SERIES AND PARALLEL CIRCUITS

Physics
Mrs. Coyle
PART I

 Kirchhoff’s Rules
 Series Circuits
 Equivalent Resistance
 Voltage Drop Across Resistors

 Brightness of Bulbs in a Series Circuit

SERIES CIRCUIT
 There is one current
path.

 All resistors have the

same current.
RECOGNIZING IF A CIRCUIT IS IN SERIES.
REMEMBER: CONVENTIONAL CURRENT
 Positive charges are
“pumped” by the
battery from low to
high potential. V>0

 When traversing a
resistor with the
current, there is a
decrease in
potential. V<0
KIRCHHOFF’S RULES

 1st Rule: (Junction Theorem): At a junction

(node), current in= current out

 2nd Rule: (Loop Theorem): In a closed loop the

sum of the voltages is zero.
VOLTAGE DROP IN A SERIES CIRCUIT

 In a series circuit the total voltage drop across

the resistors equals the sum of the individual
voltages.

V = V1 + V2 + V3
EXAMPLE 1
 If the battery’s
voltage is 12V and
the voltage across R1
is 5 V, and across R2
is 4V, find the voltage
across R3 .

 Answer: 3V
EQUIVALENT RESISTANCE
SERIES CIRCUITS
V = V 1 + V2 + V3

Using Ohm’s Law:

IReq = IR1+IR2 +IR3

Equivalent resistance
Req = R1 + R2 + R3
 EXAMPLE 2
 If the battery’s voltage
is 12V and
R1 = 1Ω
R2 = 2Ω
R3 = 3Ω
 Find the equivalent
resistance.
 Find the current.
 Find the voltage across
each resistor.
 Answer: 6Ω, 2A,
2V, 4V, 6V
REMEMBER: BRIGHTNESS OF A LIGHT
BULB AND POWER
 The greater the power actually used by a
light bulb, the greater the brightness.

 Note: the power rating of a light bulb is

indicated for a given voltage, at room
temperature and the bulb may be in a
circuit that does not have that voltage.
REMEMBER: POWER

 P= I V

 P=I2 R

 P=V2 / R
 EXAMPLE 3
 Find the total resistance. 250Ω
 Find the current.
 Find the power dissipated
in each lamp.
 Which light bulb will be
the brightest and why?
 Find the total power. 50Ω
 How does the total power
compare to the powers of
the individual bulbs. 12 V

150Ω
 Ans: 450Ω, 0.027A,
0.18W, 0.036W, 0.109W,
250 Ω, 0.324W
PART II

 Parallel Circuits
 Equivalent Resistance
 Brightness of Light Bulb

 Combination Circuits
 PARALLEL CIRCUITS

 There is more than one

current path.
 The voltage across the
resistors is the same.

http://www1.curriculum.edu.au/sciencepd/energy/images/energy_ill112.gif
PARALLEL CIRCUITS
I = I1 + I2 + I3

V =V1=V2=V3
Using Ohm’s Law:
V/Req= V/R1 +V/R2 + V/R3

Equivalent Resistance:
1/Req= 1/R1 +1/R2 + 1/R3
WHEN ARE PARALLEL CIRCUITS USED?
E
X
A
M 12V =1Ω =2Ω
P =3Ω
L
E
1
 Find the Req , I’s.
 How does Req compare with each R?

Ans: 0.55Ω, I= 22A, (12A, 6A, 4A)

QUESTION

 Why should you not plug in too many

appliances in the same outlet in a home?
COMBINATION CIRCUITS
EXAMPLE 2: FIND THE REQ , ALL I’S AND V’S

=10Ω

=5Ω
=20V

=15Ω

Ans:
11 Ω, 1.8A, V1=9V, V2=11V, I2=1.1A, I3=0.7A
 EXAMPLE 3: FIND THE REQ , TOTAL I AND ALL V’S

http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/DesignOffice/mdp/electric_web/DC/00123.png
ANSWERS:

 Req 1 = 71.4Ω
 Req 2 = 127.3Ω

 Req = 198.7Ω

 I=0.12A

 V1 = 8.6V

 V2 = 15.3V