![]() The problem is when you get a small number, it often comes back in scientific notation. If you want to double check that math, you can. For example, if the load were 333 Ω (about 24 mA load), the real value of R2 would need to be about 500 Ω. This is fine, and you could use the parallel resistor calculator to figure out a value of R2 with a given load. So you could make a much longer query that was more symbolic. However, what follows the underscore must be a number. You can also use things like R1, although sometimes it gets confused when you do that with larger numbers. You can ask “ 8=12*(R_2/(R_1+R_2)), R_1=100, solve for R_2” which works and is an easy way to set variables like R_1 for R1. You have the top resistor, R1, set to 100 Ω. For example, suppose you have a twelve-volt battery and you want a voltage divider that produces eight volts with no load. Of course, Wolfram is mostly about solving equations and doing calculus. Of course, you can always ask for “ parallel resistors” and solve for the equivalent value or find a pairing that will give you a desired value. Of course, that might lead you down the rabbit hole of asking what is a statohm? Which will then lead to the abohm and other things too terrible to contemplate. Try “ 4700 ohm resistor” or “ Resistor red red orange,” for example. There are lots of sentences to help you remember like “Big Boys Race…” or “Bad Beer Rots…” However, if you haven’t learned them yet, you can ask Wolfram to go either direction. You really should learn the resistor color codes. Now who uses pf as per fortnight is probably another question for another day. The second example working wasn’t due to the order, it was because I randomly capitalized the F in that case. Update: As noted in the comments, the reason it was confused is it is case sensitive and the correct entry is pF. You can always express it in different units or - oddly - if you put the 100 uH in first, it will correctly figure out picofarads. For example, it doesn’t pay to try to use picofarads with Wolfram: The only problem is, sometimes it gets confused about units. For example, if you need a capacitor to resonate with a 100 uH inductor at 4 MHz: You can often give the site a keyword and some parameters and it will sort them out. Try “ Butterworth filter” or “ Chebyshev filter.” Unfortunately, “Sallen-key filter” or “Elliptic filter” don’t do anything useful. If you forget, though, you can always click the formula link: Entering “ Ohm’s law” tells you about George Ohm, but entering “ Ohm’s law calculator” is a bit more practical. Other topics you might find interesting are various combinations of parallel or serial RLC circuit - “serial LC circuit,” for example. Wolfram is pretty good at picking up suffixes like mV for millivolt, although we’ve found a few that choke it (see tip #2). You get quite a few options of different types of opamp circuits and how to analyze them. For example, look what happens when you enter the word opamp: Sometimes just putting a topic name in can lead to some interesting calculations. Wolfram can’t seem to decide if it is a symbolic math program or a search engine. But once you do, using a tool like Wolfram can free you to focus on the abstract questions instead of the detailed “grunt work.” ![]() If you increase a capacitor’s value does that make its reactance go up or down? Does a little change in load resistance make a corresponding small change in power consumption or is it a lot more? So you should understand why math works. But the real value to math for engineers and scientists is to develop intuition about things. For bookkeepers and at the very final stage of engineering, that may be true. Unfortunately, schools often teach us that the point to math is to get a correct answer. If you want to do a lot with electronics - or nearly any technical field - you are going to have to learn some math and you shouldn’t just rely on tools like Wolfram to skirt understanding the math. But did you know it actually has some features specifically for electronics? I use it all the time when I’m too lazy to solve an equation or do an integral by hand. But these days, you have Wolfram Alpha which will do all the work for you and very easily. Once you’ve mastered all the algebra and calculus, though, it is sometimes a drag to go through the motions.
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