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P4: Electric circuits (4.4: Component characteristics (The line on a…
P4: Electric circuits
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4.5: Series circuits
In a series circuit the components are connected one after another - therefore if there is a break anywhere in the circuit, charge stops flowing
There is no choice of route for the charge as it flows around the circuit, so the current through each component is the same
The current in a series circuit is determined by the potential difference of the power supply and the total resistance of the circuit
The p.d. of the supply is shared between all the components in the circuit - so the p.d.s across individual components add up to give the p.d. of the supply
The resistance of the individual components in series add up to give the total resistance of the circuit
The bigger the resistance of a component, the bigger its share of the p.d.
4.6: Parallel circuits
In a parallel circuit each component is connected across the supply, so if there is a break in one branch of the circuit, charge can still flow in the other parts
Each component is connected across the supply p.d., so the p.d. across each component is the same
There are junctions in the circuit so different amounts of charge can flow through different components - the current through each component depends on the component's resistance - the bigger the resistance, the smaller the current through that component
The total current through the whole circuit is the sum is the currents through the separate branches
The total resistance of 2 (or more) components in parallel is less than the resistance of the component with the least resistance
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4.2: Current and charge
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The size of an electric current is the rate of flow of electric charge and can be calculated by using the equation: current (A) = coulombs (C) / time (S)
In a circuit that's a single closed loop, the current is the same at every point in the circuit
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