Series and parallel circuits: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 18:09, 10 February 2024

Revision as of 18:24, 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.thesprucethefreedictionary.com/series-and-parallel-circuits-the-basics-1152850serial |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 a 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"/>