| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Circuit | a complete path where electrons can flow from the positive terminal to the negative terminal of a battery |
| Series Circuit | a single pathway for current |
| Series Circuit | current flows from one device into another until it gets back to the battery |
| Series Circuit | current through each device is the same |
| Series Circuit | total resistance is the sum of individual resistors |
| Series Circuit | ohm's law applies |
| Parallel Circuit | current flows through branches-each of which is a separate path |
| Parallel Circuit | multiple devices are connected to the same two points of the circuit |
| Parallel Circuit | the voltage is the same across each device |
| Parallel Circuit | total current is divided among the branches-ohm's law applies |
| Parallel Circuit | total current is the sum of current in each branch |
| Parallel Circuit | as number of branches increases total resistance decreases |
| Schematic Diagrams | simple symbolic representations of circuits |
| Squashing Resistors | equivalent resistance is the valur a single resistor would have in order to provide the same resistance to the circuit that the multiple resistors provide |
| Combining Resistors | in a series circuit- add them up |
| Combining Resistors | in a parallel circuit- equivalence of pairs of resistors can be found by their products divided by their sum |
| Overloading Circuits | each device on a parallel circuit increases the draw of current on the circuit |
| Overloading Circuits | too many devices can overload the circuit beyond what the wire can safely carry |
| Overloading Circuits | fuses or circuit breakers can be placed into a circuit to shut off the current when it exceeds safe levels |
Combine with other sets
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