Battery configurations.

Thread Starter

knowledgethirst

Joined Oct 8, 2007
5
could you please explain, using an analogy is possible, how is it that when two cells are placed in series they produce more voltage and yet same current while in parallel, the opposite is true. Thanks.
 

thingmaker3

Joined May 16, 2005
5,083
Two ogres side-by-side can lift two oxen twelve feet into the air. Two ogres one atop the other can lift one ox twenty four feet into the air.
 

recca02

Joined Apr 2, 2007
1,212
i cant think of a good explanation for series ones but for parallel ones
u can consider the two cells to be electrolytic ones.
consider a single electrolytic cell. the emf is proportional to concentration and for a given load it will send some current.
now in the same cell instead of one cathode and anode pair consider two cathode and anode pair. since they are in parallel equal current will pass thru them.
now since emf is proportional to concentration it would make no difference if u split the electrolytic cell in 2 with the cathodes and anodes pair separated .the effect remains same and u now have two cells in parallel.it is not that current is increased twice but that the cells take up the load equally and half the current flows thru them individually for that given load.
so the current carrying capacity for battery increases (actually this shud mean that the no of hours for twice the current remains same--something rather obvious)
just my way of looking at things.

i started b4 Mr thingmaker3 now that i read his explanation i wonder why i wrote mine.
 

steeve_wai

Joined Sep 13, 2007
47
a cell rasises charges to a certain potential by doing work on them.
the conduction electrons of the circuit are rasised to the potential of the first cell.then,they pass through the second cell and their potential is increased further by the second cell.they come out of the second cell,and are at a potential=V1+V2.i hope that helped.

however i am a little doubtful about the consequences if you place two "ideal" cells in parallel...you can see my doubt regarding cells in parallel...
 
Top