It is interesting to look in more detail at what happens in the circuit when an extra bulb is added.

Physics Narrative 11-14

Starting point: what happens when a second bulb is connected in parallel with the first?

Physics Narrative 11-14

Adding a second bulb in parallel to the first sets up a second circuit loop in which charged particles can be set in motion...

Physics Narrative 11-14

Physics Narrative 11-14

The batteries commonly used in school science practical work are torch batteries rated at 1.5 volt . If two of these batteries...

Physics Narrative 11-14

Setting up a simple circuit consists of selecting two components–the battery and the bulb, and linking them with wires. The...

Physics Narrative 11-14

Why do we say that these ideas about voltage are two ways of telling the same story? The answer to this question takes us back...

Physics Narrative 11-14

The volt is defined in terms of energy shifting from store to store by flowing charged particles, here moving around a circuit...

Physics Narrative 11-14

To predict the brightness of bulbs you need to think about the power in the electrical pathway. The brightness is the result...

Physics Narrative 11-14

This quantity, the amount of energy shifted by the bulb each second, is called the electrical power of the bulb.

Physics Narrative 11-14

Going back to the circuit we started with, you can see that the electrical power is calculated by multiplying together the...

Physics Narrative 11-14

Find out more about describing the energy shifted from the chemical store.

Physics Narrative 11-14