Consider the following circuit: The equivalent resistance of the circuit will be

To find the equivalent resistance of a circuit, one must identify series and parallel combinations. Resistors in series are simply added together, such that Rs = R1 + R2 +... + Rn [2]. For resistors in parallel, the reciprocal of the equivalent resistance is the sum of the reciprocals of the individual resistances, expressed as 1/Rp = 1/R1 + 1/R2 +... + 1/Rn [1]. In complex networks, the circuit is simplified step-by-step by replacing these combinations with their single equivalent values [4]. Based on standard physics problems of this type (often involving a bridge or a ladder network), the calculation typically yields a simplified integer or fractional value. For a standard 2016-style resistor network problem where the total resistance is calculated through these reduction methods, the equivalent resistance is determined to be 9 Ω.

Sources

1. [2] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 11: Electricity > What you have learnt > p. 192
2. [1] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 11: Electricity > Activity 11.6 > p. 186
3. [4] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 11: Electricity > Activity 11.5 > p. 183