Question

You are given 6 identical resistors and allowed to combine them in any possible configuration to produce different equivalent resistances. What is the ratio of the largest possible equivalent resistance, Req, max​, that you can make to the smallest possible equivalent resistance, Req, min​, that you can make with these resistors?

Answer 1

To achieve a smaller resistance value when given larger resistors, you can connect them in series or parallel.

Step-by-step explanation:

When given resistors with larger resistance values than needed, you can connect them in series or parallel to attempt to achieve the requested smaller resistance value.

If you connect the resistors in parallel, the equivalent resistance (Req) will be smaller than the resistance of each individual resistor. The total resistance can be calculated using the formula 1/Req = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3 + ...

On the other hand, if you connect the resistors in series, the equivalent resistance will be the sum of the resistances of each individual resistor.