The Student Room Group

Physics question ks3

A question on behalf of my little brother-


How does current and voltage behave in a parrallel circuit compared to a series circuit?
Is it a fraction of the original current or does it stay the same?

Thankyou- forgotten all of my gcse physics
Reply 1
Avatar for piguy
piguy
8
In Series:
Current is always the same (which is why an ammeter is put in series)

The voltage is 'given' to each component, so that the total voltage 'given' is the voltage of the cell (Technically Kirchoff's second law)


In Parallel:
Voltage is always the same (which is why a voltmeter is put is parallel to the component you're measuring)

Current 'splits' to each path, so that the sum of the currents entering a junction = the sum of the currents leaving a junction (Technically Kirchoff's first law)
Reply 2
Avatar for natninja
natninja
21
Original post by owl 1996
A question on behalf of my little brother-


How does current and voltage behave in a parrallel circuit compared to a series circuit?
Is it a fraction of the original current or does it stay the same?

Thankyou- forgotten all of my gcse physics


so tell him that for ANY circuit, if you take a closed loop, all the voltages add up to zero (so in a parallel circuit the voltage is the same across each branch) and the currents going in to a junction add to the same thing as the currents leaving it (from conservation of charge). So in a series circuit the current is the same everywhere and for a parallel circuit the current depends on the resistances of the components in each branch. (I hope that's not any more complicated than what he needs...)
Reply 3
Avatar for owl 1996
owl 1996
OP
5
Thankyou . This definetly helped !
Reply 4
Avatar for iOFWGKTA
iOFWGKTA
Current is conserved

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you