A series circuit is a circuit in which resistors or loads are connected end to end so that the circuit will have only one path through which electric current flows. Thus, when a number of resistors are connected in series, the effective resistance total resistance in the circuit is gotten by adding the individual resistance algebraically.
That is to say, if we have resistors with resistance R1, R2, R3 …Rn connected in series , then;. In series connections, the same current flows across all the branches of the circuits, but different voltage across it thus making the resistors to have different voltage across them. Each resistor or load will experience a voltage drop.
The applied voltage is equal to the sum of the voltage drop across the different parts of the circuit. Voltage drop is proportional to the resistance current being the same throughout the circuit. When loads are connected in series, the loads will tend to have a common switch. This kind of connection is employed in school halls, street lights. Some people connect security lights in their homes in series which will make them to have common switch.
The problem with this kind of connection is that when a load develops a problem, the other connected system will fail. Till a load gets energy before it delivers it to the other and the one to deliver fails, there will be a black out. Series circuit connections are common and greatly employed in electrical equipments.
The tube filaments in small radios are usually in series. Current controlling devices are always connected in series with the device that they protect. Fuses are connected in series with the device they protect, Automatic house-heating equipment has a thermostat, electromagnetic coils, and safety cut-outs connected in series with a voltage source etc. Resistors, loads are said to be connected in parallel when the end of each of the resistors or loads have a common point or junction and the other ends are also connected to a common point or junction.
Such circuits are known as parallel circuits. Unlike the series circuit connection, when finding the total effective resistance in a parallel circuit, the reciprocal of the individual resistance is taken. Looking at the schematic diagram, we see that points 1, 2, 3, and 4 are all electrically common. So are points 8, 7, 6, and 5. Note that all resistors as well as the battery are connected between these two sets of points. We can have circuits that are a combination of series and parallel, too:.
In this circuit, we have two loops for electrons to flow through: one from 6 to 5 to 2 to 1 and back to 6 again, and another from 6 to 5 to 4 to 3 to 2 to 1 and back to 6 again.
Notice how both current paths go through R 1 from point 2 to point 1. Sometimes this continuous pathway is created by "pigtailing" into the circuit wires in order to power an outlet or light fixture the pigtails are the exit and entrance ramps for the current flow.
Other times, the design of the device creates the continuous ongoing pathway. A standard outlet receptacle, for example, has a metal strip connecting tab between the pairs of screw terminals that assures that the pathway to the next outlet is maintained. If the receptacle goes bad, the connecting tab on the device assures that the current flow continues to the next outlet in the circuit.
One household example where series wiring is useful in when a single GFCI ground-fault circuit interrupter receptacle is used to protect other standard receptacles located "downstream" of the GFCI. A GFCI receptacle has screw terminals labeled "line," as well as screw terminals labeled "load. However, should the GFCI go bad, then all the connected downstream outlets will also cease to function. This section of the circuit, then, is an example of wiring in series.
Another item that uses series wiring is a power strip. A power strip uses one switch to control several appliances and devices on parallel circuitry. However, if you turn off the power strip, you'll turn off all of the appliances and devices plugged into the strip. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. In a series circuit, if a lamp breaks or a component is disconnected, the circuit is broken and all the components stop working.
Series circuits are useful if you want a warning that one of the components in the circuit has failed. They also use less wiring than parallel circuits. In parallel circuits different components are connected on different branches of the wire. If you follow the circuit diagram from one side of the cell to the other, you can only pass through all the different components if you follow all the branches.
In a parallel circuit, if a lamp breaks or a component is disconnected from one parallel wire, the components on different branches keep working.
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