00.02.

51 - 020

Process control

Electro/Digital
Resistance circuits
Electrical components can be joined together in various ways. In a series circuit
the components are placed one after the other in a chain.
In a parallel circuit each individual component is connected to the same potential
difference. A combination circuit has the characteristics of both a series and a
parallel circuit.
This lessons deals with the major properties of series circuits, parallel circuits
and circuits with a combination of resistances.

Contents of the lesson

1

Resistances in series

Resistances in parallel

Resistances in a combination circuit

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Lesson
1. Resistances in series
- electric current

The electric current flowing through resistances in series is the same at every
point. In the battery, the number of electrons that are moved to the negative
terminal is equal to the number of electrons returning to the positive terminal. In
other words, the electric current through resistances in series is the same
throughout, both in the resistances and in the battery. This will be illustrated in
an example.

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Figure 1
Series circuit from example 1

Example 1
The battery with a 12 V electromotive force in figure 1 produces a current of 2A.
The total resistance connected to the battery can be calculated with Ohms law.
V =I*R
12 = 2 * R
R =6

- effective
resistance (RE)

This total resistance is called the circuits effective resistance (RE). It can replace
the two other resistances. The effective resistance of resistances in series equals
the sum of the individual resistance values. In an equation:
RE = R1 + R2
Ohms law applies equally to RE:

RE =

From this, we can derive that: R1 + R2 =

V
I
V
I

, or V = I (R1 + R2)

V = I (R1 + R2)

- Kirchhoffs law of
potentials

An important property of a closed electrical circuit is that the sum of the

potentials must equal zero. In his law of potentials, Kirchhoff, a German
physicist, formulated this property as follows:
The potential applied by the battery equals the sum of the partial potentials.
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Question 1
Three resistances, R1, R2 and R3, are connected in series to a 200 V potential.
The current is 2 A. R1 = 20 and R2 = 10 . Calculate the resistance of
R3.Resistances in parallel

2. Resistances in parallel
- Kirchhoffs law of
currents

In a parallel circuit each individual component is connected to the same battery,

thus forming separate current paths. Kirchhoffs law of currents applies at the
nodal points where these currents are created or come together.
In his law of currents, Kirchhoff formulated this property of partial currents as
follows:
The sum of the currents at any nodal point always equals zero.
In practice, Kirchhoffs law of currents says that all currents flowing to any
nodal point must equal the currents flowing from it.
According to Kirchhoffs law of currents:
I = I1 + I2
This may also be written as:
V
RE

V
R1

V
R2

For the effective resistance, this may be reduced to:

1
RE

1
R1

1
R2

A different expression for the effective resistance in a parallel circuit is:

RE =

(R1 R2 )
(R1 + R2 )

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Example 2
In the parallel circuit of figure 2, is the electromotive force 60 V and the current
5 A. What is the effective resistance?
V = I * RE
60 = 5 * RE
RE = 12
Alternatively, the effective resistance can be calculated with the aid of the
equation given earlier.
1
RE
1
RE

1
R1
1
15

1
R2
1
60

4
60

1
60

5
60

1
12

RE = 12

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Figure 2
Parallel circuit from example 2

Question 2
Three resistances are connected in parallel. Calculate the value of R3 if
R1 = 60 , R2 = 20 ? and RE = 5 ?
Question 3
Three resistances are connected in parallel to a 220 V potential. Calculate the
values of It, R2, R3 and RE if R1 = 200 , I2 = 0.4 A and I3 = 0.5 A
Question 4
Are the front and rear lights of a bicycle connected in series or in parallel?

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3. Resistances in a combination circuit

The various combinations of series and parallel circuits will be illustrated with
the aid of a few examples. The figure below shows three resistances in a
combination circuit.

