The essential parts of an electric circuit are When one end of each resistance is

joined to a common point and the other end of

(i) the source of power (e.g. battery,
each resistance is joined to another common
generator etc.),
point so that there are as many paths for
(ii) the conductors used to carry
current flow as the number of resistances, it is
current and
called a parallel circuit.
(iii) the load (e.g. lamp, heater, motor
etc.). The following are the characteristics of
a parallel circuit:
The closed path followed by direct current
(d.c.) is called a d.c. circuit. (i) The voltage across each resistor is the same.

d.c. circuit essentially consists of a source of
d.c. power (e.g. battery, d.c. generator etc.),
the conductors used to carry current and
the load
d.c. circuits can be classified as
(i) Series circuits
(ii) Parallel circuits
(ii) The current through any resistor is inversely
proportional to its resistance.
(iii) The total current in the circuit is equal to
the sum of currents in its parallel branches.
(iv) The reciprocal of the total resistance is
equal to the sum of the reciprocals of the
individual resistances.

(iv) Series-parallel circuits.

The d.c. circuit in which resistances are

connected end to end so that there is only
one path for current to flow is called a d.c.
series circuit.

The main characteristics of a series circuit

are :

(i) The current in each resistor is the

same.

(ii) The total resistance in the circuit is D.C. Series-Parallel Circuit

equal to the sum of individual resistances.
(iii) The total power dissipated in the
circuit is equal to the sum of powers dissipated
in individual resistances.
One simple rule to solve such circuitsisto first
reduce the parallel branchesto an
equivalentseries branch and then solve the
circuit as a simple series circuit.
Activity 3

1. Solve tutorial problems 2,3,4,5 on page

39
2. Solve tutorial problems ,3,4,5,6 on page
47
3. Solve tutorial problems ,1,2,3 on page
59