Parallel Circuits vs. Series Circuits

Series vs. Parallel

The Main Idea

On this page, Parallel Circuits and Series circuits will be explained in detail and examples will be demonstrated to make sure the correct for is used at the correct time. Series and Parallel Circuits are used in so many different items. From T.V. remotes to cell phones and cars to airplanes, parallel and series circuits are the backbone of most common items that run on disposable batteries.

Series Circuits

A series circuit involves a circuit in which the components are placed in succession to one another. To put it more simply, the wires or conductors that would run through the circuit do not branch off in any way shape or form. Each lead to each battery is connected to another straight away, without having all of the batteries touch one another. Of course these circuits can have other components such as resistors, switches, any auxiliary component and a power source, or multiple. A series Circuit is the most simple form of a circuit. They are used in most everyday electronics, from the most basic to the most complex! Parallel circuits can even be simplified into series circuits.

Parallel Circuits

Much like the series circuit, the parallel circuit runs a current through more than one load. The difference is, the parallel circuit gives the current more than just one path to run around the circuit from start to finish. In a series circuit, one path is clearly defined while in parallel charges can move through different paths to find the end. The Current will depend on the resistors in the circuit.

A Mathematical Model

A Computational Model

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Examples

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