Parallel Circuits & Current D. Crowley, 2008

Parallel Circuits & Current Saturday, February 23, 2019 Parallel Circuits & Current To know how adding more bulbs to a parallel circuit affects the brightness of bulbs

Parallel Circuit Look at the following circuit + - branch 1 branch 2 How will the current differ between branch 1 and branch 2?

Parallel Circuit The current (no. of electrons) which go through each branch depend on the resistance of the component + - branch 1 branch 2 E.g. if branch 1 has a high resistance, then not many electrons will pass through it, and instead more will pass through branch 2

Football Stadium Think about the circuit like a football stadium (turnstiles are like the resistance of the branches, and the fans are the electrons) If one turnstile is very slow (a high resistance) then more fans will go to another turnstile which may be quicker (lower resistance) + - This is like branch 1 – a high resistance causes the electrons to get around the circuit via an easier route (branch 2) branch 1 branch 2

Parallel Circuits In a parallel circuit, if a lamp or component breaks the components on the other branches keep working Unlike a series circuit, the lamps stay bright if you add more lamps in parallel

Experiment

Experiment

Parallel Circuits The current which passes through each component depends on its resistance (the lower the resistance, the bigger the current which flows through) The total current flowing around the circuit is equal to the total of all the currents through the separate branches

Electricity Crossword Complete the electricity crossword Across: - Cell Circuit Fuse Nerves Metal Switch Series Down: - Current Conductor Parallel Resistance Ammeter Amps