SERIES CIRCUITS

THE ELEMENTS ARE CONNECTED ONE AFTER THE OTHER. AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT MAY BE DEFINED AS A COMPLETE CONDUCTING PATH THAT CARRIES CURRENT FROM A SOURCE OF ELECTRICITY TO AND THROUGH SOME ELECTRICAL DEVICE (or load) AND BACK TO THE SOURCE. A CURRENT CAN NEVER FLOW UNLESS THERE IS A COMPLETE (closed) CIRCUIT.

IN ANY SERIES, THE TOTAL RESISTANCE R IS THE SUM OF THE RESISTANCE AROUND THE CIRCUIT. THUS,

R = rab + rbc + rcd + rda R = 0.1 + 0.2 + 1.00 + 0.2 = 1.5 ohms

PARALLEL CIRCUITS
WHEN TWO OR MORE BRANCHES OR LOADS IN A CIRCUIT ARE CONNECTED BETWEEN THE SAME TWO POINTS, THEY ARE SAID TO BE CONNECTED IN A PARALLEL OR MULTIPLE. SUCH AN ARRANGEMENT AND ITS HYDRAULIC EQUIVALENT ARE SHOWN BELOW.

FROM THE CIRCUIT SHOWN BELOW, IT SHOULD BE APPARENT THAT MULTIPLE LOADS ARE ACROSS THE SAME VOLTAGE AND, IN EFFECT, CONSTITUTE SEPARATE CIRCUITS. FROM THIS WE CONCLUDE THAT IN THE CIRCUIT IS THE SUM OF THE INDIVIDUAL CURRENTS FLOWING IN THE BRANCHES THAT IS,

IT = I1 + I2 + I3
= 12 + 1 + 10 = 23 amp

THE PARALLEL CONNECTION IS THE STANDARD ARRANGEMENT IN ALL BUILDING WIRING. A TYPICAL LIGHTING AND RECEPTACLE ARRANGEMENT FOR A LARGE ROOM IS SHOWN BELOW.