Series Circuit:
In a series circuit, resistances add up. The total resistance (RtotalRtotal) is the sum of individual resistances.
Rtotal=R1+R2+R3+…
Example: Suppose you have three resistors with resistances R1=5 ΩR1=5Ω, R2=3 ΩR2=3Ω, and R3=2 ΩR3=2Ω connected in series. The total resistance (RtotalRtotal) would be:
Rtotal=5 Ω+3 Ω+2 Ω=10 Ω
Parallel Circuit:
In a parallel circuit, the reciprocal of the total resistance (Rtotal−1Rtotal−1) is the sum of the reciprocals of individual resistances.
Example: Let’s take the same resistors as before,
R1=5 Ω, R2=3 Ω and R3=2 Ω
but this time they are connected in parallel. The total resistance
It’s worth noting that in a parallel circuit, the total resistance is always less than the smallest individual resistance.