Current Divider Rule Example # 6: 10 mA Current Enters node

Statement: 10 mA current enters the node formed by two parallel resistors having their resistances 20 Ω and 2 Ω. Find the divided current by applying the current divider rule.

Solution: We know the general formula for any divider circuit is:

And in case of two resistors:

In our present case, I_t is 10 mA. Whereas the R_t can be calculated by the formula:

The equivalent resistance is:
R_t =

R₁ * R₂ / R₁ + R₂

R_t = =

2 * 20 / 2 + 20

R_t = 1.81 Ω
In our case for two resistors:
The current across first resistor: I₁ =

1.81 Ω / 20 Ω

* 10 mA = 0.905 mA
and across the second resistor: I₂ =

1.81 Ω / 2 Ω

* 10 mA = 9.05 mA

You can also verify the results from current divider rule calculator.