Series, Parallel, and Series/Parallel Resistive Circuits
John Achilles Ricafrente
Malayan Colleges Laguna
jac_ricafrente@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
The experiment focuses on a circuit with
pure resistors on different configurations such as
series, parallel, and both. Finding the values of all
important electrical parameters using theory and
experimental was taken notice in the experiment.
The values calculated using the theory studied
was quite accurate with the result gathered using
the multimeter. The addition of resistors with
switch accurately display the expected values
when switches are turned on.
KEYWORDS
Resistive circuit; Resistor; Multimeter; Parallel;
Series
1 INTRODUCTION
One of the most common
configurations of a circuit is a resistor
connected in either series or parallel or both.
A pure resistive circuit is a circuit which
contain purely of resistors. No inductance or
capacitance is present in this type of circuit.
Figure 1. Simple resistive circuit
An ideal resistor is a passive, linear,
two-terminal device whose resistance
follows Ohm’s law. The symbol for resistor
is:
The main objective of the experiment
is to know how to determine the values of
resistance, current, and voltage in a series,
parallel, and series/parallel resistive circuit.
Basic formulas are also used and the
measurement of each basic electrical
parameter using multimeter should be
reviewed.
The procedure done focused on the
comparison of the given circuit with the
experimental using multimeter. After
comparison the switches should be modified
and know its effect on a particular resistance.
For series/parallel, measurement of the
equivalent resistance in parallel and the total
resistance was gathered and compare it with
the theoretical given. Addition of resistance
was done by switching switch 12. Switch 12
was replaced by switch 13 which will make
the value of a particular resistor change.
2 RESULTS
The result gathered in every exercise
matches the theoretical calculation accurately
from the comparison of results from color
coding to the use of multimeter. Turning
switch 1 on will make the 1st resistor decrease
its value and turning the switch 2 on will
increase the resistance of resistor 3.
 Turning switch 1 on in 7-2 also makes
resistance to decrease but in turns, it increases Table 3. Data from 7-3
R1 985 Ohms
the value of current which follows the inverse
R2 1184 Ohms
relationship between the two in Ohms Law. R3 612 Ohms
Va 15.03
The turning on of some switch on the It 5.32 mA
other experiments also made some of the V1 calc 5.240 V
parameters increase/decrease in values V2 calc 6.299 V
depending on their configuration. It was seen V3 calc 3.256 V
V1 measured 5.24 V
in table 8 that turning switch 12 will add V2 measured 6.30 V
value to the resistance which in turns increase V3 measured 3.262 V
the value of equivalent resistance and It 5.32 mA
decrease current. By turning switch 13 on, V 15.03 V
there is an addition of resistor which will Vrev -15.03 V
decrease equivalent resistance and increase V3 -3.265 V
V2 6.31 V
current. The other switch for other
V2-1 11.57 V
experiment has different effect on the V1 5.25 V
