Lesson 1/Learning Event 2
If the electrical path is broken at any point, no current will flow and all the lights will go out. This
happens when the filament in any one of the bulbs burns out or a wire breaks. Actually, a break in
the circuit has the same effect as turning a switch off. To sum this up, we can say that in the
series circuit a number of items are connected together in such a manner so the current has only
one path to follow.
FIGURE 13. PARALLEL CIRCUIT.
In the PARALLEL CIRCUIT, there is more than one path for the current to follow. This is the
kind of circuit used when bulbs in a string of Christmas tree lights are connected together by two
wires. Notice that each bulb provides a separate path for the current flow. If one bulb burns out,
this will not affect the others. The parallel circuit is the most commonly used circuit in automotive
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