Why circuit components behave differently

Question 1

Sam connects a 6 V battery to a small speaker and a tiny LED light. In Circuit 1 the speaker and LED are wired in series, and in Circuit 2 they are wired in parallel. In Circuit 1 the speaker sounds faint and the LED glows dimly; in Circuit 2 both the sound and the light are bright. Which explanation best describes why the speaker and LED work better in Circuit 2?

Accepted Answer

Each component receives the full battery voltage when they are in parallel, so they both operate at their full strength.

Answer

The wires are shorter in the parallel arrangement, so electricity travels faster.

Answer

The battery’s voltage is split equally between the speaker and the LED in the parallel circuit.

Answer

The battery produces more total energy when the components are in parallel.

Question 2

A battery is connected to two identical bulbs. In circuit A the bulbs are connected in series. In circuit B the bulbs are connected in parallel. Which circuit will make each bulb brighter, and why?

Accepted Answer

Circuit B, because each bulb receives the full voltage from the battery.

Answer

Circuit B, because the current is divided between the bulbs, which makes them brighter.

Answer

Circuit A, because the bulbs share the current, making each bulb brighter.

Answer

Circuit A, because the voltage is divided between the bulbs, which makes each bulb brighter.

Question 3

Two circuits each have a battery and two identical light bulbs. In Circuit A the bulbs are connected in series, and in Circuit B the bulbs are connected in parallel. Which statement is true?

Accepted Answer

The bulbs in the series circuit are dimmer than those in the parallel circuit because the battery’s energy is shared between the bulbs.

Answer

The bulbs in both circuits have the same brightness because the bulbs are identical.

Answer

The bulbs in the series circuit are brighter than those in the parallel circuit because the voltage adds across the bulbs.

Answer

The bulbs in the parallel circuit are dimmer than those in the series circuit because each bulb receives only part of the battery’s voltage.

Try three questions

A battery is connected to two identical bulbs. In circuit A the bulbs are connected in series. In circuit B the bulbs are connected in parallel. Which circuit will make each bulb brighter, and why?

Two circuits each have a battery and two identical light bulbs. In Circuit A the bulbs are connected in series, and in Circuit B the bulbs are connected in parallel. Which statement is true?

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