Why does current remains same in series and vary in parallel ? Please explain in detail
Answers
Explanation :-
Current is the flow of electrons. In a series circuit the channel is the same (imagine a tube) so the flow is the same. Voltage on the other hand is the difference between potential energy of two points. In parallel both resistors are connected to the same electrical points, so the voltage is the same, while in series there are 3 electrical points (A, B , C where B is the point in between the two resistors), so the voltage at B, provided the current flow is from A to C, will be Potential energy at B minus the potential energy at A, and the voltage at C will be, potential energy at C, minus the potential energy at B.
Between A and B, and B and C there’s a resistor, so you require “more energy” for the current to pass through, therefore Point B has more potential energy than A, and C more than A and B.
In a parallel circuit, the current is divided following oms law (smaller current will flow on the wire with the stronger resistance), and the resistors are connected to the same points but with different current. We know that the current is inversely proportional to the resistance, so a higher resistance will be compensated by a lower current, but the energy needed to move the electrons will be the same for the two wires, and therefore you have the same potential energy.