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Home Concept Builders Electric Circuits Series vs. Parallel Circuits Help Help 10

Series vs. Parallel Circuits - Questions 10 Help

Wiring two or more devices together in a circuit can be done in a variety of ways. The two most common ways are to wire the devices in a series circuit or as a parallel circuit. Whether the devices are in a series or a parallel arrangement affects the properties that the circuit would exhibit.

There are two similar versions of this question. Here is one of the versions:

Version 1:

When the circuit is turned on, all of my light bulbs will seem to light at the same time.

Series Circuits are characterized by a single pathway from the + to the - terminal of the battery. The bulbs are arranged in a consecutive fashion such that any charge that passes through the first bulb will also have to pass through the second and the third bulb. Charge is conceived as circulating through the circuit together. If a wire is disconnected anywhere in the circuit, all bulbs will be affected and will be unlit.

Parallel circuits are quite different because the bulbs are all placed in an individual branch with each branch operating independent of the others. The current in a branch is not affected by anything that is present in the other branches. A disconnection or a burned out bulb within a branch has an impact that is confined to that branch. However, a disconnection that occurs outside of the branch will have an affect upon all the branches since it opens the entire circuit and not just a part (i.e., a branch).

Try these links to The Physics Classroom Tutorial for more help with understanding the difference between series and parallel circuits:

Two Types of Circuits

Series Circuits

Parallel Circuits

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