Resistors Connected in Parallel

What happens if the resistors are connected in parallel to each other?

The figure provided here illustrates how resistors are connected in parallel to each other. This situation is more complicated than that for series resistors.

Before we can do any calculations, we need to simplify the connection diagram. The best way to do that is by finding the equivalent resistance for the two resistors connected in parallel to each other.

The formula for the equivalent resistance is: R = (R1 x R2)/(R1 +R2)

The formula is also shown in the illustration provided above. Notice that in the lower diagram we have replaced two resistors with one of equivalent value. Once we find the equivalent resistance, we can easily apply our simple formulas.