Two bulbs can share one route or have separate branches. In series, current must pass through both loads on the same route. In parallel, each branch joins the same two battery terminals. Opening one parallel branch can leave the other complete. Opening a series route interrupts the only path through both loads.
Light, sound and electricity · Discover & try
How do different circuit paths change the result?
Reading level 1 of 5 · EarlyChange
Word help
series
Components connected along one common current route.
parallel
Branches connected across the same pair of nodes.
Watch · Try · Explain
See how it works
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Ideal DC source and equal ohmic loads; glow is explanatory, not calibrated bulb brightness.
What to look for
- Series shares one current route
- Parallel shares two connection nodes
- One open branch need not break another
Explain what you noticed
Three equal loads use separate parallel branches. One branch is opened. What happens to the other two in this ideal model?
Keep this idea: Trace paths and shared connections before judging a circuit.
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Source material checked 2026-10-28. Explanations and activities by Nepedia. Source links do not imply endorsement.
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