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Difference between revisions of "Parallel Circuit"

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===About Parallel Circuits===
 
===About Parallel Circuits===
−
: In a '''paralle circuit''' the [[Electrical Current|current]] is split at the junctions.
+
: In a '''parallel circuit''' the [[Electrical Current|current]] is split at junctions before taking a different path.
 +
: [[Switch|Switches]] can be placed in a [[Parallel Circuit]] to allow [[Electrical Current|current]] along one path at a time.
 
: [[Electrical Component|Components]] placed in '''parallel''' with each other have the same [[Potential Difference]] across them.
 
: [[Electrical Component|Components]] placed in '''parallel''' with each other have the same [[Potential Difference]] across them.
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
|[[File:CircuitDiagramBatteryBulbBulbParallel.png|center|200px]]
 +
|[[File:CircuitDiagramBulbSwitchBulbSwitchParallel.png|center|200px]]
 +
|-
 +
| style="height:20px; width:200px; text-align:center;" |The [[Electrical Current|current]] from the [[battery]] splits at the [[junction]] sharing the [[Electrical Current|current]] between the two [[Electrical Bulb|bulbs]].
 +
| style="height:20px; width:200px; text-align:center;" |The two [[Electrical Bulb|bulbs]] in this '''parallel circuit''' can be switched on and off separately.
 +
|}
  
 
===Examples===
 
===Examples===
Line 14: Line 23:
 
|[[File:CircuitCellMotorBulbParallel.png|center|200px]]
 
|[[File:CircuitCellMotorBulbParallel.png|center|200px]]
 
|-
 
|-
−
| style="height:20px; width:200px; text-align:center;" |The [[Electrical Cell|cell]], [[Electrical Bulb|bulb]] and [[Voltmeter]] are in [[Parallel Circuit|parallel]] so they have the same [[Potential Difference]] across them.
+
|[[File:CircuitDiagramCellBulbVoltmeterParallel.png|center|200px]]
−
| style="height:20px; width:200px; text-align:center;" |The two [[Electrical Bulb|bulbs]] are in [[Parallel Circuit|parallel]] so they have the same [[Potential Difference]] across them but may have a different [[Electrical Current|Current]] passing through them.
+
|[[File:CircuitDiagramCellBulbBulbParallel.png|center|200px]]
−
| style="height:20px; width:200px; text-align:center;" |The [[Electrical Bulb|bulb]] and [[motor]] are in [[Parallel Circuit|parallel]] so they have the same [[Potential Difference]] across them but may have a different [[Electrical Current|Current]] passing through them.
+
|[[File:CircuitDiagramCellMotorBulbParallel.png|center|200px]]
 +
|-
 +
| style="height:20px; width:200px; text-align:center;" |The [[Electrical Cell|cell]], [[Electrical Bulb|bulb]] and [[voltmeter]] are in [[Parallel Circuit|parallel]] so they have the same [[Potential Difference|potential difference]] across them.
 +
| style="height:20px; width:200px; text-align:center;" |The two [[Electrical Bulb|bulbs]] are in [[Parallel Circuit|parallel]] so they have the same [[Potential Difference|potential difference]] across them but may have a different [[Electrical Current|current]] passing through them.
 +
| style="height:20px; width:200px; text-align:center;" |The [[Electrical Bulb|bulb]] and [[motor]] are in [[Parallel Circuit|parallel]] so they have the same [[Potential Difference|potential difference]] across them but may have a different [[Electrical Current|current]] passing through them.
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
==Key Stage 4==
 +
===Meaning===
 +
A [[Parallel Circuit]] is an [[Circuit|electrical circuit]] with two or more paths the [[Electrical Current|current]] can flow along.
 +
 
 +
===About Parallel Circuits===
 +
: In a '''parallel circuit''' the [[Electrical Current|current]] is split at junctions before taking a different path.
 +
: [[Switch|Switches]] can be placed in a [[Parallel Circuit|parallel circuit]] to allow [[Electrical Current|current]] along one path at a time.
 +
: [[Electrical Component|Components]] placed in '''parallel''' with each other have the same [[Potential Difference|potential difference]] across them.
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
|[[File:CircuitDiagramBatteryBulbBulbParallel.png|center|200px]]
 +
|[[File:CircuitDiagramBulbSwitchBulbSwitchParallel.png|center|200px]]
 +
|-
 +
| style="height:20px; width:200px; text-align:center;" |The [[Electrical Current|current]] from the [[battery]] splits at the [[junction]] sharing the [[Electrical Current|current]] between the two [[Electrical Bulb|bulbs]].
 +
| style="height:20px; width:200px; text-align:center;" |The two [[Electrical Bulb|bulbs]] in this '''parallel circuit''' can be switched on and off separately.
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===Examples===
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|[[File:CircuitDiagramCellBulbVoltmeterParallel.png|center|200px]]
 +
|[[File:CircuitDiagramCellBulbBulbParallel.png|center|200px]]
 +
|[[File:CircuitDiagramCellMotorBulbParallel.png|center|200px]]
 +
|-
 +
| style="height:20px; width:200px; text-align:center;" |The [[Electrical Cell|cell]], [[Electrical Bulb|bulb]] and [[voltmeter]] are in [[Parallel Circuit|parallel]] so they have the same [[Potential Difference|potential difference]] across them.
 +
| style="height:20px; width:200px; text-align:center;" |The two [[Electrical Bulb|bulbs]] are in [[Parallel Circuit|parallel]] so they have the same [[Potential Difference|potential difference]] across them but may have a different [[Electrical Current|current]] passing through them.
 +
| style="height:20px; width:200px; text-align:center;" |The [[Electrical Bulb|bulb]] and [[motor]] are in [[Parallel Circuit|parallel]] so they have the same [[Potential Difference|potential difference]] across them but may have a different [[Electrical Current|current]] passing through them.
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===Resistors in Parallel===
 +
''NB: You only need to know what happens with identical [[resistor]]s in [[Parallel Circuit|parallel]].''
 +
 
