series and parallel circuits Flashcards
what’s a series circuit
all components are in the same loop
what’s a parallel circuit
more than one loop/branch
what happens to the current/resistance when you add components to a series circuit
- current decreases
- resistance of circuit increases
what happens to the current/resistance when you add another branch to a parallel circuit
- current in other branches stays same
- total current increases
- resistance of circuit decreases
what do all the currents in the branches of a parallel circuit add together to make
the total current
what does the potential difference across each component add up to (series circuit)
potential difference across the battery
what is the potential difference across each component same as (parallel circuit)
potential difference across the battery
what is potential difference
Potential difference is a measure of how much energy is transferred between two points in a circuit.