Series and parallel circuits: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 18:00, 10 February 2024

Revision as of 18:09, 10 February 2024

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[[File:Series circuit.svg|thumb|A serial circuit with a [[voltage source]] (such as a battery, or in this case a cell) and three resistance units]]

[[Terminal (electronics)|Two-terminal]] components and [[electrical networks]] can be connected in '''series''' <ref>{{Cite web |title=Series vs Parallel Circuits: What's the Difference? |url=https://www.thespruce.com/series-and-parallel-circuits-the-basics-1152850 |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=The Spruce |language=en}}</ref>or '''parallel'''. The resulting electrical network will have two terminals, and itself can participate in a series or parallel [[Topology (electrical circuits)|topology]]. Whether a two-terminal "object" is an electrical component (e.g. a [[resistor]]) or an electrical network (e.g. resistors in series) is a matter of perspective. This article will use "component" to refer to a two-terminal "object" that participates in the serial/parallel networks.

Components connected in seriesa serial circuit are connected along a single "electrical path", and each component has the same electric current through it, equal to the current through the network. The voltage across the network is equal to the sum of the voltages across each component.<ref name="Resnick_1966"/><ref name="Smith_1966"/>

Components connected in parallel are connected along multiple paths, and each component has the same [[voltage]] across it, equal to the voltage across the network. The current through the network is equal to the sum of the currents through each component.

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==== Conductance ====

[[Electrical conductance]] presents a reciprocal quantity to resistance. Total conductance of a seriesserial circuitscircuit of pure resistances, therefore, can be calculated from the following expression:

<math display="block">\frac{1}{G_\text{total}} = \frac{1}{G_1} + \frac{1}{G_2} + \cdots + \frac{1}{G_n}.</math>

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==Applications==

A common application of seriesserial circuit in consumer electronics is in batteries, where several cells connected in series are used to obtain a convenient operating voltage. Two disposable zinc cells in series might power a flashlight or remote control at 3 volts; the battery pack for a hand-held power tool might contain a dozen lithium-ion cells wired in series to provide 48 volts.

SeriesSerial circuits were formerly used for lighting in [[electric multiple units]] trains. For example, if the supply voltage was 600 volts there might be eight 70-volt bulbs in series (total 560 volts) plus a [[resistor]] to drop the remaining 40 volts. SeriesSerial circuits for train lighting were superseded, first by [[motor-generator]]s, then by [[Solid state (electronics)|solid state]] devices.

Series resistance can also be applied to the arrangement of blood vessels within a given organ. Each organ is supplied by a large artery, smaller arteries, arterioles, capillaries, and veins arranged in series. The total resistance is the sum of the individual resistances, as expressed by the following equation: {{math|1=''R''_total = ''R''_artery + ''R''_arterioles + ''R''_capillaries}}. The largest proportion of resistance in this series is contributed by the arterioles.<ref name="BRS"/>