Can You Solve This Infinite Grid of Resistors Problem?

excrucio · Apr 19, 2015

Could you solve this?

Doc Al · Apr 19, 2015

That's a famous physics "puzzle". Can you solve it?

rumborak · Apr 19, 2015

I believe back in college I had to calculate the continuous case of this, e.g. you stick two metal rods into the ground a meter apart. What is the resistance between the rods given the resistivity of the ground.
(EDIT: Or maybe I just imagine having solved it. I definitely pondered it in the past)

The key insight in this problem is that you calculate the total resistance of it by calculating resistance along paths that are all electrically parallel with each other. More importantly, to be able to do so, you choose the paths so that there is no current flowing between those paths. That scenario happens when two neighboring paths have the same potential along their paths.

Sorry, that's all I recall :)

excrucio · Apr 19, 2015

NO, I cannot solve it :(

rumborak · Apr 19, 2015

Just FYI, there's a neat web page on the matter that calculates it.

excrucio · Apr 19, 2015

Link?

rumborak · Apr 19, 2015

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=infinite+grid+of+resistors

Can You Solve This Infinite Grid of Resistors Problem?

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