DC Circuits: Parallel and Series-Parallel

Flashcards covering key definitions and characteristics of parallel and series-parallel DC circuits based on the lecture notes.

Parallel Components

Two components that share two terminals in common.

Parallel Circuit Voltage Characteristic

The voltage is the same across all branches of a parallel circuit.

Parallel Circuit Current Characteristic

Branch currents are inversely proportional to their respective branch resistance values.

Kirchhoff’s Current Law (KCL)

States that the sum of the currents entering a node is equal to the sum of the currents leaving the node.

Total Current in a Parallel Circuit

The sum of the individual branch currents, as determined by KCL.

Total Resistance (Parallel Circuit)

Calculated using the formula RT = 1 / ( (1/R1) + (1/R2) + … + (1/Rn) ).

Series-Parallel Circuit

A circuit that combines both series and parallel arrangements of components.

Series-Parallel Circuit Reduction Strategy

To reduce the circuit by combining simple series and parallel parts, starting farthest from the source and working backward.

Voltage Distribution in Parallel Branches (Series-Parallel)

The voltage across an equivalent resistance that represents parallel branches is equal to the voltage across each original parallel branch.