Parallel Circuit Teacher Resources

We are surrounded everyday by circuits that utilize "in parallel" and "in series" circuitry. Complicated circuits designed by engineers are made of many simpler parallel and series circuits. In this hands-on activity, students build...

[Free Registration/Login Required] Learn about the analysis of parallel circuits in the context of a realistic household circuit using our interactive simulation. A PDF worksheet and a video tutorial are also available. [3:24]

Students explore the composition and practical application of parallel circuitry, compared to series circuitry. Students design and build parallel circuits and investigate their characteristics, and apply Ohm's law.

A teacher lesson plan is provided here. This page describes two activities in which the effect of multiple resistors on the current and overall resistance of both series and parallel circuits are investigated. Complete activity...

The core of this lesson is simple circuits and the differences between parallel and series circuit design. Students perform experiments to test the differences between the two circuit designs using low voltage light bulbs.

Find the terminal voltage of a battery with significant internal resistance. Determine the power of one of the external components for the circuit.

Determine the amount of power dissipated in a resistor in a complex circuit.

Determine the internal resistance of a battery based on the electrochemical potential and the current that comes out of the battery when it is hooked to a series of resistors connected in parallel.

Use resistance formulas to determine the total resistances of the series and parallel parts. Then, use Ohm's Law to calculate the voltage drops across and currents through each part.

Use the series and parallel resistance formulas to determine the total resistances of the parts. Then, use Ohm's Law to calculate the voltage drops across each part.

In this lesson, students build series and parallel circuits and test their conductivity. Includes handouts with diagrams, and a vocabulary list with definitions.

A hands-on lesson plan for helping young scholars understand simple circuits, series circuits, and parallel circuits, and the differences between the three.

Students will explore the basics of dc circuits analyzing the light from light bulbs when connected in series and parallel circuits. Ohm's Law and the equation for power dissipated by a circuit will be the primary equations used. Using...

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] The differences between series and parallel circuits are highlighted. Provides an in-depth look at how to solve problems about circuits and resistors. Includes a...

Explains what a combination circuit is, reviews the features of series and parallel circuits, and demonstrates how to analyze combination circuits. Includes detailed examples and some problems for students to try. There is also a link to...

Students will work to increase the intensity of a light bulb by testing batteries in series and parallel circuits. It analyzes Ohm's Law, power, parallel and series circuits, and ways to measure voltage and current.

Mr. Andersen contrasts series and parallel electrical circuits. A simulation is used to visualize electron flow through both circuit types.

Students in this activity will build simple circuits using a battery, wires, and light bulbs. This activity allows students to examine how electricity is conducted through a light bulb using a battery as a power source. Students will...

Learners investigate circuits. Some topics examined are a series circuit, parallel circuit, and Joule?s law. The resource includes practice problems with solutions and a chapter quiz.

Batteries power much of your daily life. In this video episode of Crash Course Physics, we're going to talk about how they work. We're also explaining how terminal voltage results from the natural internal resistance of every real...

Determine the voltage of the battery based on the colors of the resistors and the current in the parallel circuit.

Combination circuits can seem daunting at first. If you remember the rules of series and parallel circuits you'll be just fine. This video demonstrates how to make calculations about power and resistance in a mixed circuit. [10:23]

In this exploration activity, students compare the difference between series circuits and parallel circuits using wire, light bulbs, and D batteries.

This colorful site will help you understand series and parallel circuits.