Resistors in Parallel Page 3
Resistors in Parallel Example
Lets use the above equation to figure out the equivalent resistance for a 20 ohm and 30 ohm resistor in parallel.
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20 and 30 Ohm Resistor in Parallel
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Equivalent Circuit
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Start with the equation that we know.
Rtotal = (R1 * R2) / (R1 + R2)
We know R1 and R2, so we can simply plug all of the values in and solve.
Rtotal = (20 * 30) / (20 + 30)
Rtotal = (600) / (50)
Rtotal = 12 ohms
The equivalent resistor is 12 ohms.
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20 and 30 Ohm Resistor in Parallel
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Equivalent Circuit
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This makes sense if you think about it. The total resistance should go down because there are more paths for the electricity to flow through.
Conclusion
The next time you see two resistors in parallel you can look up this equation and use it to reduce them to a single resistor. To verify that you have the correct result, remember that the total resistance should be lower than the smallest of the two resistors.
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