Parallel Circuits vs. Series Circuits*

Claimed by Amber Akbar (Spring 2016) Short Description of Topic

Parallel Circuits vs. Series Circuits

In a circuit containing a power source and different electrical elements such as resistors, capacitors, or bulb, the elements of the circuit can be connected either in parallel or in series, relative to the power source. Parallel and series describe the type of connection.

For example, we have three bulbs and a battery to connect together in a circuit.

One way to connect the bulbs is connect them in line with the battery, in such a way that a charge traveling from the high potential end of the battery to its low potential end would have to travel through all three bulbs to get to the other side of the battery. These bulbs are connected in series.

A Mathematical Model

What are the mathematical equations that allow us to model this topic. For example [math]\displaystyle{ {\frac{d\vec{p}}{dt}}_{system} = \vec{F}_{net} }[/math] where p is the momentum of the system and F is the net force from the surroundings.

A Computational Model

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Examples

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Parallel Circuits vs. Series Circuits*

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