Question 7
Identify which of these circuits is a parallel circuit (there may be more than one shown!):

Circuits D and E are parallel circuits.


Notes:
The purpose of this question is to get students to identify what distinguishing characteristic uniquely identifies a circuit as being “parallel.” Once this has been identified, there are several conclusions which may be deduced (regarding voltage drops, currents, resistances, etc.).

Some students may have difficulty distinguishing that circuit E is a parallel circuit, but it is!

 

B is.

 

because one component is in series with the other two (which are in parallel)

 

B is.

its not

 

Circuit with compound connection of elements.

 

because one component is in series with the other two (which are in parallel)

so they made a mistake?

 

so they made a mistake?

No mistake, they only said D and E were parallel circuits, not the others (including not B).
They're correct.

 

Hello,

B would be a combinational circuit.
It consists of a parallel part and a series part.

Bertus

 

I see it as a series parallel, I guess they only meant full parallel?

 

Hello,

B would be a combinational circuit.
It consists of a parallel part and a series part.

Bertus

thanks, so I should assume when people are talking about parallel circuits I should ignore series-parallel?

 

thanks, so I should assume when people are talking about parallel circuits I should ignore series-parallel?

I would. I see series circuits, I see parallel circuits and I see series parallel circuit so apparently when written they saw it that way.

Hello,

B would be a combinational circuit.
It consists of a parallel part and a series part.

Bertus

Makes sense to me.

Ron

 

thanks, so I should assume when people are talking about parallel circuits I should ignore series-parallel?

circuit B has a parallel component, and it has a component in series. You can't call it a parallel circuit, nor can you call it a series circuit, because its both. As bertus and Danko say, its a "combinational circuit"

 

Thank you guys =]

 

I think the question has to be taken in context. As a test question B is series parallel so not just parallel. In real circuits, (schematics) say for instance the power supply feeding a televisions various sections, there would be many parallel components, many series and series parallel components. The skill then is to identify and isolate the building blocks to then identify where in each that you have the different combinations and their effects on each other.

 

Each circuit is a circuit of its own. Some are series, some are parallel and one (B) is "Series Parallel". The question is "Which circuits are parallel circuits?" The question did not ask which circuits HAVE parallel components to it. B has a parallel component and a series component. And by "Component" I'm not speaking about the resistors I'm speaking about the part of the circuit that is either parallel or series. In B there is a parallel component to it and there's a series component to it. When combined they form an overall singular function.

B HAS a parallel part to it but it is not strictly defined as solely being a parallel circuit.

 

thanks, so I should assume when people are talking about parallel circuits I should ignore series-parallel?

I've been in electronics since that filth Edison was torturing elephants and sundry other animals, and I've never seen any shred of consistency in language for a circuit with parallel parts and series parts.I wouldn't assume anything based on casual language. You can identify which is which, which is what is important.

I run into this when people describe batteries 2S3P for some combination of series and parallel cells. I dislike it because it fails to make explicit if that means three paralleled sets of two cells in series or 2 groups, each of 3 paralleled cells, connected in series. One would the expected config for one type of cell, the other for a different type of cell. Assume nothing.

"combinational" in English is used as an alternative to "combinatorial" and refers to logic (and as opposed to "sequential")

 

Is a resistor connected across the terminals of a battery a series circuit or a parallel circuit?

 

Is a resistor connected across the terminals of a battery a series circuit or a parallel circuit?

haha...good point.
but circuit F also has a switch...wait for it...in series.

 

Is a resistor connected across the terminals of a battery a series circuit or a parallel circuit?

Battery always excluded from analysis, then resistor is alone element, connected to terminals.

 

The combination circuits are not considered parallel circuits because...
One of the prime definition of a parallel circuit is that the voltage is the same across all elements.

Conversely, the current is the same in all elements of a series circuit.