What is the Rate of Change of Resistance in a Parallel Circuit?

In summary, the total resistance R of two resistors connected in parallel is given by the formula 1/R=1/R1+1/R2. When R1 and R2 are increasing at rates of 0.4Ω/s and 0.6Ω/s respectively, R is changing at a rate of -0.009Ω/s when R1=10Ω and R2=90Ω.
  • #1
musad
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Im having trouble with this problem to do with applictions of calculus.

If two resistors with resistances R1 and R2 are connected in parallel, then the total resistance R measured in ohms (Ω), is given by 1R=1R1+1R2.

If R1 and R2 are increasing at rates of 0.4Ω/s and 0.6Ω/s respectively, how fast is R changing when R1=10Ω and R2=90Ω?
Thanks
 
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  • #2
musad said:
Im having trouble with this problem to do with applictions of calculus.

If two resistors with resistances R1 and R2 are connected in parallel, then the total resistance R measured in ohms (Ω), is given by 1R=1R1+1R2.

If R1 and R2 are increasing at rates of 0.4Ω/s and 0.6Ω/s respectively, how fast is R changing when R1=10Ω and R2=90Ω?
Thanks

First consideration ... if R1 and R2 are connected in parallel, is $\displaystyle R = \frac{R_{1}\ R_{2}}{R_{1} + R_{2}} \ne R_{1} + R_{2}$, isn't it?...

Kind regards

$\chi$ $\sigma$
 
  • #3
I suspect the OP meant to give:

\(\displaystyle \frac{1}{R}=\frac{1}{R_1}+\frac{1}{R_2}\tag{1}\)

So, use (1) to determine $R$, and differentiate this with respect to time $t$, then plug in the given and computed values. What do you find?
 

FAQ: What is the Rate of Change of Resistance in a Parallel Circuit?

What is the rate of change?

The rate of change, also known as the slope or gradient, is a measure of how quickly a quantity is changing over a specific interval.

How is the rate of change calculated?

The rate of change is calculated by dividing the change in the quantity by the change in the independent variable. This is represented by the formula: rate of change = (change in quantity) / (change in independent variable).

What is the difference between average and instantaneous rate of change?

The average rate of change is calculated over a specific interval, while the instantaneous rate of change is calculated at a specific point. The average rate of change gives an overall picture of the change in a quantity, while the instantaneous rate of change gives the rate at which the quantity is changing at a particular instant in time.

How is the rate of change represented graphically?

The rate of change can be represented graphically by a slope on a graph. A positive slope indicates an increasing rate of change, a negative slope indicates a decreasing rate of change, and a horizontal slope indicates no change.

What real-life applications use the concept of rate of change?

The concept of rate of change is used in various fields such as physics, engineering, economics, and biology. For example, in physics, the rate of change of velocity is used to calculate acceleration, and in economics, the rate of change of prices is used to measure inflation. In biology, the rate of change of population over time is used to study population growth and decline.

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