Resistor network and 2 voltage sources, help sought

[Ashley Shaw]

[Mentor note: thread title reworded]

R = 1.00 k and = 250 V in Figure P28.25, determine the direction and magnitude of the current in the horizontal wire between a and e.
http://www.webassign.net/pse/p28-23.gif
I found a solution online (http://web.mit.edu/course/8/8.02-esg/Spring03/www/8.02pset6sol.pdf) 28.23 and don't understand how they got 1.71, 2.71, or 3.71 and solved for I1 or I2.

 

[NascentOxygen]

Hi Ashley Shaw. http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/5725/red5e5etimes5e5e45e5e25.gif

Your original thread title of "Physics: Electromagnetism HELP!" was hardly applicable.

You've found a solution to this exact question. You can see they redrew the circuit, replacing two parallel resistors by a single resistor equivalent to those two in parallel.

 

[eee_engin33r]

[Mentor note: thread title reworded]

R = 1.00 k and = 250 V in Figure P28.25, determine the direction and magnitude of the current in the horizontal wire between a and e.
http://www.webassign.net/pse/p28-23.gif
I found a solution online (http://web.mit.edu/course/8/8.02-esg/Spring03/www/8.02pset6sol.pdf) 28.23 and don't understand how they got 1.71, 2.71, or 3.71 and solved for I1 or I2.

Current flows from node a to e and the magnitude of that current is 0.05A.

 

[CWatters]

don't understand how they got 1.71, 2.71, or 3.71 and solved for I1 or I2.

Hints..

Work out what the equivalent resistance is of a 4 Ohm in parallel with a 3Ohm.

Then with reference to the reduced circuit...

2.71R = 1.71R + R

3.71R = 1.71R + 2R