| What is a Series Circuit? | This is where the Components are connected all in One Big Loop. You can follow it with a Finger, and as long as you don't need to Stop or Have a Break, You have a Series Circuit |
| What is a Parallel Circuit? | This is where the Components are Connected Separately. Meaning One 'Branch' can be Broken leads to Nothing Really Happening, The Current can Still Flow. |
| Does Connecting Cells to a Series Circuit Increase the Overall Potential Difference? [2 cells have a Voltage of 6. Will it be 12 Overall?] | -Yes, The Charge in that Circuit will get a 'Push' [Its Potential Difference] Added along. [It would be 12 overall] |
| Series Circuit, how does Potential Difference Behave? | -The Potential Difference from the Suppliers is Shared to its Components
-This means that the Potential Difference of the Components Altogether will always be the same as the Potential Difference of the Cell [Or Battery]
-This comes from the Energy Transferred to the Charges in the Circuit via the Power Supply is = to the Total Energy Transferred via the Charge tom the Components. |
| Series Circuit, how does Current Behave? | -The Current is the Same, all round.
-The Currents Size is affected by the Potential Difference and the Resistance of the Circuit |
| Series Circuits, How does Resistance Behave? | -The Resistance of the Circuit is the Added up Resistance from the Components.
-This is because Multiple Resistors means Extra Work from the Battery, as it has to Expend Potential Difference to Push the Charge Across them [also why 3 Resistors makes More Total Resistance rather then 1 Resistor]
-The Resistance of a Component also can state what Share of the Potential Difference it gets. [High Resistance = High Potential Difference]
-If a Component has its Resistance changed, [LDR for an Example] The Potential Difference will change for All of the Components. |
| Parallel Circuits, How does Potential Difference Behave? | -Each 'Branch' Will get the Same amount of Potential Difference as the Supplier will.
-This is because the Charge can only go Through a Branch, which will take its Potential Difference with it to [or Energy Transferred]
-If there is Components on that Branch, it gets Split [Like Series Circuit] |
| Parallel Circuits, How does Current Behave? | -Each Branch will have its Share of the Current meaning the Current at the Battery will be the Same as the Added up Current of the Branches
-Finding the Current in a Branch is easy, use
Current = Potential Difference [Same Everywhere]
................------------------------
................Resistance [Component in the Branch, or the Components All together in that Branch]
-So the Current has to Split where there is Junctions. Meaning the Total amount of Current entering has to equal the Amount Exiting. |
| Parallel Circuits, How does Resistance Behave? | -Ahh, The Total Resistance is quite Hard to Find out, buts its Less then the Branch with the Smallest Resistance.
-This Resistance is Lower, because the Charge has Multiple Branches to go through- [That's why the Current Splits] Some of the Charge will flow Along Each of the Branch
-A circuit that has 2 Resistors in Parallel will have a Lower Resistance then those Resistors in a Circuit alone.
-This makes Parallel Circuits have a Higher Total Current. |
| So why would a Series Circuit that have 5 Bulbs be Dimmer then the Same Circuit, but with 1 Bulb? | -So in a Series Circuit, the Potential Difference is Shared amongst the Components.
-The Single Bulb will have the Suppliers Potential Difference, as it Doesn't need to be Shared with any other Components, because they aren't any.
-The 5 Bulbs Divide the Potential Difference, meaning they will have Less Potential Difference then the Single Bulb. |
