ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel The Engineering Mindset DC parallel circuits explained – The basics how parallel circuits work working principle
Hello everyone! Today, we’re diving into the world of parallel circuits to understand how they work and how we can calculate different values within them. We’ll also tackle some problems at the end to test your understanding.
In electrical circuits, we can connect components in different ways: series, parallel, or a mix of both. In this lesson, we’ll focus on parallel circuits. Imagine electrons as tiny particles that flow from the negative side of a battery to the positive side. This is called electron flow. You might have also heard of conventional flow, which goes from positive to negative. Both are important to know!
When you connect a lamp to a battery, electrons flow through it, lighting it up. In a series circuit, there’s only one path for the electrons. If you connect two lamps in series and one breaks, the whole circuit stops working. It’s like a string of holiday lights where one broken bulb turns off the entire string.
In parallel circuits, each lamp has its own path to the battery. So, if one lamp stops working, the others keep shining. This is because there are multiple paths for the electrons to travel.
Voltage is like the pressure in a water pipe. In a parallel circuit, the voltage is the same across all components. If you use a multimeter to measure the voltage anywhere in the circuit, you’ll get the same reading. This is because each component is directly connected to the battery’s positive and negative terminals.
Using Ohm’s Law, we can calculate voltage with the formula: Voltage = Current × Resistance. For example, if the current is 2 amps and the resistance is 3 ohms, the voltage is 6 volts (2 amps × 3 ohms).
Current is the flow of electrons, measured in Amperes (Amps). In a parallel circuit, the total current is the sum of the currents through each path. For instance, if you connect a lamp with 1 ohm of resistance to a 1.5-volt battery, the current is 1.5 amps. Adding another 1-ohm lamp in parallel increases the total current to 3 amps, but each lamp still has 1.5 amps flowing through it.
To find the total resistance in a parallel circuit, use the formula: RT = 1 / (1/R1 + 1/R2). For example, if you have two 10-ohm resistors in parallel, the total resistance is 5 ohms.
Power consumption can be calculated using: Power = Voltage² / Resistance or Power = Voltage × Current. For example, if you have a 10-ohm and a 5-ohm resistor connected to a 6-volt battery, you can calculate the power used by each component.
Now, let’s see if you can solve these problems:
That’s it for today! Keep exploring and learning more about circuits. Don’t forget to check out more resources and videos to continue your journey in understanding electronics.
Gather some basic materials like batteries, wires, and small bulbs. Create a simple parallel circuit by connecting the bulbs in parallel to the battery. Observe how the bulbs behave when one is removed or turned off. This hands-on activity will help you understand the concept of multiple paths in parallel circuits.
Use a multimeter to measure the voltage across different components in a parallel circuit. Record your findings and confirm that the voltage remains consistent across all components. This will reinforce your understanding of voltage in parallel circuits.
Using the formula Voltage = Current × Resistance, calculate the missing values in a set of given parallel circuit scenarios. This will help you practice applying Ohm’s Law to real-world problems.
Work in pairs to calculate the total resistance of various parallel circuits using the formula RT = 1 / (1/R1 + 1/R2 + …). Compare your results with your partner to ensure accuracy and deepen your understanding of resistance in parallel circuits.
Calculate the power consumption of different components in a parallel circuit using the formulas Power = Voltage² / Resistance and Power = Voltage × Current. Discuss how power consumption changes with different resistances and voltages.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript, removing any unnecessary filler words and ensuring clarity while maintaining the educational content:
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Hello everyone, Paul here from TheEngineeringMindset.com. In this video, we will explore parallel circuits, how they work, and how to calculate them. There are also some problems at the end for you to solve.
We can connect components in a circuit in series, parallel, or a combination of both. In this animation, we use electron flow, which moves from negative to positive. You may be familiar with conventional flow, which goes from positive to negative. Electron flow is what actually occurs, while conventional flow is taught for simplicity. Be aware of both concepts.
When we place a lamp in series or parallel with a battery, electrons flow from the negative terminal of the battery through the lamp to the positive terminal. In a series configuration, there is only one path for the electrons. If two lamps are connected in series, they will both shine, but if one bulb breaks, the entire circuit stops working due to the single path for electron flow. This is similar to strings of fairy lights; when one bulb pops, the whole string goes out.
A solution is to wire the lamps in parallel, providing multiple paths for the electrons. If one lamp stops working, the circuit continues to function, except for the broken path.
