Electric Circuits

Series and parallel

network:

 Use Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law to calculate

the magnitude and polarity of the voltage
across resistor R4 in the circuit shown
below
Series and Parallel Circuits
 Series Circuits
 When components are connected in
successive order.
 Only one path for electron flow.
 Current is the same for all series
components
 Voltage Drop and Ohm’s law
 The voltage drop across a resistance is
determined by Ohm’s law in the form
V = IR.
 The voltage drop (V) equals the current (I)
multiplied by the resistance (R) of the
device.
Equivalent Resistor

Req=R1+R2+R3…
.
Example
Identify the resistors connected in series
 Current and Resistance in Series Circuits
- For the series circuit the same current flows
through both loads.
- The loads can be added together to calculate
the total load.
- Rtot = R1 + R2, where Rtot is the total resistance,
R1 is the resistance of one load, and R2 is the
resistance of the other.
- The total load (resistance) in a series circuit
with “n” loads is the sum of the resistance of
the “n” objects. Rtot = R1 + R2 + … + Rn.
 Series IR Voltage Drops
 The IR voltage across each resistance is
known as an IR drop or a voltage drop.
 It reduces the potential difference available
for the remaining resistance in a series
circuit.
 V1, V2 etc are used for the voltage drops
across each resistor to distinguish them from
the applied voltage source VT. V1 = IT X R1,
V2 = IT X R2, etc
 VT = V1 + V2 + .... + etc
 Voltage Divider
 An arrangement of 2 resistors in series is
often called a voltage divider.
 Each IR drop V = its proportional part of
the applied voltage or:
 V = R / RT x VT
 A potentiometer (volume control) is a
voltage divider where the point of division
is made variable.
 The Voltage-Divider Circuit
 Find V1Ω

V2 = 12 V x 1 Ω/6Ω = 2 V.
Example:
Find V1, V2 and V3

V1 = VTR1/RT, V2 = VTR2/RT and V3 = VTR3/RT

 Total Power in Series Circuits

 The total power is the sum of the power

dissipated in each part of the circuit or:
 PT = P1 + P2 + ...+ etc
 Remember: 3 Power Formulas
 P=VxI
 P = I2 x R
 P = V2 / R
 Effect of an open in a series circuit

 Because the current is the same in each

part of a series circuit -
 An open results case no current for the
entire circuit.
 Predict, Test and Explain
 How will the brightness of the bulbs change as
we add more in series?

+ + +

 What does this imply about the current in the

circuit?
Example
An electric fan has a resistance of 100 Ω and is plugged into a wall outlet. How
much current runs through the fan?

Sol.

R = 100 Ω ; V =120 V
I = V/R
= 120/100
= 1.2 Amp
 Calculating Resistance in
Series Circuits
The rule for calculating Series Circuits is to…
Add up the values of each individual in the
series.
R1 + R2 + R3…
5 + 5 + 10
20 Ω (Ohms)
 Parallel Circuits
 Each parallel path is a branch with its own
individual current.
 Parallel circuits have one common voltage
across all branches, however -
 Individual branch currents can be different.
 Parallel-connected circuit elements have
the same voltage across their terminals
Equivalent Parallel Resistor

1/Req=1/R1+1/R2+1/R3+1/R4
 Parallel Circuits
 House circuits contain parallel circuits
 The parallel circuit will continue to operate
even though one component may be open
 Only the open or defective component will
no longer continue to operate
 Voltage is equal across
parallel branches
 Since components are directly connected across
the voltage source, they must have the same
potential as the source.
 Therefore, the voltage is the same across
components connected in parallel.
 Components requiring the same voltage would be
connected in parallel.
 Parallel Circuits
 A parallel circuit has multiple paths
through which the electricity can flow.

 In a parallel circuit, the current though one

path may be different than the current
through the other path.
Examples
 Predict, Test and Explain
 How will the brightness of the bulbs
change as we add more in parallel?

+ + +
 Calculating Resistance in
Parallel Circuits
 The rule for calculating Series Circuits is to…
 Add up the values of each individual in the series.
1 1 1 1
-- = -- + -- + --
Rt R1 R2 R3  1
1 1 1 1 -- = 1
-- = -- + -- + --
Rt 4 4 2 Rt

1  1
-- = .25 + .25 + .5 -- = Rt
Rt 1
1
-- = 1  Rt = 1 Ω (ohms)
Rt
1
-- = 1
Rt
 The rule for calculating Series Circuits is to…
 Add up the values of each individual in the series.
 1 1 1 1
-- = -- + -- + --
Rt R1 R2 R3
 1 1 1 1
-- = -- + -- + --
Rt 100 200 1000 • 1
-- = Rt
 1 .016
-- = .01 + .005 + .001
Rt • Rt = 62.5 Ω
 1 (ohms)
-- = .016
Rt
 1
-- = .016
Rt
 Current in a Parallel Circuit

 The total current in a parallel circuit is the

sum of the two parts.
 I = I1 + I2, where I is the total current, I1 is
the current through one load, and I2 is the
current through the other load.

I1 I2
 Each branch I = V/ R

 I1 = V / R1
 I2 = V / R2 and so on.
 If individual resistances are the same, then
individual branch currents would also be
the same.
Main-line IT = Sum of branch currents

 IT = I1 + I2 + ...+ etc
 Resistances in Parallel
Calculation
 Total resistance across the main line can
be found by Ohm’s Law: Divide the
common voltage by the total current.
 RT = V / IT
 RT is always less than the smallest
individual branch resistance
 Reciprocal Resistance
Formulae
 1 / RT = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3 + ... etc
 This formulae works for any number of
parallel resistances of any value
 If the values of R are the same

 If all resistors in parallel are the same

value, then use this shortcut:
 The value of one resistor/total number of
resistors = Total resistance
 If the there are only 2
resistors of differing values
 If there are only two resistors in parallel
and they are different in value, then use
this shortcut:
 (R1 x R2)/(R1 + R2 )= Total resistance
 Often referred to as “product over the
sum” formula
 Power in Parallel Circuits

 Total power equals the sum of the

individual power in each branch.
 PT = P1 + P2 + ...+ etc
 In both series and parallel circuits the sum
of the individual values of power
dissipated in the circuit = the total power
generated by the source.
 Parallel Current Dividers

 Allows us to determine how the current

flowing into a node is split between the
various parallel resistors
 Individual branch currents can be found
without knowing the applied voltage.
 Currents divide inversely as the branch
resistances.
 I1 =R2/(R1 + R2 )(IT)
 I2 =R1/(R1 + R2 )(IT)
The Current Divider Circuit
Effect of an open in a parallel
circuit
 An open in the main line results in no
current in all branches
 An open in a branch results in no current
for that individual branch - other branches
are not affected
 Current Divider Rule
 If current enters a parallel network with a
number of equal resistors, current will split
equally between resistors
 In a parallel network, the smallest value
resistor will have the largest current
 Largest resistor will have the least current
 Analysis of Parallel Circuits
 Voltage across all branches is the same
as the source voltage
 Determine current through each branch
using Ohm’s Law
 Find the total current using Kirchhoff’s
Current Law
 Effect of a Short Circuit in
Parallel
 A short circuit has practically zero
resistance
 A short results in excessive current
 A short circuit is a parallel path in a circuit with zero or
very low resistance.
 Short circuits can be made accidentally by connecting a
wire between two other wires at different voltages.
 Short circuits are dangerous because they can draw
huge amounts of current.