Series Vs. Parallel Circuits

How many pathways are available for electrons to flow through in a series circuit?

There is only one single pathway for the current to flow through.

How many pathways are available for electrons to flow through in a parallel circuit?

There are multiple branches or paths for the current to split into and flow through.

What happens to the rest of the loads in a series circuit if one light bulb burns out or a switch is opened?

All the other light bulbs will go out because the single path is broken, stopping the entire current.

What happens to the rest of the loads in a parallel circuit if one light bulb burns out or a branch is opened?

The other light bulbs stay lit because the remaining branches still provide complete, independent paths for current to flow.

How is the total current affected as you add more loads (like light bulbs) in a series circuit?

The total current decreases because adding more loads increases the overall resistance of the single path.

How is the total current affected as you add more loads (branches) in a parallel circuit?

The total current increases because adding more paths reduces the overall resistance, pulling more total current from the source.

What happens to the voltage across each individual load in a series circuit?

The total voltage from the source is shared (divided up) among all the loads in the circuit.

What happens to the voltage across each individual load in a parallel circuit?

Each parallel branch receives the full voltage of the power source.

What happens to the brightness of identical light bulbs in a series circuit as you add more of them?

The bulbs get dimmer because they have to share the total voltage and the current drops.

What happens to the brightness of identical light bulbs in a parallel circuit as you add more of them?

The bulbs keep their original brightness because each branch still gets the full voltage from the source.