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Figure 3
Combination circuit from example 3

Example 3
We wish to calculate the effective resistance and all partial currents in the
circuits illustrated above. To this end, we must first calculate the effective
resistance of R2 and R3:

1
RE1
1
RE1

RE1 =

1
R2
1
4

12
4

1
R3

1
12

3
12

1
12

4
12

=3

Resistances R1 and RE1 now form a series connection. The effective resistance of
the complete combination circuit is:
RE = R1 + RE1
RE = 5 + 3 = 8
The total current I can now be calculated.
V = I * RE
24 = I * 8
I=

24
8

=3A

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This current flows through both resistances R1 and RE1. The potential across RE1
can now be calculated as follows:
VE1 = I * RE1
VE1 = renamed V2
V2 = 3 * 3 = 9 V
V1 = I * R1
V1 = 3 * 5 = 15 V
Check: V = 9 + 15 = 24 V
Therefore: V = V1 + V2
The potential E2 is across both R2 and R3. Therefore:
V2 = I2 * R2
9 = I2 * 4
9
= 2.25 A
I2 =
4
V2 = I3 * R3
9 = I3 * 12
9
= 0.75 A
I3 =
12
Check: I = 2.25 + 0.75 = 3 A
Therefore: I = I2 + I3
Question 5
A 5 resistance is connected in series to two parallel resistances of 20 and
60 respectively. The combination circuit is connected to a 120 V potential.
Calculate the current flowing through each resistance and the potential across
each resistance.
Question 6
Calculate the readings of the voltmeter and the ammeter in figure 4, assuming
the current flowing through the 7.2 resistance is 10 A. The meters are ideal
meters.

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Figure 4
Measuring arrangement from question 6
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Summary
The electric current flowing through resistances in series is the same throughout,
both in the resistances and in the battery.
The effective resistance of resistances in series equals the sum of the individual
resistance values. In a equation: RE = R1 + R2
According to Kirchhoffs law of potentials the potential applied by the battery
equals the sum of the partial potentials.
According to Kirchhoffs law of currents the sum of the currents at any nodal
point always equals zero.
The effective resistance in a parallel circuit can be calculated with the following
equation:
( R1 R 2 )
1
1
1
=
+
,
or:
RE =
( R1 + R2 )
RE
R1
R2

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Test
Exercises
Do not send in your answers for correction
1.

Two resistances, R1 and R2, are connected in series to a potential V. The

current flowing through R2 is 4 A. The potential across R1 is 320 V and
R2 = 10 . Calculate the resistance of R1, the potential across R2 and the
potential V.

2.

Three resistances, R1 = 240 , R2 = 100 and R3 = 120 , are connected in

parallel. The current flowing through R1 is 250 mA. Calculate the currents
in the other resistances and the effective resistance.

3.

A current of 150 A is divided over two parallel resistances, such that the
currents in the resistances are 147 A and 3 A respectively. The value of the
higher resistance is 7.35 . Calculate the value of the lower resistance.

4.

All ammeters in the circuits of the figure below indicate exactly the same
currents. Calculate the values of the two unknown resistances.

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Circuit exercise 4

5.

What does the term effective resistance mean?

6.

A set of decorative lights consists of a number of 14 V lamps in series. How

many lamps are required if they are to be connected to 220 V? What
happens if one of the lamps is unscrewed?

7.

A 6 V, 0.2 A lamp is to be used for a 120 V potential. What is the value of

the resistance that must be connected in series with the lamp?

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Answers to the questions in the lesson

1.

The potential across the first two resistances can be calculated as follows:
(20 * 2) + (10 * 2) = 60 V
Therefore, according to Kirchhoffs law of potentials, the potential across
the third resistance must equal 200 60 = 140 V
With the aid of Ohms law, the resistance can be calculated from the
potential across R3:
140
= 70
2

2.

The effective resistance in a parallel circuit can be calculated with the

following equation:
1
1
1
1
=
+
+
RE
R1
R2
R3
Substituting the data yields:
1
1
1
1
=
+
+
5
60
20
R3
24
120

2
120

6
120

1
R3

Therefore, R3 must equal

3.

