How to Set Up a Parallel Circuit
An electrical circuit consists of a power source, a conductive material like wire, and a target. For example, a battery connected to a light bulb by a wire makes a simple electrical circuit. When the circuit is closed, the light bulb lights up. When it's open, the path the electricity travels along is broken and the light bulb goes dark. In many cases, you need to add a resistor to the circuit in order to control the amount of electricity travelling through the target -- in this case, the light bulb. A resistor stems the flow of electricity, allowing the target to function without becoming damaged. One way to use resistors is in a parallel circuit.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Select a power source, such as a battery; your circuit material, such as a copper wire; and your target, such as a light bulb.
-
2
Calculate the amount of resistance you want your circuit to have. The resistance needed is equal to the voltage of the circuit, determined by your power source, divided by the desired current you want running through the circuit.
-
-
3
Select your resistors so that the when you add the inverse of each, the inverse of the total is the resistance you need. For example, if you have two resistors with 8 ohms of resistance and a third with 4 ohms, when wired in parallel, the total resistance will be:
1/(1/8 + 1/8 + 1/4) = 1/(1/2) = 2 ohms
A parallel circuit allows the current to split and travel across each of the resistors simultaneously. It allows you to use a lower resistance than if you were to run the same resistors in series.
-
4
Connect a wire to the positive end of your power source.
-
5
Split the wire so that you have as many leads as you do resistors. Connect one lead of wire to each of the resistors.
-
6
Attach a wire to the opposite end of each resistor and then twist the wires coming from the resistors into a single wire.
-
7
Connect that wire to your target.
-
8
Run another wire from your target to the negative end of your power source to complete the circuit.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit light bulb image by Photosani from Fotolia.com
