Question

Does adding resistors in parallel increase or decrease the overall resistance of a circuit?

Answer 1

I like to think of resistors like gravel roads that you have to drive through

in order to get where you're going. After all, you have to use a lot of energy

to drive along a rough road, and the more rough road there is in your path,

the harder it is to get through it. It really gets bad when there's a lot of traffic

trying to get through the same stretch of rough road.

When you connect several resistors in series, it's just like putting MORE

rough road into the route. It gets harder to make it through the rough

parts, it takes more energy to accomplish it, and the overall resistance

to traffic increases.

When you connect several resistors in parallel, it's just like putting more

lanes of gravel around the part that's already rough. It's still hard to get

through the rough section, but there are more lanes, so more traffic can

get through. The overall resistance (to heavy traffic) DEcreases.

Answer 2

I believe it would decrease since the electrical energy is being split up. If it was in a series, the resistors ohms would be added up.

But the resistors put in parallel will be less than the lowest connected resistor. My dad showed me the equation once but I forgot it.

I hope this helps you out!