 +
: When identical [[resistor]]s are added in [[Parallel Circuit|parallel]] there are more paths for the [[electricity]] so the [[Electrical Resistance|resistance]] is reduced.
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
|[[File:ResistorsParallel2.png|center|200px]]
 +
|[[File:ResistorsParallel3.png|center|200px]]
 +
|[[File:ResistorsParallel4.png|center|200px]]
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
| style="height:20px; width:200px; text-align:center;" |Two identical [[resistor]]s in [[Parallel Circuit|parallel]] gives twice the number of paths, so has half the [[Electrical Resistance|resistance]].
 +
 
 +
The [[Electrical Resistance|resistance]] between points A and B is 12Ω.
 +
| style="height:20px; width:200px; text-align:center;" |Three identical [[resistor]]s in [[Parallel Circuit|parallel]] gives three times the number of paths, so has a third of the [[Electrical Resistance|resistance]].
 +
 
 +
The [[Electrical Resistance|resistance]] between points A and B is 8Ω.
 +
| style="height:20px; width:200px; text-align:center;" |Four identical [[resistor]]s in [[Parallel Circuit|parallel]] gives four times the number of paths, so has a quarter of the [[Electrical Resistance|resistance]].
 +
 
 +
The [[Electrical Resistance|resistance]] between points A and B is 6Ω.
 
|}
 
|}
 +
 +
===References===
 +
====AQA====
 +
 +
:[https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0008158770/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0008158770&linkCode=as2&tag=nrjc-21&linkId=ec31595e720e1529e49876c3866fff6e ''Parallel circuit, pages 54-5, 62-3, GCSE Physics; Student Book, Collins, AQA '']
 +
:[https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/178294558X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=178294558X&linkCode=as2&tag=nrjc-21&linkId=f0dfb66dafcb0c6e9449e7b1a4ae1ac81 ''Parallel circuits, page 29, GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA '']
 +
:[https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1471851354/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1471851354&linkCode=as2&tag=nrjc-21&linkId=9012a0d354024419214fb3ad5ac44ba0 ''Parallel circuits, page 302, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy 1, Hodder, AQA '']
 +
:[https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1782945598/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1782945598&linkCode=as2&tag=nrjc-21&linkId=ad276ad49df77ab4b40ab4fd0fe10139 ''Parallel circuits, pages 186, 187, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA '']
 +
:[https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/178294558X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=178294558X&linkCode=as2&tag=nrjc-21&linkId=f0dfb66dafcb0c6e9449e7b1a4ae1ac353 ''Parallel circuits, pages 29, 30, GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA '']
 +
:[https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1471851370/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1471851370&linkCode=as2&tag=nrjc-21&linkId=01c69b0ae058f809cf636033e6ba793e ''Parallel circuits, pages 37, 47, GCSE Physics, Hodder, AQA '']
 +
:[https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/019835939X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=019835939X&linkCode=as2&tag=nrjc-21&linkId=57e96876985fc39b1a3d8a3e3dc238b6 ''Parallel circuits, pages 60-61, GCSE Physics; Third Edition, Oxford University Press, AQA '']
 +
:[https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1782946403/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1782946403&linkCode=as2&tag=nrjc-21&linkId=32a0abb60dff015b15b50e9b1d7b4644 ''Parallel circuits, pages 72-76, 78, 79, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy; Physics, CGP, AQA '']
 +
:[https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1782945970/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1782945970&linkCode=as2&tag=nrjc-21&linkId=a120d24dcc7cc7a58192069a3aafc1d2 ''Parallel circuits, pages 74-78, 80, 81, GCSE Physics; The Complete 9-1 Course for AQA, CGP, AQA '']
 +
 +
====Edexcel====
 +
 +
:[https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1292120223/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1292120223&linkCode=as2&tag=nrjc-21&linkId=068ecf40278c32406a7f1c6e66751417 ''Parallel circuits, page 141, GCSE Physics, Pearson Edexcel '']
 +
:[https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1782945733/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1782945733&linkCode=as2&tag=nrjc-21&linkId=2a2dbec9db6bf5766c0458d908fa0a52 ''Parallel circuits, page 75, GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel '']
 +
:[https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1782945741/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1782945741&linkCode=as2&tag=nrjc-21&linkId=30da4f2178da182547b62a7329d13b57 ''Parallel circuits, pages 188, 189, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel '']
 +
:[https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1782948163/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1782948163&linkCode=as2&tag=nrjc-21&linkId=0fdbfd5dd397d6e24a9dfb250f08587f ''Parallel circuits, pages 235-238, 240, GCSE Physics, CGP, Edexcel '']
 +
:[https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1292120223/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1292120223&linkCode=as2&tag=nrjc-21&linkId=068ecf40278c32406a7f1c6e66751417 ''Parallel circuits; resistors, page 147, GCSE Physics, Pearson Edexcel '']
 +
 +
====OCR====
 +
:[https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1782945695/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1782945695&linkCode=as2&tag=nrjc-21&linkId=ceafcc80bcad6b6754ee97a0c7ceea53 ''Parallel circuits, page 181, Gateway GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR '']
 +
:[https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0198359837/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0198359837&linkCode=as2&tag=nrjc-21&linkId=3c4229e8b023b2b60768e7ea2307cc6f ''Parallel circuits, pages 103, 111, 260-263, Gateway GCSE Physics, Oxford, OCR '']
 +
:[https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1782945687/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1782945687&linkCode=as2&tag=nrjc-21&linkId=9a598e52189317a20311d7a632747bc9 ''Parallel circuits, pages 48, 49, Gateway GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR  '']

