Equivalent resistance

iS VS R1 R2 R5 R3 R4 Interested only in iS. Not interested in details of individual resistor currents and voltages.

iS VS + equivalent ?

Same applied VS must give same resulting iS. (Same power supplied.)

iS VS
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Req

equivalent resistance 1

Test generator (or test source) method

R1 R2 R5 Equivalent resistance must be dened between 2 nodes of the network. A different pair of nodes gives different Req. Apply a test generator between the two nodes of interest. itest Vtest + R1 R2 R5 R3 R4 Apply Vtest. Determine itest.
=
equivalent resistance 2

R3 R4

Req = ?

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Series combination
R1 Req = ? R3 R2 itest Apply test source. Dene voltages Vtest + and currents. + vR1 iR1 iR3 + vR2

iR2

vR3 + By KCL: By KVL: use Ohms law:

( =
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= =

Series connection.

Series combination:
= + = + + +
equivalent resistance 3

)=

=
=

Parallel combination
itest Req = ? R1 R2 R3 Apply Vtest. + Vtest Dene voltages and currents. iR1 + iR2 vR1 + iR3 vR3 + vR3

By KVL: By KCL: use Ohms law:

= =

= + = = =

= + + + = + + +

(Parallel connection)

Parallel combination:
=
=

+
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Series combination: Easy to calculate. Series: equivalent is always bigger than any resistor in the string. Req > Rm. Parallel: equivalent is always smaller than any single resistor the parallel bunch. Req < Rm. Special cases for parallel combinations: Two resistors only:
= = =
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+ + = +

(product over sum)

equivalent resistance 5

More special cases for parallel combinations:

Two resistors, R1 = R2 = R:

Two resistors, R2 = 2R1:

One small resistor: R1 << R2, R3, R4,...

= + + + + ...

(Equivalent is approximately equal to smallest.

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Combination circuits
itest Vtest + R1 R2

R3 R4 R5

Test generator method always works. Sometime necessary (with dependent sources in circuit). For purely resistive circuits, there is a faster method inspection. R1 R2 Ohms eye R5 R3 R4 Inspect structure of network. Use parallel & series to sequentially reduce pieces of the network to single resistances.

With practice, you will be able to nd Req in one step.

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R1 R2

R3 R4 R5 1. Recognize and replace the series branch with the three resistors.
= + +

R1 R2 R345 2. Recognize and replace the parallel combination.

= || = +

R1 R2345

3. We are left with a simple series pair.

= = + + ( + + ) +( + + )
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Req

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Example
R3 50 ! R1 Req = ? 25 ! R2 25 ! R4 100 !

R3 R1 R2 R4
= = + + =

R1

R2

R34

= = .

Req 11.5 !
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Example

R3 3 k! 6 k!

)( +

R1 3 k! Req = ?

R2

R4 4 k! R7 0.5 k! R34

R5 5 k!

R6

5 k!

= = ( )( + ) = .

R1

R2 R7

R56

= =

+ + .

+ + . =

R1

R2

R37

= = + +

Req 1.28 k!
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= .

Example
a Req = ? b R1 680 ! R2 R3 1 k! 470 ! R4 R5 470 ! R6 330 ! d 1. R5 and R6 are in series. R56 = R5 + R6 = 1150 . 2. R4 is in parallel with R56. R46 = R4||R6 = 256 . 3. R3 is in series with R46. R36 = R2 + R46 = 1000 + 256 = 1256 . 4. R2 is in parallel with R36. R26 = R2||R36 = 470 || 1256 = 342 . 5. R1 is in parallel with R26. Req = R1 + R26 = 680 + 342 = 1022 .
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c 680 !

Req 1022 !
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Example
a

R1

R3 1 k! 470 ! R4

R5 470 ! R6 330 !

c 680 ! Req = ? d

680 ! R2 b

Find the Req referenced between the nodes c and d. Note that in this case R1 is dangling (unconnected). No current will ow there it has no effect on the rest of the circuit, and we can ignore it. 1. R2 and R3 are in series. R23 = R2 + R3 = 470 + 1000 = 1470 . 2. R23 and R4 are in parallel. c R24 = R23||R4 = 1470 || 330 = 269.5 . Req 354 ! d
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3. R24 and R5 are in series. R25 = R24 + R5 = 269.5 + 470 = 739.5 . 4. R25 and R6 are in parallel. Req = R25||R6 = 739.5 || 680 = 354 .
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To study:
1. Work at least a dozen of the equivalent resistance practice problems on the web site, making sure you can get the correct answer each time. 2. Sketch out your own crazy resistor network and see if you can calculate the equivalent resistance. 3. The equivalent resistance of a parallel combination is always less than the value of any of the individual resistors. Make sure that you understand this statement and why it is true. 4. Use a test generator alone with KCL and KVL to work any of the examples shown in this lecture. Show that you obtain the same result. 5. As noted, the test generator could be a current source. Then the goal would be to nd the corresponding voltage. Re-work the series and parallel cases using a test current generator. Show that you obtain the same result. 6. Work through the rst circuit (bottom of slide 2) using the test generator method. Show that you obtain the same equivalent resistance as the inspection method.
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