Voltage Divider: Calculating Output Voltage

[jodi32]

1. Homework Statement A voltage divider consists of two 56kohms resistors and a 15V source. Calculate the unloaded output voltage taken across one of the 56kohm resistors. What will the output voltage be if a load resistor of 1.0Mohms is connected across the output?

 

[xcvxcvvc]

For the first part, do you know how to calculate the total current flowing through the two resistors? If so, what would that make the voltage across one of the resistors? If you symbolically do these two things, you'll derive the commonly used "voltage division" formula

 

[Zryn]

Drawing pictures generally helps you understand the question, and helps people see what you're talking about (if you write the question and draw a picture and get the picture wrong, people can also help your interpretation of the question into a picture). Heres one I drew in ms paint in less than a minute.

Making an attempt at the question or outlining what the problem is or what you don't understand also helps people help you, as generally people will not do your homework for you, but rather try to steer you in the right direction towards completing it for yourself (much more satisfying).