 kΩ; R1 = 2R2 = 70 kΩ
EE 201 voltage/current dividers – 8