resistance/resistor which in turns affect the V2 -6.31 V
values of the electrical parameters depending V2-3 -9.58 V
if it is series, parallel, or both. Va (SW1) 15.03 V
It (SW1) 6.54 mA
Table 1. Data from 7-1 V1 (SW1) 3.174 V
R1 950 – 1050 Ohms V2 (SW1) 7.65 V
R2 1140 – 1260 Ohms V3 (SW1) 3.958 V
R3 589 – 651 Ohms Va (SW2) 15.03 V
Rt 2671 – 2961 Ohms It (SW2) 4.39 mA
R1 exp 985 Ohms V1 (SW2) 4.33 V
R2 exp 1184 Ohms V2 (SW2) 5.20 V
R3 exp 612 Ohms V3 (SW2) 5.39 V
Rt exp 2781 Ohms
R1 (SW1 on) 492 Ohms Table 4. Data from 8-1
R2 (SW1 on) 1184 Ohms R1 950 – 1050 Ohms
R3 (SW1 on) 612 Ohms R2 2090 - 2310 Ohms
Rt (SW1 on) 2289 Ohms R3 3895 – 4305 Ohms
R1 (SW2 on) 985 Ohms R1 9970 Ohms
R2 (SW2 on) 1184 Ohms R2 2174 Ohms
R3 (SW2 on) 1228 Ohms R3 4620 Ohms
Rt (SW2 on) 3397 Ohms Re 1784.81 Ohms
Re measured 1784 Ohms
Table 2. Data from 7-2 R1 (SW6 on) 2113 Ohms
Vt 15.03 V R2 (SW6 on) 2105 Ohms
Rt 2679 - 2961 Ohms Re (SW6 on) 2095 Ohms
It 5.61 – 2.08 mA Re measured 1303 Ohms
Rt exp 2789 V R1 (SW5 on) 2481 Ohms
It exp 5.37 mA R2 (SW5 on) 2175 Ohms
Rt SW1 2289 Ohms R3 (SW5 on) 4640 Ohms
It SW1 6.57 mA Re (SW5 on) 921
It Measured 6.51 mA
Rt SW2 3397 Ohms Table 5. Data from 8-2
It SW2 4.43 mA Va 15.03 V
V1 15.03 V
 V2 15.03 V Ve 10.62 V
V3 15.03 V V1 4.38 V
R1 9970 Ohms I 13.55 mA
Va 15.03 V Ve 10.70 V
I1 calc 1.51 mA V1 3.237 V
It calc 11.67 mA It SW 14 11.30 mA
I1 measured 1.50 mA Ve SW 14 11.43 V
It measured 11.77 mA V1 SW 14 3.23 V
Re 1784.81 Re new 1011.50 Ohms
It 8.47 Re ntp 1057 Ohms
I1 1.49 R2 ntp 1189 Ohms
I2 6.94 R3 ntp 7030 Ohms
Re measured 1784 Ohms
It measured 8.47 mA Table 7.1. CM switch 12 Data
I1 measured 1.49 mA Value Calculated Measured
I2 measured 6.94 mA Va 15 V 15.V10 V
Re w/3 measured 1287.44 Ohms R1 330 Ohms 286 Ohms
It w/3 measured 11.67 mA Re 800 Ohms 440 Ohms
I1 w/3 measured 1.51 mA Rt 1130 Ohms 935 Ohms
I2 w/3 measured 6.91 mA It 13.27 mA 16.18 mA
Re w/3 1286 Ohms V1 4.38 V 4.26
It w/3 11.78 mA Ve 10.62 V 9.84 V
I1 w/3 1.49 mA
I2 w/3 6.94 mA Table 8. Data from 9-3
I3 w/3 3.25 mA It 13.27 mA
It SW5 16.36 mA V1 4.361 V
I1 SW5 6.16 mA Ve 10.64 V
I2 SW5 6.94 mA I2 8.87 mA
I3 SW5 3.25 mA I3 4.43 mA
It SW7 11.50 mA It 13.55 mA
I1 SW7 1.49 mA I2 10.06
I2 SW7 6.93 mA I3 5.57 mA
I3 SW7 3.04 mA It SW12 16.22 mA
It SW13 7.28 mA
Table 6. Data from 9-1 I2 SW13 6.08 mA
Re 800 Ohms I3 SW13 4.13 mA
Rt 1130 Ohms
Re measured 794 Ohms 6 CONCLUSIONS
Rt measured 1119 Ohms
Re nrm 617.14 Ohms
Rt nrm 947.14 Ohms
The Ohm’s Law follows effectively
Re SW12 611 Ohms every experiment done like how the addition
Rt SW12 936 Ohms of resistance decrease the current value
Re SW13 793 Ohms which is varied depending on the
R1 SW13 1298 Ohms configuration of the circuit. In a series circuit,
Re SW13 2091 Ohms decreasing the resistance/adding resistor will
R1 SW15 324.9 Ohms
decrease the value of the resistance and
Re SW15 700 Ohms
Rt SW15 1024.9 Ohms increasing it when the circuit is parallel. For
the combination of series and parallel, the
Table 7. Data from 9-2 sum of the leg current in a parallel branch
Rt 1130 Ohms equals the amount of the total circuit current.
Vt 15 V
It 13.27 mA
REFERENCES
Chaniotakis, M. (2006). Introduction to Resistive
Circuit Analysis, Educational Technology Publisher,
Manesota