Electricity - Series and Parallel Circuits

In a Series Circuit, there is only one path for the electrons to flow. This means the current $I$ remains constant at every point in the circuit: $I_{total} = I_1 = I_2 = I_3$.

In a Parallel Circuit, the current divides into different branches. The sum of the currents in each branch equals the total current entering the junction: $I_{total} = I_1 + I_2 + \dots + I_n$.

The Potential Difference (Voltage) in a series circuit is shared between components. The sum of the voltages across individual resistors equals the source voltage: $V_{total} = V_1 + V_2 + \dots + V_n$.

In a parallel circuit, the Potential Difference across each branch is identical to the source voltage: $V_{total} = V_1 = V_2 = V_3$.

Resistance in Series: Adding more resistors in series increases the total resistance $R_s$, as the electrons must flow through more obstacles in a single path.

Resistance in Parallel: Adding more resistors in parallel decreases the total resistance $R_p$, as it provides more paths for the current to flow. The total resistance is always less than the smallest individual resistor: $\frac{1}{R_p} = \sum \frac{1}{R_n}$.

Ohm's Law states that the current through a conductor between two points is directly proportional to the voltage across the two points: $V = IR$.