What is the equivalent resistance when two 20 W resistors are connected in parallel?

When two resistors are connected in parallel, the formula used to calculate the equivalent resistance (R_eq) is:

1/R_eq = 1/R1 + 1/R2

For two identical resistors, such as the two 20 W resistors in this case, the formula simplifies to:

1/R_eq = 1/20 + 1/20

1/R_eq = 2/20

1/R_eq = 1/10

By taking the reciprocal to find R_eq, you get:

R_eq = 10 W

This means that when two 20 W resistors are connected in parallel, the equivalent resistance is 10 W. This is because in a parallel circuit, the total resistance decreases, and since both resistors have the same value, the equivalent resistance is simply half of one of the resistors. The equivalent resistance in a parallel configuration can often be significantly lower than the individual resistances, which is an important aspect in circuits where multiple paths for current flow are utilized.