Episode 3 — Electricity and Magnetism - Electric Circuits

Series and Parallel

Learners will be able to:

• Describe the symbol used for resistance and its unit of measurement in ohms. • Explain how resistance affects the flow of electric current using a tunnel analogy. • Identify the factors that affect resistance, including material type, length, cross-sectional area, and temperature. • Calculate the total resistance in a series circuit using the equation Rtotal = R1 + R2. • Apply the concept of potential dividers to explain how resistors in series divide voltage. • Explain the difference between resistors in series and parallel circuits. • Calculate the total resistance in a parallel circuit using the equation 1/Rparallel = 1/R1 + 1/R2. • Identify the characteristics of resistors in parallel, including current division and equal potential differences.