Series & Parallel

This is a pretty stupid question i know, but whats the difference between lamps in series and lamps in parallel circuits

i know that in the series circuit voltage is the shared and in parallel all the lamps receive the same full amount. and current works the opposite way. and that in series if one blows up the others dont work cause the circuit is broken but that doesnt happen in parallel.

is there anything else

Reply 1

IBK

The total resistance of your lamps in series is just R1 + R2, while in parallel it is (R1*R2)/R1+R2 and it is always smaller than the smaller resistor.

Reply 2

shungun

1

well in series the lamps are brighter but stay lit for a shorter time compared to lamps in parallel where they are less bright but stay lit for a longer time...this is just an observation due to the idfference in combined resistances as stated above
:rolleyes:

Reply 3

mlbbrown

shungun

well in series the lamps are brighter but stay lit for a shorter time compared to lamps in parallel where they are less bright but stay lit for a longer time...this is just an observation due to the idfference in combined resistances as stated above
:rolleyes:

Surely if they were in series the resistance would be larger, therefore dimmer but staying lit for longer.

Reply 4

Kyred

In series circuit, both lamps have the same brightness, both lamps are dim. The battery is having difficulty pushing the samw charge first through one bulb, then to the other one. This means less charge flows each second , so there's low current and energy is slowly transferred from the battery. The both lamps can't be switched off and on independently.
The advantage for this sort of arrangement is that it's a very simple circuit to produce. The battery will last longer. If one lamp "blows" then the circuit is broken so that the other one goes out as well. Examples of this sort of circuit is the Christmas tree lights.

In parallel arrangement, both lamp have the same brightness. The battery pushes the charge along two alternative routes. This indicate that more charge can flow around the circuit per second, so energy is quickly transferred from the battery. The lamps can be switched off and on independently by putting switches in the parallel branches. The disadvantage of this circuit is that the battery will not last as long. If one lamp goes off, the other one will keep working. Electric appliances in the home are connected in parallel.

Reference Revision Guide GCSE Physics
Malcolm Bradley
Chris Sunley

Series & Parallel

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