What is a benefit of using a parallel combination of two 100 ohm resistors instead of a 50 ohm resistor?

Using a parallel combination of two 100 ohm resistors results in a total resistance that is indeed lower than 100 ohms. When you connect two identical resistors in parallel, the formula to calculate the total resistance is given by:

1/R_total = 1/R1 + 1/R2

In this case, R1 and R2 are both 100 ohms. Therefore, the calculation would be:

1/R_total = 1/100 + 1/100 = 2/100

This simplifies to R_total = 100/2, which is 50 ohms.

This lower resistance is beneficial in applications where reduced resistance can lead to better power transfer and efficiency in certain circuits. It effectively allows for greater current flow compared to using a single 50 ohm resistor when connected in the correct configurations, particularly in power applications, such as in antenna matching or load balancing.

The other options do not represent the benefit of using two 100 ohm resistors in parallel over a single 50 ohm resistor effectively. For instance, the power rating increase, voltage drop, and circuit design complexity are aspects directly not addressed by simply combining those two resistors in this manner.