COMBINEDSERIESPARALLELCIRCUITEXAMPLE

GIVEN:Considerthecircuitshown,where
R1=20
R2=20
R3=5
R5=15
R6=25
R4=10
R7=100
Vbatt=120V
REQUIRED:
(a)Thecurrentleavingthebattery.
(b)Thepowersuppliedbythebattery.
(c)ThevoltageacrossR5.
SOLUTION:
(a)First,combinethethreeresistorsthatareinseries.

Wecannowredrawthecircuitasshown.

Wecannowcombineallresistorsinparallel.Byinspection,wenotethatR1andR2areinparallel,andR6andR7are
inparallel.


Again,wecanredrawthecircuit.

WecannowfindReqbycombiningallseriesresistors.

Redrawingthecircuitoncemore....

NowthatweknowReq,wecanfindthecurrent.

(b)NowthatweknowthecurrentleavingthebatteryANDthebatteryvoltage,wecaneasilycomputethepower.

(c)ThevoltagedropacrossR5canbecomputedusingOhmsLaw(wealreadyknowthecurrentthroughR5aswellas
theresistanceofR5).

DISCUSSION:

Theanswersseemreasonable.
Thecombinationsofseriesresistorsresultedinequivalentresistanceswhichweregreaterthananysingle
resistorinthecombination,asexpected(R345>R3,R4,R5)
Thecombinationofparallelresistorsresultedinequivalentresistanceslessthananysingleresistorinthe
combination,asexpected.
ThevoltageacrossR5waslessthanthevoltagesuppliedbythebattery,asexpected.