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Circuit Configurations | Up
Construction Mechanic Basic Volume 02 - Construction methods and practices | Next
Magnetism |
automobile body is called grounding. The majority of
equipment you will encounter in the NCF will have an
electrical system with a negative ground. Vehicles
with positive ground are very uncommon, but it is
always good practice to note what type of grounding
system is used on the equipment you are working on.
Series circuits (fig. 1-13, view A). A series circuit
consists of two or more electrical components
connected in such a manner that current will flow
through all the components. Important characteristics
of a series circuit are as follows:
Any break in the circuit (such as a burned-out
light bulb) will render’ the entire circuit
inoperative.
Current (amperage) will be constant throughout
the circuit.
Total resistance of the circuit is equal to the sum
of each individual resistance.
Total voltage of the circuit is equal to the sum of
the individual voltage drops across each
component.
Parallel circuits (fig. 1-13, view B). A parallel
circuit consists of two or more electrically operated
components connected by parallel wires. In a parallel
circuit, the current divides, part of it flowing into one
component and part into the others. Practically the
same voltage is applied to each component, and each
component can be turned on or off independently of the
others. Important characteristics of parallel circuits are
as follows:
The total resistance of the circuit will always be
less than the resistance of any individual
component.
The disconnection or burning out of any
individual component in the circuit will not
affect the operation of the others.
The current will divide itself among the circuit
branches according to the resistance of the
individual devices. The sum of the individual
amperages will be equal to the total circuit
current.
The voltage will be constant throughout the
circuit when measured across the individual
branches.
Series-parallel circuits (fig. 1-13, view C). The
series-parallel circuit is a combination of the two
configurations. There must be at least three resistance
units to have a series-parallel circuit. Important
characteristics of series-parallel circuits are as follows:
The total circuit voltage will be equal to the sum
of the total parallel circuit voltage drop plus the
voltage drop of the individual series circuit
component.
The total circuit resistance will be equal to the
sum of the total parallel circuit resistance plus
the individual resistance of the series circuit
components.
Figure 1-13.—Circuit configurations.
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