What is a Parallel Circuit?
A parallel circuit is one of the two basic types of electric circuit that can be found in electrical devices. “Circuit” refers to the total path of an electric current, or flow of electrical energy, and includes devices such as resistors, which control the flow of voltage, or difference in electrical charge, and capacitors, which store electrical charge. Circuits fall into one of two categories: series or parallel. In a series circuit, all the components of the circuit are lined up in a single path so that the current flows through each component in order. In a parallel circuit, however, there are multiple pathways between the circuit’s beginning and end. As a result, since the current has more than one route to take, the circuit can still function if one path fails. This makes parallel circuits much more fail-resistant than series circuits which is why parallel circuits are common in everyday applications, such as household wiring. Regardless of how many different paths the circuit ha
• battery- 6 volt or 2 D cell • 4 Christmas lights per group with 3 inch wire ends still attached (strip the wire ends) • eight, 9-inch pieces of wire • series and parallel circuits data collection sheet 1. Divide the girls into groups of four girls. Each group is to strip the ends of the Christmas tree lights so that there is a half inch of exposed wire leads. 2. Next, have the girls attach the wires to the Christmas tree lights according to the diagram. 3. The girls will then connect the two ends of the string of lights to the battery. 4. Everyone is to observe what happens to the lights. Have the girls explain what they think happened. Ask the girls if they think the circuit is complete. 5. Now have the girls remove one light bulb from its base. Have the girls try to explain what happened. Ask them if they still have a complete circuit. (This might be confusing at first to the girls, because parallel circuits can have an incomplete and a complete circuit at the same time.) 6. Let th
