circuits

• Current

  Flow of electrical charge
• Current in a single closed loop

  Has the same value at any point
• Parallel Circuits characteristics

  • Branched circuit
  • Current splits into multiple paths
  • Total current into a junction = total current in each of the branches
  • The potential difference is the same across each "branch"
• Parallel Circuit

  • Components are connected separately to the power supply
  • Current flows through each one separately
  • You can switch each component off individually
  • Potential difference is the same across all branches
  • PD of power supply = PD of each branch
  • Because charge can only pass through any one branch
  • Current is shared between each of the branches
  • Current through source = sum of current through each branch
  • Total resistance is less than the branch with the smallest resistance
  • Two resistors in parallel will have a smaller overall resistance than just one
  • Because charge has more than one branch to take, so only some charge will flow along each branch
• in a parallel circuit the current is distributed

  equally
• for charge to flow the

  switch must be closed

  
• state an example of potential difference

  battery

  
• if there is a source of potential difference ,current can flow