🔬 Science · Energy
Series vs parallel circuits
Describe and apply the rules for current, voltage, and resistance in series and parallel circuits, and explain the practical uses of each circuit type
Typical age: 12–13 years
“Can your child explain why the lights in your home don't all switch off when you turn off one room's light, but a string of old-fashioned Christmas lights does go off if one bulb breaks?”
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Needs first
- Ohm's Law: voltage, current, resistanceREQUIRED
Applying V = IR rules to series and parallel circuits requires Ohm's Law as a working tool
- Circuit vocabularyREQUIRED
Applying rules for current, voltage, and resistance in series and parallel circuits requires all this vocabulary
- Why circuit components behave differently
KS2 investigation of component variations (brightness/loudness) provides intuitive grounding for series vs parallel behaviour
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