When is 1 watt not 1 watt?

[Laplace]

... Can someone explain this contradiction to me, or have I simply missed something again?

It's not really a contradiction. With a complex series/parallel circuit where every component affects every other part of the circuit, it will be necessary to find the composite voltage or current of the entire circuit. This is done with simplification, alternately combining serial and parallel components until nothing is left to combine. But if the question is not to find the composite but rather to find the voltage or current for a single component then you need to work backward using voltage or current division with intermediate simplified configurations to the single component of interest. So even though the simplified result is not the requested answer, it is necessary to find the simplified result first in order to work backwards to the component that is the requested answer.

 

[Arouse1973]

Well Laplace, this is how I do it also. And if I ever have to explain to anyone why I do it that way, I am going to steel those word you just wrote as I can't think of a better way to explain it.
Nice one
Adam