Calculating Current in a Series-Parallel Circuit with Resistors

[PBryan833]

Homework Statement

Two 16 Ohm resistors connected in parallel are then connected in series to a 10 Ohm resistor. The entire setup is connected to a 9 V battery. What is the current through the 10 Ohm resistor?

Homework Equations

V=IR
I1+I2=It
1/Rt= 1/R1 + 1/R2

The Attempt at a Solution

So I am not sure if i am correct. If the two 16 ohm resistors were connected parallel, then wouldn't their overall resistance be 8 ohm because 2(1/16)= 1/8 which 8 is Rtotal? Then after you find Rtotal you add it to the 10 ohm resistor to get a total resistance of 16 ohm. From this, you can solve using the equation V=IR. Plug in 9 for V and 16 for R and you end up getting I= 0.5 . Is this the correct answer and is my approach correct? Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[haruspex]

wouldnt their overall resistance be 8 ohm

Right.

add it to the 10 ohm resistor to get a total resistance of 16 ohm

Wrong.

 

[PBryan833]

Right.

Wrong.

How do I get the overall resistance?

 

[haruspex]

How do I get the overall resistance?

By adding the resistances correctly. 8+10=?

 

[PBryan833]

By adding the resistances correctly. 8+10=?

Oh yes that is what I meant, bad addition. So is the rest of the way I used to solve this problem correct?

 

[haruspex]

Oh yes that is what I meant, bad addition. So is the rest of the way I used to solve this problem correct?

Yes.

 

[PBryan833]

Yes.

Thank you so much!