![]() You can combine 10 of the 1kΩ's to get 100Ω (1kΩ/10 = 100Ω), and the power rating will be 10x0.25W, or 2.5W. Let’s say that we need a 100Ω resistor rated for 2 watts (W), but all we’ve got is a bunch of 1kΩ quarter-watt (¼W) resistors (and it’s 3am, all the Mountain Dew is gone, and the coffee’s cold). This sort of series and parallel combination of resistors works for power ratings, too. But part manufacturers are known to make just these sorts of mistakes, so it pays to poke around a bit. In theory, if the stash of 10kΩ resistors are all 1% tolerance, we can only get to 3.3kΩ. But, if the circuit you're building needs to be closer than 4% tolerance, we can measure our stash of 10kΩ’s to see which are lowest values because they have a tolerance, too. That would give you 3.3kΩ, which is about a 4% tolerance from the value you need. For example, if you needed a 3.2kΩ resistor, you could put 3 10kΩ resistors in parallel. Know what kind of tolerance you can tolerate. As long as it's close to the correct value, everything should work fine. Resistors have a certain amount of tolerance, which means they can be off by a certain percentage in either direction. ![]() You may notice that the resistance you measure might not be exactly what the resistor says it should be. The meter should now say something close to 20kΩ. Once we’ve convinced ourselves that the world hasn't changed significantly since we last looked at it, place another one in similar fashion but with a lead from each resistor connecting electrically through the breadboard and measure again. Yes, we already know it’s going to say it’s 10kΩ, but this is what we in the biz call a “sanity check”. Using a breadboard, place one 10kΩ resistor as indicated in the figure and measure with a multimeter. Let’s try a simple experiment just to prove that these things work the way we're saying they do.įirst, we’re going to hook up some 10kΩ resistors in series and watch them add in a most un-mysterious way. The current paths through R 2 and R 3 are then tied together again, and current goes back to the negative terminal of the battery. But, at the other side of R 1 the node splits, and current can go to both R 2 and R 3. From the positive battery terminal, current first encounters R 1. In the next picture, we again see three resistors and a battery. Series and Parallel Circuits Working Togetherįrom there we can mix and match. Where series components all have equal currents running through them, parallel components all have the same voltage drop across them - series:current::parallel:voltage. There are three distinct paths that current can take before returning to the battery, and the associated resistors are said to be in parallel. The other ends of these resistors are similarly tied together, and then tied back to the negative terminal of the battery. The node that connects the battery to R 1 is also connected to the other resistors. Voltage, Current, Resistance, and Ohm's Lawįrom the positive battery terminal, current flows to R 1.You may want to visit these tutorials on the basic components before diving into building the circuits in this tutorial. How a voltage source will act upon passive components in these configurations.How passive components act in these configurations.What series and parallel circuit configurations look like. ![]() ![]() We’ll then explore what happens in series and parallel circuits when you combine different types of components, such as capacitors and inductors. In this tutorial, we’ll first discuss the difference between series circuits and parallel circuits, using circuits containing the most basic of components - resistors and batteries - to show the difference between the two configurations. Where's the current going? What's the voltage doing? Can this be simplified for easier understanding? Fear not, intrepid reader. But, things can get sticky when other components come to the party. Simple circuits (ones with only a few components) are usually fairly straightforward for beginners to understand.
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