Electrical Circuits Activity

Electrical Circuits Activity

Parallel Circuit

A parallel circuit has more than one resistor and gets its name because it has multiple paths to move along. Charges can move through any of several paths. If one of the paths are broken, then, no charge will move through that path but will flow through the other paths.

Recommendations

Series Circuits

Parallel Circuit

Safety Measures:

• Insulate the wires in rubber or plastic
• Use polarized plugs.
• Use three-pronged grounding plugs

Parallel Circuit Examples

A circuit which has more than one resistor (something that uses electricity to work). The word series circuit gets its title from the fact that it only has one path for the charges to move along. These charges must move in "series" as it travels from one resistor to another. If something breaks there is no alternative route.

• Extension Sockets
• Vacuum Cleaner
• Washing Machine
• Computer
• Television

This is a parallel circuit with some: lightbulbs, battery, and wires

Disadvantages and Advantages of Parallel circuits

Disadvantages and Advantages of a Series Circuit

Results of Short Circuits

A short circuits is an accidental low-resistance connection between two nodes of electrical circuit that are meant to be at different voltages.

Disadvantages

• When hooked up to multiple power sources, parallel circuits would keep the same voltage, as if it were single power source.
• If a device in the circuits is broken, it will still operate. However, if undetected, it may be dangerous.

Advantages

• A parallel circuit can run several devices
• If one device fails, the others will keep running

What to use for your appliances?

What circuits should I use in my security or alarm systems?

Results of Short Circuits:

• The circuit will keep working because of its multiple pathways
• Large and sudden increase in circuit current
• Since the wire is a very good conductor the short circuit results in almost zero resistance.

Disadvantages

• With a series circuit it is impossible to control the bulbs individually.
• The current in a series circuit becomes slower when you add more output devices.
• If a bulb breaks in a series circuit, the light wont work.

Advantage

• In a series circuit, you can add more power sources such as batteries and increase the force of the output, which grants you more power

Results of Short Circuits

Series Circuit Examples

A short circuits is an accidental low-resistance connection between two nodes of electrical circuit that are meant to be at different voltages.

Similarities

• Dedicated Circuit: use this circuit in appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, and electric water heaters.
• Parallel Circuits: use this circuit for objects such as Christmas lights and a chandelier.
• Series Circuit: use this circuit for toasters, drills, switches, lightbulbs.

• Closed Circuits: the circuit closes when the door closes. As long as the door is closed electricity can flow from one end of the circuit to another. But, if the door opens, electricity can't flow and the alarm is triggered.
• Open Circuit: opening the door closes the circuit so electricity can flow. The alarm is triggered when electricity begins to flow.
• Series Circuit: any break in the circuit sound the alarm.

This can result in:

• Circuit damage (fires, overheating, explosion
• Excessive electric current limited only by the internal impedance of the current source
• The circuit will stop working

• Christmas lights
• Lightbulb
• Drill
• Electric Toothbrush
• Toaster

Series Circuit

• Converts electrical energy to light, heat and sound.
• Both can use the same components such as lightbulbs, batteries and wires etc.

This is a series circuit with a: battery, wire, and lightbulb

Differences

• Parallel circuits have more than one resistor, but series circuits have only one resistor.
• In series circuits, the connection will not be complete if one component stops working, however parallel circuits continue to operate with other components.
• In parallel circuits the current splits, but in a series circuit the current is the same anywhere.