1.

Introduction:
Electric circuits are essential for all types of electric and electronic devices. They are
essentially a system or network of conducting paths through which electric current flows in a
loop. Circuits consist of an electric energy source such as a battery (DC current) or your basic
wall outlet (AC current); plus a variety of electronic components that transform, store or
dissipate this energy. Such components include, but are not limited to: resistors, capacitors,
inductors, and connecting wires/paths on a printed circuit board or PCB. These components
shall be discussed subsequently. Electric circuits often include a fuse (a safety element that is
designed to melt thus interrupting the current) or circuit breaker to stop the flow of current
from becoming excessive.

2. Historic Background:
We owe the first electric circuit to Italian inventor Alessandro Volta (1745 – 1847) in 1800.
When experimenting with different layouts of liquids and metals, he discovered that he
could produce a continuous flow of continuous electricity using containers of salt water that
were connected by metal strips. Another display of circuits by Volta was to layer discs of two
(02) metals, i.e. copper and zinc, and a soaked cloth in a pile therefore producing an electric
current to flow through this circuit. The first practical use of the circuit was in electrolysis
(passing an electric current through a liquid), which resulted in the discovery of new
chemical elements (for instance, getting hydrogen and oxygen from water).

Georg Ohm (1787 – 1854) discovered that some conductors showed more resistance than
others when an electric current passed through them, which affects their efficiency in a
circuit. His famous law (Ohm’s Law V = RI) states that the voltage (V) across a conductor
divided by the current intensity (I in Amps) is equal the resistance (R in Ohms). The latter
refers to the lost electricity due to the nature of the conductor that is converted into heat.

3. General Overview of a Series Circuit: Types, Characteristics

It is a circuit in which the electric current passes through every component in the circuit.
Therefore, the same voltage is applied to all
components in the connection given that there
is only one path for electrical flow. As opposed
to this type of connection, parallel circuits are
not attached in a chain, but rather parallel to
each other since they use multiple flow wires.
There are a couple of differences between
these two wiring methods.
First, parallel circuits split the current flow through the multitude of components that are
present in the network. However, series
circuits offer only a single path for the
current to flow, therefore, the current
measured in the circuit will be the same
value, be it at the beginning, middle, or
end of a circuit.

Second, a break anywhere in a parallel

circuit will likely result in the stopping of
the component where the break
occurred, however, the circuit will
continue to operate (with the other components). In contrast, any break in a series circuit
will prevent current from completing the loop, thus causing the circuit to stop working.

Another feature of series circuits is its vulnerability regarding harsh conditions that cause
corrosion resulting in an increase in the circuit resistance, which in turn causes the current to
decrease. Moreover, this drop in electric amount will make the circuit try to work with less
power, this means that motors will spin slower and light bulbs will be dimmer.

It is worth mentioning that the aforementioned circuits (parallel and series) do not cancel
each other out, and can coexist in a hybridised circuit where one can be part of the other.

4. Elements of a Series Circuit:

4.1 Resistors

They control the electric current that passes through them as well as the voltage in each
component connected to them. Their primary role is to resist the flow of current resulting in
a drop of voltage and intensity. The surplus current is converted into heat. Without resistors,
other components may not be able to handle the voltage causing overloading.

4.2 Transistors

Transistors are crucial to PCB (Printed Circuit Board) assembly process due to their multi-
functional nature. They are semi-conductor devices (which means that they lay somewhere
between a conductor and an insulator) that can act as switches and amplifiers.

4.3 Capacitors

Capacitors are passive two-terminal electronic components. They act like rechargeable
batteries in the way that they can store energy and then deploy it again when needed.
However they can charge energy and transmit it much faster than conventional batteries.
 4.4 Inductors

Much like capacitors, inductors are passive two-terminal components that store energy in a
magnetic field when an electric current passes through them. They are used to block
alternating current while allowing direct currents to pass. They can be combined with
capacitors to make tuned circuits used in radio and TV receivers.

4.5 Diodes

Diodes are semi-conductor components that act as one-way switches for currents. They
allow current to pass easily in one direction but restrict it from flowing in the opposite
direction.

5. Grounds for choosing this topic:

The topic of series circuit was selected because of its relevance to our main area of study
which is telecommunication. This field largely depends on electricity and total mastery of it
workings is prerequisite to succeed in this field.

6. Conclusion
Understanding the electrical components, which make up an important part of a complex
electric network, helps us realise the complexity of printed circuit board assembly. There are
endless combinations of components to create ever intricate circuits capable to perform
unimaginable tasks.