Here we calculate the value of a resistor used in parallel with another known resistor to achieve a desired total effective resistance.
Enter
- One resistor value (R1) in a parallel set of resistors
- Target resistance (Rtotal) for the combination
The tool will calculate the value of the other resistor
Formula
R2 = (R1*Rtotal)/(R1-Rtotal)
Note that the effective resistance Rtotal is always equal to or lower than the smallest resistor of the two.
- Rtotal < R1
- Rtotal < R2
Example Calculation
What resistor should be added in parallel to a 1 kilohm resistor to create an effective resistance of 50 ohm? (This may be used to create a 50Ω ADC input impedance)
Enter R1 = 1 kΩ, Rtotal = 50 Ω. The answer is R2 = 52.6 Ω.
In practice you might not be able to find this value. In that case, pick a value that’s close.
Related Calculators
In this calculator we calculate the effective resistance of a bank of any number of resistors in parallel.