Week 4: Series-Parallel Circuit

 Series-Parallel Circuit

Series Circuits

What are Series Circuits?

Series Circuit- A series circuit has more than one resistor (anything that uses electricity to do work) and gets its name from only having one path for the charges to move along. Charges must move in "series" first going to one resistor then the next. If one of the items in the circuit is broken then no charge will move through the circuit because there is only one path. There is no alternative route. Old style electric holiday lights were often wired in series. If one bulb burned out, the whole string of lights went off.

What are Parallel Circuits?

Parallel Circuit- A parallel circuit is one that has two or more paths for the electricity to flow, the loads are parallel to each other. If the loads in this circuit were light bulbs and one blew out, there is still current flowing to the others because they are still in a direct path from the negative to positive terminals of the battery.

Difference between the two?

The parallel circuit has very different characteristics than a series circuit. For one, the total resistance of a Parallel Circuit is NOT equal to the sum of the resistors (like in a series circuit). The total resistance in a parallel circuit is always less than any of the branch resistances. Adding more parallel resistances to the paths causes the total resistance in the circuit to decrease. As you add more and more branches to the circuit the total current will increase because Ohm's Law states that the lower the resistance, the higher the current.

Voltage and Current Division

Voltage and Current division allow us to simplify the task of analyzing a circuit.

Voltage Division allows us to calculate what fraction of the total voltage across a series string of resistors is dropped across any one resistor.

Hence:

Current Division allows us to calculate what fraction of the total current into a parallel string of resistors flows through any one of the resistors.

Hence:

Reflection:

In the 4th week of our CpE 311 subject, I learned the two types of Electrical Circuits. These two are Parallel Circuits and Series Circuits. In a Series Circuit, All components are connected end-to-end and there is only one path for the current to flow. In a Parallel Circuit, All components are connected across each other forming exactly two sets of common points. Also in a Series Circuit, The current is equal for there is only one path while in a Parallel Circuit, The voltages are equal because the components are connected across each other. In our laboratory class, I have also learned to measure the voltages and current of a circuit by connecting the circuit in a Power Supply and using a Digital Multimeter to measure both values.

Video:

Series and Parallel Circuits

Voltage and Current Division

Thank you for visiting my Blog!! The fifth post will be arriving next week. See ya!!

“Electricity is actually made up of extremely tiny particles called electrons that you cannot see with the naked eye unless you have been drinking.”

-Dave Barry