Final answer:
The total resistance of a five ohm resistor and a 20 ohm resistor in parallel is calculated using the formula for parallel resistors. The answer is 4 ohms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student has asked for the total resistance measurement of a five ohm resistor and a 20 ohm resistor in parallel. To calculate the total resistance for this configuration, we use the formula for the equivalent resistance of parallel resistors: 1/Rtotal = 1/R1 + 1/R2, where R1 and R2 are the resistances of the individual resistors.
Applying the formula, we have 1/Rtotal = 1/5 ohm + 1/20 ohm. Finding a common denominator and adding the fractions, we get 1/Rtotal = (4/20) ohm + (1/20) ohm = (5/20) ohm. Therefore, Rtotal = 20 ohm/5 = 4 ohms. The total resistance is 4 ohms.