Question

How does the circuit structure affect the brightness of a bulb? How does the circuit structure affect the energy required to keep bulbs lit? Summarize some of the tradeoffs (pros and cons) of wiring bulbs in series vs. Parallel.

Answer 1

Part A

The relationship between the circuit structure and the brightness of the bulb are;

The brightness of the bulb depends on the voltage to which the bulb is connected to

Bulbs connected in parallel, are connected directly to the voltage of the power source and are therefore brighter than bulbs arranged in series due to the reduced potential difference between bulbs in series and the voltage source

Part B

Given that bulbs are brighter when arranged in parallel, they require more energy to keep the bulbs lit than when they are arranged in series

Part C

The pros and cons of wiring bulbs in series and parallel are;

Series Circuits Disadvantage

i) A failure of one bulb arranged in series can lead to a failure of the circuit

ii) Bulbs arranged in series are not as bright as bulbs arranged in parallel

iii) When the number of bulbs arranged in a series are increased, the brightness decreases

iv) The bulbs cannot be controlled independently

Advantages of Series Circuits

i) Series circuits consume less energy and the batteries last longer when the attached bulbs are arranged in series

Disadvantage of bulbs arranged in parallel

i) The battery power quickly consumed

The Advantages of Bulbs in Parallel

i) The bulbs light brighter when they are in parallel

ii) The bulbs can be individually controlled

iii) The current can flow through more than one path way

iv) When one bulb fuses, the others in the circuit keep working

Step-by-step explanation: