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Electricity and Circuits
Quick questions on Series and parallel circuits: N(A)-Level Physics electricity
3short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What are series circuits?Show answer
In a series circuit the components are joined one after another in a single loop, so there is only one path for the current.
What are parallel circuits?Show answer
In a parallel circuit the components are on separate branches, so there is more than one path for the current.
What is combined resistance in series?Show answer
For resistors in series, simply add the values to get the combined resistance, then use Ohm's law for the whole circuit. (In parallel, the combined resistance is always less than the smallest single resistance, because the extra paths make it easier for current to flow.)
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