11.5 DC Circuits

Series vs. Parallel

A DC Circuit stands for a Direct Current Circuit. In these circuits, circuit elements can be connected in series or in parallel. A series connection means that the charge must pass through one circuit element onto the next one, with no other path for the charge to go. A parallel connection means that charges have many different paths that it can go to. In a circuit, there can be series and parallel connections that are within each other. This will be discussed later in this lesson and in Lesson 3.7.