Parallel Circuits
This exhibit requires that you get
Description:	This applet demonstrates the difference between parallel and serial circuits. Experiment by placing bulbs into sockets and completing circuits.
To try this simulation:	Click on sockets to toggle bulbs.
What's Going On?	The bulbs in the top row make a series circuit. The bulbs in the bottom row are a parallel circuit. A circuit is a closed loop, consisting of a source of electric current like a battery or generator, wires, conductors and a load - like a light bulb or motor. If the loads in a circuit are connected in parallel, each light will receive the same amount of energy and glow with the same intensity. If one bulb goes out, the others continue to glow. When loads are connected end to end, in series, the voltage in the series circuit is divided among all the bulbs, so they appear dimmer than the bulbs in the parallel circuit. If one bulb in a series circuit burns out, it breaks the flow of electricity to the other bulbs and they go out, too. For these reasons, lights and electrical outlets in the home are wired in parallel.
There's More!	Did you know that the auto battery is made up of 6 cells in series? A 'battery' is a group of 'cells'. Each cell produces 2 volts - if you have six of them in series like your car battery, you get 12 volts! When a car doesn't start on a cold morning, jumper cables are connected to the positive battery terminal and negative ground on the car with the GOOD battery and then to the same connections on the car with the DEAD battery. This operation puts the two batteries in PARALLEL. The car with the dead battery is now hooked up to the good one and can start.
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