Total resistance in parallel circuits

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around understanding total resistance in parallel circuits, contrasting it with series circuits. The original poster expresses confusion about why adding resistors in parallel decreases total resistance, despite the intuitive notion that more resistors should increase resistance.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the reasoning behind the behavior of total resistance in parallel circuits, with one participant attempting to clarify that adding resistors increases the number of paths for current flow, which decreases effective resistance. Questions arise regarding the definitions of effective resistance and total resistance.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with some participants providing insights into the relationship between current flow and resistance in parallel circuits. However, there is a lack of consensus on the definitions of effective and total resistance, as multiple interpretations are being explored.

Contextual Notes

There seems to be some confusion regarding the terminology used to describe resistance in circuits, particularly between effective resistance and total resistance, which may impact the understanding of the concepts being discussed.

Hologramdr
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I understand why the total resistance in a series circuit is a total off all the resistance added together. It seems obvious because all of the electrons will have to go through all of the resistors.

Now, total resistance in a parallel circuit is really messing with my head! In a parallel circuit if you add more resistors, the total resistance goes down. I know the equation and can figure out the problems, but I don't understand **why** it happens. It seems that if you add a resistor it should resist the flow of electrons going through that part of the parallel circuit, therefore increasing the total resistance, not decreasing it. AUGH!

Can someone explain this to me?
Thanks!
 
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Adding more resistors in PARALLEL increases the number of paths for electrons to flow. Each additional path allows additional current to flow and increases the TOTAL current which will flow when a voltage source is applied to all parallel elements. Thus, the effective resistance DEcreases for parallel resistors.


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Last edited:
What is the difference between effective resistance and total resistance?
 
Hologramdr said:
What is the difference between effective resistance and total resistance?
They are the same. {Effective Resistance}={Total Resistance}.


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