NCEA Level 1 Energy Practice Test

Parallel circuits have components arranged so there are separate paths for current to flow between the same two points of the supply. Because of these branches, each component is connected across the same voltage and current can split between different paths. The description of having components in separate loops or paths fits this idea: you can trace more than one route from the positive to the negative terminal. In contrast, a circuit with a single loop describes a series arrangement; a circuit where current stays the same describes series as well; and voltage splitting implies different voltages across parts, which isn’t how parallel circuits behave since the voltage across each branch is the same.