21.1 Resistors in series and parallel

Learning objectives

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Draw a circuit with resistors in parallel and in series.
• Use Ohm’s law to calculate the voltage drop across a resistor when current passes through it.
• Contrast the way total resistance is calculated for resistors in series and in parallel.
• Explain why total resistance of a parallel circuit is less than the smallest resistance of any of the resistors in that circuit.
• Calculate total resistance of a circuit that contains a mixture of resistors connected in series and in parallel.

The information presented in this section supports the following AP® learning objectives and science practices:

• 4.E.5.1 The student is able to make and justify a quantitative prediction of the effect of a change in values or arrangements of one or two circuit elements on the currents and potential differences in a circuit containing a small number of sources of emf, resistors, capacitors, and switches in series and/or parallel. (S.P. 2.2, 6.4)
• 4.E.5.2 The student is able to make and justify a qualitative prediction of the effect of a change in values or arrangements of one or two circuit elements on currents and potential differences in a circuit containing a small number of sources of emf, resistors, capacitors, and switches in series and/or parallel. (S.P. 6.1, 6.4)
• 4.E.5.3 The student is able to plan data collection strategies and perform data analysis to examine the values of currents and potential differences in an electric circuit that is modified by changing or rearranging circuit elements, including sources of emf, resistors, and capacitors. (S.P. 2.2, 4.2, 5.1)
• 5.B.9.3 The student is able to apply conservation of energy (Kirchhoff’s loop rule) in calculations involving the total electric potential difference for complete circuit loops with only a single battery and resistors in series and/or in, at most, one parallel branch. (S.P. 2.2, 6.4, 7.2)

Most circuits have more than one component, called a resistor    that limits the flow of charge in the circuit. A measure of this limit on charge flow is called resistance    . The simplest combinations of resistors are the series and parallel connections illustrated in [link] . The total resistance of a combination of resistors depends on both their individual values and how they are connected.

Resistors in series

When are resistors in series    ? Resistors are in series whenever the flow of charge, called the current    , must flow through devices sequentially. For example, if current flows through a person holding a screwdriver and into the Earth, then $R_1$ in [link] (a) could be the resistance of the screwdriver’s shaft, $R_2$ the resistance of its handle, $R_3$ the person’s body resistance, and $R_4$ the resistance of her shoes.

[link] shows resistors in series connected to a voltage    source. It seems reasonable that the total resistance is the sum of the individual resistances, considering that the current has to pass through each resistor in sequence. (This fact would be an advantage to a person wishing to avoid an electrical shock, who could reduce the current by wearing high-resistance rubber-soled shoes. It could be a disadvantage if one of the resistances were a faulty high-resistance cord to an appliance that would reduce the operating current.)