Latest revision as of 15:09, 17 December 2019

Contents

Key Stage 3

Meaning

A Parallel Circuit is an electrical circuit with two or more paths the current can flow along.

About Parallel Circuits

In a parallel circuit the current is split at junctions before taking a different path.
Switches can be placed in a Parallel Circuit to allow current along one path at a time.
Components placed in parallel with each other have the same Potential Difference across them.
 
 
The current from the battery splits at the junction sharing the current between the two bulbs. The two bulbs in this parallel circuit can be switched on and off separately.

Examples

 
 
 
 
 
 
The cell, bulb and voltmeter are in parallel so they have the same potential difference across them. The two bulbs are in parallel so they have the same potential difference across them but may have a different current passing through them. The bulb and motor are in parallel so they have the same potential difference across them but may have a different current passing through them.

Key Stage 4

Meaning

A Parallel Circuit is an electrical circuit with two or more paths the current can flow along.

About Parallel Circuits

In a parallel circuit the current is split at junctions before taking a different path.
Switches can be placed in a parallel circuit to allow current along one path at a time.
Components placed in parallel with each other have the same potential difference across them.
 
 
The current from the battery splits at the junction sharing the current between the two bulbs. The two bulbs in this parallel circuit can be switched on and off separately.

Examples

 
 
 
The cell, bulb and voltmeter are in parallel so they have the same potential difference across them. The two bulbs are in parallel so they have the same potential difference across them but may have a different current passing through them. The bulb and motor are in parallel so they have the same potential difference across them but may have a different current passing through them.

Resistors in Parallel

NB: You only need to know what happens with identical resistors in parallel.

When identical resistors are added in parallel there are more paths for the electricity so the resistance is reduced.
 
 
 
Two identical resistors in parallel gives twice the number of paths, so has half the resistance.

The resistance between points A and B is 12Ω.

Three identical resistors in parallel gives three times the number of paths, so has a third of the resistance.

The resistance between points A and B is 8Ω.

Four identical resistors in parallel gives four times the number of paths, so has a quarter of the resistance.

The resistance between points A and B is 6Ω.

References

AQA

Parallel circuit, pages 54-5, 62-3, GCSE Physics; Student Book, Collins, AQA
Parallel circuits, page 29, GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
Parallel circuits, page 302, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy 1, Hodder, AQA
Parallel circuits, pages 186, 187, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
Parallel circuits, pages 29, 30, GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
Parallel circuits, pages 37, 47, GCSE Physics, Hodder, AQA
Parallel circuits, pages 60-61, GCSE Physics; Third Edition, Oxford University Press, AQA
Parallel circuits, pages 72-76, 78, 79, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy; Physics, CGP, AQA
Parallel circuits, pages 74-78, 80, 81, GCSE Physics; The Complete 9-1 Course for AQA, CGP, AQA

Edexcel

Parallel circuits, page 141, GCSE Physics, Pearson Edexcel
Parallel circuits, page 75, GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
Parallel circuits, pages 188, 189, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
Parallel circuits, pages 235-238, 240, GCSE Physics, CGP, Edexcel
Parallel circuits; resistors, page 147, GCSE Physics, Pearson Edexcel

OCR

Parallel circuits, page 181, Gateway GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
Parallel circuits, pages 103, 111, 260-263, Gateway GCSE Physics, Oxford, OCR
Parallel circuits, pages 48, 49, Gateway GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
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