Group Number: 6

Section: 2-DMT

Members: Daniella Sabrina Lim

Date Performed: November 6, 2015

Date Submitted: November 13, 2015

Kenneth Lim
Ieoh Kenzo Macatiag
Miguel Antonio Mendoza
Charlene Montellano
Amviella Andrea Morales
EXPERIMENT 6 Resistors in Series and Parallel

Abstract
A resistor is a passive two-terminal electrical component that resists the flow of electrical
current. It consists of two terminals across which electricity must pass and is designed to drop
the voltage of the current. It is used for a safe flow of current within an electrical component.
The objective of the experiment is to show the difference between resistors in series and parallel.
In the said experiment, the group was given three resistors and a multimeter and they were
tasked to determine the resistance of each of the resistors and as well as the total resistance of
two or more resistors. In a series circuit, the total resistance is computed by adding only the
measured resistance of each resistor. On the other hand, in a parallel circuit the total resistance
can be determined through adding the reciprocals of the resistance values and then taking the
reciprocal of the total. In the experiment conducted, it was concluded that the total resistance of
the series and the parallel are different from each other.

Questions:
1) How does the total resistance compare with the individual resistances in a series circuit?
In a series circuit, the resistors are arranged in a sequence or chain so the current
has only one path to take, the current is the same through each resistor while the total
resistance is found by adding up the resistance values of the individual resistors. The
total resistance is computed by RT = R1 + R2 + R3. Thus, the sum of the total resistance is
always greater than the individual resistances of the resistors in a series circuit.
2) How does the total resistance compare with the individual resistances in a parallel circuit?
A parallel circuit is a circuit in which the resistors are arranged with their heads
attached together and their tails attached together. The current in a parallel circuit breaks
up, with some flowing along each parallel branch and re-combining when the branches
meet again. The voltage across each resistor in a parallel circuit is the same. The total

resistance of a parallel circuit can be computed by adding up the reciprocals of the

resistance values and then taking the reciprocal of the total: 1/R = 1/R 1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3 +
. Thus, the sum of the total resistance is always less than the individual resistances in
a parallel circuit.

3) Given the three resistors: 50 , 100 , and 200 . What is their total resistance when they are
connected (a) in series and (b) in parallel?
1
RT

A: Series
RT = R 1 + R 2 + R 3

B: Parallel

1 1
+
R1 R2

1
RT

RT = 50 + 100 + 200
RT = 350

1
200
1
RT

= 0.035

RT = 28.57

1
R3

1
1
+
50 100