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An electric light bulb, incandescant type, is designed to operate at a certain voltage. Let's take 12 volt car headlights for example. Two 12 volt lights are connected in parallel in a car to provide the headlights, the same 2 lights could be connected in series if used on a truck with a 24 volt battery, or 20 of the lights could be connected in series if connected to a 240volt home electric circuit. (In the US think of 10 connected in series on your 110 volt system.) The lights would each produce about the same light output, but the number of lights would cause more light in total.
In series there is a problem, when one light failsm they all go out. That's why lights in a house are connected in parallel.
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoIn series.
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What do you think will determine the number of bulbs you can light up in a series circuit?
Assuming the bulbs are identical, the voltage drop across each one is inversely proportional to the number of bulbs. So, for example, 240V could power 20 12V bulbs in series. In addition, the circuit would have to be able to supply the necessary current.
What is the effect on total resistance of adding this third bulb?
If a fourth bulb were added in a similar way to the three existing bulbs, the resistance in the circuit would go up if the bulbs were series connected, and it would go down if the bulbs were parallel connected.
In a series circuit how the total resistance of several bulbs compare to the individual resistances?
The greatest resistance is two bulbs in series. The equivalent resistance is series is R1+R2 while in parallel the resistance is R1R2/(R1 +R2). R1 +R2 is greater than R1R2/(R1+R2); e.g. if R1=R2 = R the series resistance is 2R and the parallel resistance is R/2.
When would a parallel circuit work better than a series circuit?
Efficiency isn't the question. They just do different things. For example, if you look at a typical lighting circuit in a house, all the bulbs on a circuit are in parallel. They each have the same voltage across the bulbs. If you rewired this so that the bulbs were in series then the voltage would be divided across each bulb and if one bulb burned out the others in series would get no current and would not light. If you had two 60Watt bulbs in parallel in your house, each would draw 1/2 Amp. Add another bulb and it would draw 1/2 amp as well, for a total of three 60W bulbs drawing 1.5 amps from the power source. If the same three bulbs were in series there would be 40 Volts across each one with a current of 1/6 amps per bulb. Hence each bulb would be about 1/3 as bright as in the parallel circuit.
Why you can't usually swap bulbs between series and parallel sets of lights?
If it is in the same circuit, the voltage would not be the same. ANSWER: That is possible if both bulbs have the same rating of volts and amperes
Will adding light bulbs to a parallel circuit causes all of the light bukbs to shine less brightly?
No. In a parallel circuit, the resistance gets cut in half, so logically the bulbs would do the opposite and get brighter.
Does a flashlight use parallel circuit or series circuit?
Well it can depend on how many bulbs it has etc, but generally it would be a series circuit.
What happens if one bulb in a series circuit burned out?
In a series circuit, all bulbs are necessary to complete the circuit. If one bulb goes out, the circuit is broken, so none of the bulbs would light up.
Does a flashlight emit one beam or many beams of light?
Depends on the flashlight, some have many bulbs which would probably shine brighter, or just one big bulb which depending on the bulb, might shine less bright.
What do you think will determine the number of bulbs you can light up in a series circuit?
Assuming the bulbs are identical, the voltage drop across each one is inversely proportional to the number of bulbs. So, for example, 240V could power 20 12V bulbs in series. In addition, the circuit would have to be able to supply the necessary current.
What would happen to the bulbs if three more were added to this series circuit?
Nothing would "happen" to them, but they would glow less brightly.
How would you compare the brightness of the bulbs as you increase the number of bulbs?
-- If the bulbs are in parallel, then the addition of a bulb has no effect on the brightness of those that were there before. -- If the bulbs are in series, then the addition of a bulb causes the brightness of those that were there before to decrease. (And I wasn't even there when you did the experiment !)
What is the effect on total resistance of adding this third bulb?
If a fourth bulb were added in a similar way to the three existing bulbs, the resistance in the circuit would go up if the bulbs were series connected, and it would go down if the bulbs were parallel connected.
How can you make 5 bulbs burn as bright as one bulb in a series circuit?
That would require the voltage between the ends of the series string to be five times the specified operating voltage printed on each bulb. (It would also require five identical bulbs.)
In a series circuit how the total resistance of several bulbs compare to the individual resistances?
The greatest resistance is two bulbs in series. The equivalent resistance is series is R1+R2 while in parallel the resistance is R1R2/(R1 +R2). R1 +R2 is greater than R1R2/(R1+R2); e.g. if R1=R2 = R the series resistance is 2R and the parallel resistance is R/2.
What is the value of resistor do you use in 2.5volts bulb with use 4 batteries with 1.5volts?
If your batteries were in series the total voltage would be 6 volts, and it the bulbs were in series you would need a resistor to keep them from burning out. In order to know how many ohms the resistor would need to be you would have to know the wattage of the bulbs, or the resistance of the bulbs. If you don't know the best thing to do is use a variable resistor. Then you can adjust it or the brightness that you want.
What are the advantage to a parallel circuit?
If one wire was to break only one of the bulbs on the circuit would stop working whereas if one wire broke on a series circuit all the bulbs would stop working.
