I am new to this - a returning student studying aircraft mechanics. I have been having some trouble sorting out series/parallel combo circuits and have used the worksheet here http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/worksheets/dc_sp.html for help.

From what I can see, Figs 1 and 2 on question 5 are the same concept, but I can't see how to get to the answers. If 1 is 500, then wouldn't 2 be 1K, not 750? I shared this with my class and we're all scratching our heads. Help?

Thanks!

JL

 

Not one person in your class could get this?

The answers given on the solutions are correct.

We can't tell where you are going wrong unless you show your work.

What do you mean that they are the "same concept"? You have two parallel branches in both cases, but in one you have two branches that each contain two resistors while in the second you have one branch that contains one resistor and one branch that contains three resistors.

 

Thank you - I have it now ... I was reading the branching incorrectly. Now I see it's a matter of adding the totals for each branch then treating the two branches as parallel. This got the correct answer on both. Thanks!

 

Yep, you got it. Come back with any other problems you run into.