Parallel Circuits

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chloe

Cards (17)

A parallel circuit consists of two or more components attached on separate branches of the circuit.
A parallel circuit allows current to flow along different routes.
In a parallel circuit, if a light burns out, electrons will keep flowing along a different path so it will not affect the rest of the lights.
Unlike a series circuit, the lights will stay bright no matter how many light bulbs you add to the parallel circuit.
The total current of a parallel circuit is the sum of the currents through the separate components.
Total Current = current A + current B
Voltage in parallel circuits:
The voltage/potential difference across each branch is the same as the voltage produced by the battery
voltage is not shared
if more lamps are added, all lamps glow brightly because the voltage is the same across all branches, and is not shared amongst components
To calculate total voltage in parallel circuits:
VT = V1 + V2 + V3+...
To calculate total current of a parallel circuit:
IT = I1 + I2 + I3 +...
To calculate the total resistance of a parallel circuit:
$\frac{1}{R_T}=$ $\ \frac{1}{R1}+$ $\frac{1}{R2}+$ $\frac{1}{R3}+$ $...$
As you increase the number of electrical devices and pathways in a parallel circuit, you increase the total current of the circuit
As you increase the number of resistors and pathways in a parallel circuit, the resistance of the circuit decreases
As you increase the number of electrical devices in a parallel circuit, the voltage that flows across each device stays the same
Increasing the number of bulbs in a parallel circuit does not cause bulbs to dim
In a parallel circuit, current splits and has independent paths to take through each device
In a parallel circuit, voltage has multiple paths to follow and is NOT shared among devices: the same amount of voltage flows across each device
In a parallel circuit, devices are linked together with separate pathways or loops
In a parallel circuit, if one bulb blows in the circuit, the rest will still glow