In a parallel circuit with resistors of 4 Ω and 6 Ω, what is the equivalent resistance?

Study for the Dual Enrollment Physical Science Midterm. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question has hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Multiple Choice

In a parallel circuit with resistors of 4 Ω and 6 Ω, what is the equivalent resistance?

Explanation:
In parallel, the overall resistance comes from adding the reciprocals: 1/R_eq = 1/R1 + 1/R2. For 4 Ω and 6 Ω, 1/R_eq = 1/4 + 1/6 = 3/12 + 2/12 = 5/12, so R_eq = 12/5 = 2.4 Ω. The equivalent resistance in parallel is always smaller than the smallest individual resistor, which makes sense here since having multiple paths lowers the total resistance.

In parallel, the overall resistance comes from adding the reciprocals: 1/R_eq = 1/R1 + 1/R2. For 4 Ω and 6 Ω, 1/R_eq = 1/4 + 1/6 = 3/12 + 2/12 = 5/12, so R_eq = 12/5 = 2.4 Ω. The equivalent resistance in parallel is always smaller than the smallest individual resistor, which makes sense here since having multiple paths lowers the total resistance.

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