120
16

= 7.5

The partial current flowing through R1 can be calculated from the potential
220
= 1.1 A
across this first resistance: I1 =
200
Therefore, according to Kirchhoffs law of currents, the total current
through the circuit must equal: 1.1 + 0.4 + 0.5 = 2 A
With the aid of Ohms law, it is easy to calculate the effective resistance:
RE =

220
2

= 110

As far as R2 is concerned: R2 * 0.4 = 220. Therefore, R2 is 550 .

The same applies to R3: R3 * 0.5 = 220. Therefore, R3 is 440 .
The effective resistance can be checked via an alternative route:
1
RE

1
R1

1
R2

1
R3
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Substituting the data yields:

1
RE
1
RE

200
11
2200

1
550

4
2200

1
440

Therefore, RE must equal

5
2200
2200
20

= 110

4.

The front and rear lights of a bicycle are in parallel because they must not
go out together when either the front or the rear light fails.

5.

First, we calculate the effective resistance of the circuits parallel part:

1
RE

1
R1

1
R2

Substituting the data yields:

1
1
1
=
+
20
60
RE

1
RE

3
60

1
60
60

= 15 . The circuits total effective

4
resistance is 15 + 5 = 20 . According to Ohms law, a main current of
120
= 6 A flows through the first resistance. Consequently, the potential
20
across this first resistance is 5 * 6 = 30 V. According to Kirchhoffs law of
potentials, 120 30 = 90 V remains for the circuits parallel part.
The effective resistance is therefore

The current flowing through the respective parallel resistances is

90
90
= 4.5 A and
= 1.5 A
20
60

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6.

The effective resistance of the left-hand combination circuit equals

4.8 + 7.2 = 12 . A 10 A main current flows through this part of the circuit.
According to Ohms law, the voltmeter must read 12 * 10 = 120 V
The effective resistance of the right-hand combination circuit equals
0.83 + 4.5 = 5.33 . Since the potential across this part of the circuit is also
120
= 22.51 A
120 V, the main current through this part must equal
5.33
The current flowing through the ammeter must therefore equal
10 + 22.51 = 32.51 A

Answers to the exercises

1.

The electric current flowing through resistances in series is the same at

every point. The current in R1 must therefore be 4 A. Since the potential
320
= 80
across R1 is 320 V, it follows that its resistance equals
4
Therefore, the potential across R2 is 4 * 10 = 40 V and the total potential V
is 360 V.

2.

In a parallel circuit each individual component is connected to the same

potential difference. The potential across R1 is 240 * 0.25 = 60 V. Since it is
equal to the potential across the other resistances, we can calculate the
partial currents flowing through the second and third resistances. The
60
60
current in R2 equals
= 0.6 A whereas the current in R3 is
= 0.5 A
100
120
The effective resistance of this parallel circuit is calculated by dividing the
potential by the sum of the partial currents: I = 0.25 + 0.6 + 0.5 = 1.35 A
60
This yields an effective resistance of
= 44.44
1.35

3.

The weakest partial current will flow through the highest resistance, i.e. 3A.
The potential across the highest resistance therefore equals
7.35 * 3 = 22.05 V. Consequently, the potential across the lowest resistance
is 22.05 V as well. The value of the lowest resistance therefore equals
22.05
= 0.15
147

4.

Since all resistances in the second circuit are known, the effective resistance
of this combination circuit can be calculated as being 300 , the same as the
unknown resistance in the first circuit.
The value of the unknown resistance in the third circuit must be 100 for
the effective resistance to be 300 .

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5.

A circuits total resistance is called its effective resistance (RE), which can
replace all the resistances in the circuit.

6.

16 lamps would result in a 224 V potential across all the lamps taken
together. If one lamp is unscrewed, all the lamps will go out. It is after all a
series circuit.

7.

The series resistance must allow a 0.2 A current if a potential of

120 6 = 114 V is applied. According to Ohms law, this would mean a
114
= 570
resistance of
0.2

12