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A parallel circuit has more than one resistor (anything that uses electricity to do work) and gets its name from having multiple (parallel) paths to move along . Charges can move through any of several paths. If one of the items in the circuit is broken then no charge will move through that path, but other paths will continue to have charges flow through them. Parallel circuits are found in most household electrical wiring. This is done so that lights don't stop working just because you turned your TV off.
Below is an animation of a parallel circuit where electrical energy is shown as gravitational potential energy (GPE). The greater the change in height, the more energy is used or the more work is done.
The following rules apply to a parallel circuit:
- The potential drops of each branch equals the potential rise of the source.
- The total current is equal to the sum of the currents in the branches.
- The inverse of the total resistance of the circuit (also called effective resistance) is equal to the sum of the inverses of the individual resistances.
One important thing to notice from this last equation is that the more branches you add to a parallel circuit (the more things you plug in) the lower the total resistance becomes. Remember that as the total resistance decreases, the total current increases. So, the more things you plug in, the more current has to flow through the wiring in the wall. That's why plugging too many things in to one electrical outlet can create a real fire hazard.
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∙ 11y ago
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∙ 14y agoA parallel circuit is an electrical circuit in which the resistors are dispersed onto multiple branches. Multiple branches, in this case, exist when current doesn't flow continuously between all the resistors and wires in the circuit; instead, current splits at a junction between two routes. Since the voltage of the battery must be dropped in one trip around the circuit, and parallel branches present multiple routes, the same voltage must be dropped across each parallel branch. Using this voltage and the resistance of any parallel resistors, the current in each parallel branch can be determined using Ohm's law.
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∙ 12y agoIt's where each load (such as lamps) are all wired directly across the power supply. Each load gets the full voltage.
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∙ 12y agoWiki User
∙ 11y agoCharacterized by the fact it has more than one path for current flow.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoa parallel circuit is a circuit that has a lot of wires for example Christmas lights if one gets broken or if anyone has touched it and it fell down then the other lights would still work
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∙ 12y agoelectricity flows along one pathway
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∙ 8y agoSeries.
Quindarious Williams
Anonymous
Which best describes a parallel circuit
Quindarious Williams
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What is the difference between a parallel and series circuit?
One is parallel and one is not
What is the difference between a series and parallel circuit?
because the series has only one path that electricity flows and parallel circuit has one or more pathways that electricity can flow
Can electricity flow through a parallel circuit?
'Electricity' is the name given to a branch of science; it is NOT a quantity. So your question should read, 'How does an electric current flow through a parallel circuit?'The answer is that a parallel circuit is made up of two or more individual 'branches'. The sum of the currents flowing through each branch is the value of the current being drawn from the supply by the complete circuit.
What is the difference between a series and a parallel circuit?
A series circuit has all its elements connected in a sequence so the same current flows through each the same while A parallel circuit has many paths for current to travel and more than one resistor, outlet or switch.An example for each would be Christmas lights. If you take out one light bulb on a series circuit all the lights will go out because of an uncomplete circuit. If it were parallel circuit the rest of the lights wouldn't go out because in a parallel circuit there is more than one path for the current to follow. This allows you to take one out without all the others turning off. It would save you alot of trouble on Christmas if one light burned out!A; No difference as far as a source is concerned it is load of different type
What is the difference between a series circuit and a parallel?
Series circuit has the light bulbs like this: -------------------Ii------------------- I I I I I I I O O I I I I O -----------O---------------O---------I If you unscrew one bulb, the whole, all the others will stop working too. Parallel has the bulbs like this: -------------------Ii------------------- I I I I I I I I I I I I I I ---------------------------------------- I I I-------O------I I I I I I-------O-------I
What type of circuit are there?
parallel circuit / series circuit / and a short circuit
What describes a parallel circuit?
A circuit in which there are multiple ways for electricity to go around.
Which term describes electrical circuit with two or more devices connected to a source of electricity in one loop?
A parallel circuit
What are the two kinds of electrical circuit?
There are four types of circuit: series, parallel, series-parallel, and complex.
How is a series circuit and a parallel circuit like their circuit names?
A series circuit is actually in series, but a parallel circuit, is Parallel
What best describes continuity in a circuit?
Continuity in a circuit means no breaks; continuous.
What is the best Example of series parallel circuit in vehicle?
fart
Which circuit has different parts of the circuit on separate branches?
Any circuit that even has more than one branch is a parallel one.
Is the electric circuit in your home a series circuit or a parallel circuit?
Parallel.
which of these words best describes train tracks?
parallel lines
What type of circuit has more than one circuit on a wire a series circuit or a parallel circuit?
A parallel circuit is :)
What kind of circuit is best for a string of holiday lights?
A parallel circuit is best because if one light goes out the others remain lit.
