➖Series circuit vs Parallel circuit🔀
How you wire components changes everything about a circuit's behavior. Series and parallel are the two fundamental layouts.
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➖Series circuit
- ✓Components share a single current path
- ✓The same current flows through every component
- ✓Voltage is divided among the components
- ✓One break stops the entire circuit
- ✓Total resistance is the sum of all resistances
🔀Parallel circuit
- ✓Components are on separate branches
- ✓Each branch receives the full source voltage
- ✓Current divides between the branches
- ✓One break leaves the other branches working
- ✓Total resistance is less than the smallest resistor
Verdict
Series wiring is simple but fragile — one failure kills it, like old fairy lights. Parallel wiring keeps the rest running if one part fails, which is why house wiring uses it.
Frequently asked
Why do homes use parallel wiring?+
So each appliance gets full voltage and one failure does not switch off the whole house.
What happens if one bulb fails in a series circuit?+
The whole circuit breaks and every other bulb goes out, since there is only one path.
How does total resistance differ?+
Series resistance adds up; parallel resistance is always less than the smallest resistor.
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