How Do You Calculate Resistors In Parallel?
Figuring total resistance for resistors in parallel is a chore confronted by early students of electronics. The general method that works for any situation is to take the reciprocal of each resistance, add these together, and take the reciprocal of the result. A couple of tricks can cut this task down to size. If all the resistors have the same value, divide the resistance of one resistor by the number of resistors. If you’re finding the value of two resistors in parallel, divide the product of their resistances by their sum. Take the reciprocal of each resistance. Example: For three resistors in parallel, 15, 20 and 25 ohms. The reciprocals are 1/15, 1/20 and 1/25. Add the reciprocals together. Example: 1/15 + 1/20 + 1/25 = .157 Take the reciprocal of the result. This gives the total resistance of the parallel combination. Example: 1/.157 = 6.4 ohms Determine the resistance. Example: Three resistors in parallel, all 300 ohms. The resistance to divide is 300 ohms. Count the resistors.
