Parallel circuit (1)

The trouble with the circuit in the house on the previous page is that all the lights have to be switched on together. Is this like a real house? Think about how you could improve the design of the circuit so that each room could be lit separately. What components would you need?

You would need to design a parallel circuit. In a parallel circuit, more wires are used so that each component is linked independently to the battery

The advantages of a parallel circuit are:

• the lit bulbs can be switched on or off one at a time
• If one bulb is removed, the others don't stop working

The disadvantages of a parallel circuit are:

• It is more complex
• It takes longer to put together
• It requires more wire than a series circuit

Now make a circuit to light up all three bulbs using all six wires. When the circuit is wired correctly the bulbs will light up.