Let’s first look at voltage in parallel circuits. For example, with a 1.5-volt battery, measuring across the two ends will read 1.5 volts. However, measuring the same end gives a reading of zero because we can only measure the difference in voltage between two points. Voltage is akin to pressure in a water pipe; when the tank is full, the pressure is higher, and we can read the pressure at the gauge, which compares two points.
In parallel circuits, the voltage remains the same throughout. It doesn’t matter where we connect a multimeter; we will get the same reading because each component is directly connected to both the positive and negative terminals of the battery, receiving the full voltage. In series circuits, components are connected to each other, reducing the voltage across each component.
Using Ohm’s law, we can calculate voltage as voltage = current × resistance. For example, if the total current is 2 amps and the total resistance is 3 ohms, the voltage of the battery is 6 volts (2 amps × 3 ohms).
If we connect two 1.5-volt batteries in series, the voltage increases to 3 volts because the second battery boosts the electrons. However, connecting batteries in parallel does not increase the voltage; we still get 1.5 volts because the batteries share the flow of electrons.
Now, how does current flow in parallel circuits? Current is the flow of electrons, and we need them to flow in the same direction to power devices like lamps. The amount of current depends on the voltage applied and the resistance. Current is represented by the letter I and measured in Amperes (or Amps).
If we connect a lamp with a resistance of 1 ohm to a 1.5-volt battery, the total current will be 1.5 amps (1.5 volts ÷ 1 ohm). If we connect a second 1-ohm lamp in parallel, the total current increases to 3 amps, but each lamp will still read 1.5 amps individually.
The total current in a parallel circuit is the sum of the currents in each branch. If we replace one lamp with a 2-ohm lamp, the total current decreases to 2.25 amps, with the first lamp seeing 0.75 amps and the second lamp continuing at 1.5 amps.
If we add a third 1-ohm lamp, the total current increases to 4.5 amps, with each lamp still seeing 1.5 amps. Doubling the voltage from 1.5 volts to 3 volts will also double the current.
Now, let’s calculate the total resistance in a parallel circuit. The formula for total resistance (RT) is RT = 1 / (1/R1 + 1/R2). For example, with two 10-ohm resistors, we find RT = 1 / (1/10 + 1/10) = 5 ohms.
Power consumption in parallel circuits can be calculated using the formulas: power = voltage² / resistance or power = voltage × current. For example, with a 10-ohm and a 5-ohm resistor connected to a 6-volt battery, we can calculate the power consumption of each component.
Now, let’s see if you can solve these problems. I’ll leave a link in the video description for the answers.
1. What is the total resistance of a circuit with four resistors in parallel: 10 ohms, 20 ohms, 2 ohms, and 3 ohms?
2. In a circuit with three resistors connected in parallel to a 6-volt battery, the total current is 2.5 amps. Resistor one is 10 ohms with a current of 0.6 amps. Calculate the current in resistor two and the resistance and current of resistor three.
That’s it for this video! To continue your learning, check out one of the videos on screen now. Don’t forget to follow us on social media and visit TheEngineeringMindset.com.
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This version maintains the educational content while ensuring clarity and conciseness.
Parallel – In physics, parallel refers to components in a circuit that are connected alongside each other, so the same voltage is applied to each component. – In a parallel circuit, if one bulb goes out, the others will still stay lit.
Circuits – A circuit is a closed loop through which electric current can flow, consisting of various electrical components like resistors, capacitors, and switches. – We built simple circuits in class to understand how electricity flows through different components.
Voltage – Voltage is the electrical potential difference between two points in a circuit, which causes current to flow. – The voltage across the battery terminals was measured to be 9 volts.
Current – Current is the flow of electric charge through a conductor, typically measured in amperes. – The current flowing through the circuit was 2 amperes.
Resistance – Resistance is a measure of how much a component reduces the flow of electric current, measured in ohms. – The resistance of the wire was too high, causing the circuit to overheat.
Power – In physics, power is the rate at which energy is transferred or converted, measured in watts. – The power of the light bulb was 60 watts, indicating how much energy it uses per second.
Electrons – Electrons are subatomic particles with a negative charge that flow through conductors to create electric current. – Electrons move through the wire, creating an electric current that powers the device.
Battery – A battery is a device that stores chemical energy and converts it into electrical energy to provide power to a circuit. – The remote control stopped working because the battery was dead.
Ohms – Ohms are the units used to measure electrical resistance in a circuit. – The resistor had a value of 100 ohms, limiting the current in the circuit.
Flow – Flow in physics refers to the movement of electric charge through a conductor, such as a wire. – The flow of electricity was interrupted when the switch was turned off.
