Question

Consider the circuit given below: 

 

(a) In which circuit are the lamps dimmest?
(b) In which circuit or circuits are the lamps of equal brightness to the lamps in circuit (i)?
(c) Which circuit gives out the maximum light?  

Answer 1

(a) The lamps will be the dimmest in the series circuit (ii) because the voltage will be divided between the two lamps.
(b) In circuit (iii), the lamps will be as bright as in circuit (i) because circuit (iii) is a parallel arrangement. In a parallel arrangement, the voltage remains the same.
(c) Circuit (iii) will give the maximum light as circuit (iii) has a parallel arrangement. A parallel arrangement offers less resistance and thus circuit (iii) will give more light.