How do you know which is right and left on a resistor
Repeat until there are no more multiple resistors on the same wire.Īny number of resistors whose ends are connected to the same two points are in parallel now. They are reduced to the sum of their resistance values. That is, no branches from the middle, just on the same wire. When trying to reduce a circuit, the algorithm is as follows:Īny number (> 1) of resistors on the same wire. The answers are really good, but I have (as a former long-time student who has not forgotten the practicality of things) a more practical approach without considering currents or voltages, just the topology of the circuit itself: So the two could be replaced with an 8 ohm.
#How do you know which is right and left on a resistor how to
If you can figure out how to combine everything in the gray box into a single resistor, then you can draw that single resistor instead of the four that are inside that box (their equivalent resistance is 2 ohms - that should help you check your work) and that resistor is then in series with the 6 ohm. The two green dots inside the gray box correspond to nodes where three wires meet: current from the 6 ohm resistor can go either into the 3 ohm or the 1 ohm in the top green circle, and currents from the two 3 ohm resistors are joined together before going to the other green circle where they combine with the 4 ohm resistor. The red dots correspond to points (nodes) where one wire goes in and one wire comes out. every time you find a combination that either looks like a number of resistors in series, or two resistors in parallel, you replace them with their equivalent. Now that 6 ohm resistance is parallel to the remaining 3 ohm resistor - replace these two with a single resistor.Īnd so it continues. The simplest way to identify this is to look for nodes (points where components are connected) with just two wires: those nodes connect components in series.įigure out their equivalent resistance (1+2+3). "In series" means that the current that flows through one resistor is equal to the current flowing through the other resistor. Start at the right hand side where there are three resistors clearly in series. That will the be the resulting equivalent resistance between A and B. So add them.Ĭontinue in this way, until all are shortened down and there is only one equivalent resistor left.
Next step would fx be to see that this new equivalent resistor is in series with the $6.00\ \Omega$ one on top. These two can now be replaced with one new resistor of this value. Start with the $1.00\ \Omega$, $2.00\ \Omega$ and $3.00\ \Omega$ ones most to the right. In your circuit, you must piece by piece collect resistors into one equivalent resistor.
If the wire splits in to paths and gatheres into one again alter, this would be parallel paths.