A Battery and a Bulb

The most important thing is that there must be a complete path, or circuit, from the positive terminal at the top of the battery to the negative terminal.

A Battery and a Bulb

Although current flows from the positive terminal to the negative, the electrons actually flow from the negative terminal to the base of the bulb, THROUGH the filament, back to the base of the bulb, and finally to the positive terminal.

A Battery and a Bulb

The flow of electric current is similar to the flow of water. The battery acts as a pump which produces the change in pressure that causes the current to flow.

A Battery and a Bulb

If the batteries in a circuit are connected in series, (positive of first battery to the negative of the next, the voltage across the bulb is the SUM of all the individual voltages added together.

Electric Circuits
For the continual flow of electrons there MUST be a complete circuit with NO gaps. Unlike a water faucet which needs to be open for water to flow, CLOSING a switch causes the current to flow.

Series Circuits
In a series circuit the current has only ONE path. This means the current through each electrical device is the same.

Series Circuits
The current is slowed (resisted) by the first, then the second, then the third bulb. The total resistance is the sum of the individual resistances along the circuit path.

Series Circuits
The current in the circuit is numerically equal to the voltage supplied divided by the total resistance. In this case the current (I = V/R) is 9/22 or .41 Amps.

Series Circuits
The Voltage drop across EACH device depends on the resistance according to Ohms Law (V=IR) .41 * 2 = .82 volts .41 * 8 = 3.28 volts .41 * 12 = 4.92 volts The total voltage drop around the circuit will equal the voltage drop across the battery.

Parallel Circuits
A Parallel circuit is where the flow of electrons can take two or more paths instead of following only a single path as in a series circuit.

Parallel Circuits
In this simple parallel circuit each of the lamps has its own branch from the main current flow. Since all the bulbs have the same The total current is the resistance, they sum of the currents in each get 1/3 of each of the branches. the current.

Parallel Circuits
The total resistance in a group of parallel resisters can be calculated with the equation at the right.

Schematic Diagrams
Electric circuits are frequently described by simple diagrams called schematic diagrams.

Review
Series Circuits 1. Current is constant and depends on total resistance 2. Voltage drop on each resistor is dependent on total current and is adititve in the circuit. 3. Total resistance is summative. Parallel Circuits 1. Voltage is constant 2. Current is Adititve and is dependent on the resistance in each branch. 3. Resistance is the reciprocal of the sum of the reciprocal resistances

Resistors in Compound Circuit

It is possible to determine the equivalent resistance of a group of resistors that are in a parallel branch. The two parallel resistors R3 (6) and R4 (2) give an equivalent resistance of 1.5 ohms.

Resistors in Compound Circuit

The 1.5 ohms can be substituted for the two resistors in the circuit. This value is in series with the 2.5 ohms of R5 so they can be added together to equal 4.0 ohms. This would then be parallel with another 4.0 ohms.

Resistors in Compound Circuit

These two parallel 4 ohm resistors are equivalent to one 2 ohm resistance.

Resistors in Compound Circuit

This 2 ohm resistor is now in series with the last 6 ohm resistor. This give a total of 8 ohms in the entire circuit.

Resistors in Compound Circuit

This gives a total resistance of 8 ohms. If the battery was 24 volts, then the current (I) would be 24/8 or 3.0 amps

Parallel Circuits and Overloading

There are two power lines that come into your home. One is +120 volts and the other is 120 volts. Connecting these two together produces 240 volts for larger appliances. Connecting +120 volt line to the ground gives 120 volts for regular appliances.

 Since household circuits are wired in parallel the current increases as each appliance is turned on. The hair dryer draws 10A and the stereo draws 3A. But if you add the heater at 13A the total is more than the circuit can safely handle. Too large a current will heat the wires to the point where they could start a fire in the walls.

Parallel Circuits and Overloading

Parallel Circuits and Overloading

To prevent overloading in circuits fuses were used in series with the power lines. A soft metal was used which would melt and break the circuit if too much current was used.

Parallel Circuits and Overloading

Today, most circuits are protected by circuit breakers which snap off if too much current goes through. These are better than fuses because they do not have to be replaced each time.