Unlimited resistors to build a 5 watt circuit with resistance of 10 ohms.

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on constructing a circuit with a total resistance of 10 Ohms and a power dissipation of 5 Watts using 10 Ohm resistors, each rated for 1 Watt. The minimum number of resistors required is established as 9, contrary to the initial assumption of 5. The calculations reveal that using 3 resistors in parallel achieves the necessary power dissipation while maintaining the desired resistance, as the power handling capability increases when resistors are combined in parallel.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Ohm's Law
  • Basic knowledge of series and parallel resistor configurations
  • Familiarity with power dissipation calculations in electrical circuits
  • Ability to perform calculations involving resistance and power
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  • Learn about power dissipation and thermal limits in electrical components
  • Explore circuit design techniques for achieving specific resistance and power requirements
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Electronics enthusiasts, electrical engineering students, and hobbyists designing circuits that require specific resistance and power dissipation configurations.

Jonnyto
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Okay well my issue is from a basic problem. The problem is you are given an unlimited number of 10 Ohm resistors. They can only handle 1 watt of dissipation and you need to create a circuit that has a total resistance of 10 Ohms, and has a power dissipation of 5 Watts. They are actually looking for the minimum number of resistors that are needed to create this process. So I was able to get that the minimum is 5 resistors but as that turns out it's not; it's actually 9 resistors. Apparently my answer is the maximum and 3 is the minimum and then it is squared. I get that part but not how they went from 5 resistors to 3 resistors.
 
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Hi Jonnyto! Welcome to PF! :wink:

Show us your full calculations, and then we'll see what went wrong, and we'll know how to help! :smile:
 

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