How to Draw a Parallel Circuit

Drawings and especially technical diagrams of electrical circuits can seem dauntingly complex, but basic circuit drawings are actually quite simple both to decipher and to draw. A parallel circuit is a type of basic circuit in which two or more electrical appliances are connected to the same power source. The form a drawing of a parallel circuit takes can vary widely, from realistic to extremely symbolic and stylized. Follow the instructions below to create a simple, symbolic diagram of a parallel circuit in its most basic form.

Instructions

1. 

   Draw a power source. This is usually represented by a battery, or the electrical diagram for a battery. Whatever you choose to use for the power source, be sure to make it easily recognizable as such. You may wish to label the two ends of the power source, whatever form they take, with + and - symbols to represent the positive and negative terminals of the power source.

2. 

   Draw an electrically-powered appliance below the power source. In most diagrams, this is represented by a light bulb. It can be as realistic or as symbolic as you want, but make sure that it is visually very distinct from the power source and, ideally, quickly recognizable as an object that uses electricity.

3. 

   Add a second appliance below the first. Be sure to draw both appliances the same, unless you are drawing a particular circuit with particular appliances. For a basic parallel circuit, it is only necessary to include two appliances, but you can add as many as you like beyond the initial two.

4. 

   Draw horizontal lines extending from the left and right ends of the power source and both appliances. Connect these sets of lines on each side with vertical lines. It should appear as though the power source and appliances are laying over the horizontal lines of two large rectangles joined top-to-bottom. These lines represent the electrical wires connecting the power source and appliances. If you are opting for a more realistic drawing rather than using the diagram style, then in place of the straight lines you can draw curved lines connecting the left end of the power source to the left end of the first appliance and the same spot on the left end of the first appliance to the left end of the second appliance. Then do the same on the right side.

5. 

   Add switches to the circuit by erasing short sections of the horizontal lines on the left of each appliance and adding diagonal lines connected to one end of the erased section, but not the other. It is not strictly necessary for the circuit to include switches in order to be a parallel circuit, but nearly every example of a real-world parallel circuit will include them.