Parallel Circuits — Multiple Paths
Part of Series & Parallel Circuits — GCSE Physics
This deep dive covers Parallel Circuits — Multiple Paths within Series & Parallel Circuits for GCSE Physics. Revise Series & Parallel Circuits in Electricity for GCSE Physics with 20 exam-style questions and 30 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 4 of 16 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 4 of 16
Practice
20 questions
Recall
30 flashcards
🔀 Parallel Circuits — Multiple Paths
What it looks like: Components on separate branches — current has MULTIPLE paths to choose from.
Current rule:
- Current SPLITS at junctions
- Itotal = I₁ + I₂ + I₃
- More current flows through lower resistance branches
- Think: water splitting into multiple pipes
Voltage rule:
- Voltage is the SAME across each branch
- V₁ = V₂ = V₃ = Vsupply
- Each branch connects directly to the supply
Resistance rule:
- Total resistance is LESS than the smallest individual resistance
- 1/Rtotal = 1/R₁ + 1/R₂ + 1/R₃
- Adding more branches DECREASES total resistance (more paths = easier flow)
Key consequence: If one branch breaks, the others KEEP WORKING — that's why houses use parallel circuits!