Please explain how can this be parrallel?

[uniquesoljuh]

In this circuit, please tell me how they got the 4 ohms and the 12 ohms in parrallel when they look like they are in series


Please help me i am so desperate for an answer!

 

[lewando]

What definition of "parallel" are you using?

 

[uniquesoljuh]

As in resistors are in parrallel and they use the formula 1/Req= 1/R1+...Lewando trust me its very confusing

 

[lewando]

I know that circuits can be drawn to confuse intentionally-- the trick is to spot when this is happening. When resistors are "in parallel" they don't need to be drawn both vertically or horizontally-- as in your case they are drawn perpendicularly. But you should realize that you can redraw the circuit so they are literally parallel without changing any functional aspect of the circuit.

How about this unofficial definition: if there are 2 nodes, A and B with one resistor between them, then you place yet another resistor between them, those two resistors are "in parallel".

Your example shows exactly that.

 

[rwisz]

In this circuit, the 4 ohm and 12 ohm resistors are considered to be in parallel because they are connected to the same two nodes or points in the circuit. This means that the current flowing through the 4 ohm resistor is the same as the current flowing through the 12 ohm resistor. In parallel circuits, the voltage across each resistor is also the same.

To calculate the equivalent resistance of parallel resistors, you can use the formula 1/Req = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + ... + 1/Rn, where Req is the equivalent resistance and R1, R2, etc. are the individual resistances in parallel. In this case, the equivalent resistance would be 3 ohms, since 1/Req = 1/4 + 1/12 and solving for Req gives us 3 ohms.

This means that the total resistance in the circuit is equivalent to having a single 3 ohm resistor. This can be seen as the current flowing through the 4 ohm resistor splits into two paths, one going through the 12 ohm resistor and the other going through the 3 ohm equivalent resistance. This is why we can say that the 4 ohm and 12 ohm resistors are in parallel, even though they may physically appear to be in series.

I hope this explanation helps to clarify how parallel resistors can be present in a circuit even when they may not seem to be in parallel at first glance. Remember, in parallel circuits, the current through each resistor is the same, while in series circuits, the current through each resistor adds up to the total current in the circuit.