Topic+Summary+-+Electric+Circuits


 * __Topic Summary - Electric Circuits__

Electric Circuits:** Electric circuits are made up of a wide range of components, such as resistors, diodes or batteries. These components can be connected in two different ways: Series or Parallel. In Series circuits, the same amount of current flows through each device, and each device uses up some of the voltage. This means that in order to power a large series circuit, all the components must be working, and there must be enough volts to get through all the components. A common example of a series circuit is christmas lights, which, while not requiring very much power due to thier small size, if one of the lights blows, the whole chain doesn't function because there is a break in a circuit. Resistors in series simply add thier resistance together (R(total)=R1 + R2 ...). Parralel circuits are a little more complex than series. In a parralel circuit, it is the same //voltage// across all the components which makes them different from series circuits. So, for parralel circuits, the current through each component adds to the total current for the circuit (I(total) = I1 + I2 ...). Resistors in parallel are also more complex to work out. Adding more resistors in parallel actually decreases the overall resistance of the ciruit, as it adds a new path for the current to go through. This burns down to: 1/R(total)=(1/R1)+(1/R2)....  .