Final answer:
Equivalent resistance is calculated differently for resistors in series and parallel, with series adding together and parallel providing a lower resistance than the smallest individual resistor. For the given sets, the equivalent resistances have been ranked from largest to smallest. To achieve a smaller equivalent value, resistors should be connected in parallel.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question relates to calculating the equivalent resistance of electrical circuits with different configurations. To rank the circuits according to their equivalent resistance from largest to smallest, one would look at the numerical values provided and order them accordingly.
It is crucial to note that resistors in series add up linearly to provide the total resistance, while resistors in parallel have an inverse relationship; the more paths for current there are, the lower the equivalent resistance.
Considering the information provided, for the first set of values:
450 Ω327 Ω100 Ω32.79 Ω
For the second set of values:
195 Ω140 Ω16.7 Ω14 Ω
In answering question 10 from the student's work, to get a smaller equivalent resistance than any one of the supplied resistors, you'd need to connect them in parallel, as this configuration always results in an equivalent resistance that is less than the smallest individual resistance in the circuit.
An example circuit with resistors in series provided by the student would be: 0 Ω + 5 Ω + 7.5 Ω + 11 Ω = 23.5 Ω for the total equivalent resistance.