parallel

(noun)

An arrangement of electrical components such that a current flows along two or more paths.

Related Terms

Examples of parallel in the following topics:

  • Combinations of Capacitors: Series and Parallel

    • Like any other form of electrical circuitry device, capacitors can be used in series and/or in parallel within circuits.
    • It is possible for a circuit to contain capacitors that are both in series and in parallel.
    • However, these are both in parallel with C3.
    • This image depicts capacitors C1, C2, and so on until Cn in parallel.
    • Calculate the total capacitance for the capacitors connected in series and in parallel

  • Resistors in Parallel

    • Resistors in a circuit can be connected in series or in parallel.
    • Therefore, for every circuit with $n$ number or resistors connected in parallel,
    • $R_{n \;(parallel)} = \frac{1}{R_1} + \frac{1}{R_2} + \frac{1}{R_3} ... + \frac{1}{R_n}.$
    • Three resistors connected in parallel to a battery and the equivalent single or parallel resistance.
    • Calculate the total resistance in the circuit with resistors connected in parallel

  • Combination Circuits

    • A combination circuit can be broken up into similar parts that are either series or parallel.
    • In that case, wire resistance is in series with other resistances that are in parallel.
    • In the initial image, the two circled sections show resistors that are in parallel.
    • The next step shows that the circled two resistors are in parallel.
    • This combination of seven resistors has both series and parallel parts.

  • Parallel-Plate Capacitor

    • A parallel-plate capacitor is an electrical component used to store energy in an electric field between two charged, flat surfaces.
    • For the purpose of this atom, we will focus on parallel-plate capacitors .
    • For a parallel-plate capacitor, capacitance (C) is related to dielectric permittivity (ε), surface area (A), and separation between the plates (d):
    • A brief overview of parallel plates and equipotential lines from the viewpoint of electrostatics.

  • Parallel-Plate Capacitor

    • The parallel-plate capacitor is one that includes two conductor plates, each connected to wires, separated from one another by a thin space.
    • One of the most commonly used capacitors in industry and in the academic setting is the parallel-plate capacitor .
    • The purpose of a capacitor is to store charge, and in a parallel-plate capacitor one plate will take on an excess of positive charge while the other becomes more negative.

  • Charging a Battery: EMFs in Series and Parallel

    • When voltage sources are connected in series, their emfs and internal resistances are additive; in parallel, they stay the same.
    • When more than one voltage source is used, they can be connected either in series or in parallel, similar to resistors in a circuit.
    • But the total internal resistance is reduced, since the internal resistances are in parallel.
    • Thus, the parallel connection can produce a larger current .
    • Parallel combinations are often used to deliver more current.

  • Constant Velocity Produces a Straight-Line

    • If a charged particle's velocity is parallel to the magnetic field, there is no net force and the particle moves in a straight line.
    • If the magnetic field and the velocity are parallel (or antiparallel), then sinθ equals zero and there is no force.
    • If is between 0 and 90 degrees, then the component of v parallel to B remains unchanged.
    • In the case above the magnetic force is zero because the velocity is parallel to the magnetic field lines.

  • Magnetic Force Between Two Parallel Conductors

    • Parallel wires carrying current produce significant magnetic fields, which in turn produce significant forces on currents.
    • Parallel wires carrying current produce significant magnetic fields, which in turn produce significant forces on currents.
    • For parallel wires placed one meter away from one another, each carrying one ampere, the force per meter is:
    • This means that one ampere of current through two infinitely long parallel conductors (separated by one meter in empty space and free of any other magnetic fields) causes a force of 2×10-7 N/m on each conductor.

  • Capacitance

    • The most common capacitor is known as a parallel-plate capacitor which involves two separate conductor plates separated from one another by a dielectric .
    • For a parallel-plate capacitor, this equation can be used to calculate capacitance:
    • In a parallel-plate capacitor, this can be simplified to:

  • Resistance and Resistivity

    • The parallel equivalent resistance can be represented in equations by two vertical lines "||" (as in geometry) as a simplified notation.
    • For the case of two resistors in parallel, this can be calculated using:
    • As a special case, the resistance of N resistors connected in parallel, each of the same resistance R, is given by R/N.
    • A resistor network that is a combination of parallel and series connections can be broken up into smaller parts that are either one or the other, such as is shown in .
    • In this combination circuit, the circuit can be broken up into a series component and a parallel component.