The current (Measured in Amps by an ammeter in series (A)) is the same

everywhere in a series circuit. The current in a series circuit depends on the

number of cells. More cells = higher current.

The current in a parallel circuit is different. The current divides up into the
separate branches, so more current can be in one branch than another, but the
current of all the branches will add up to the same amount as the current outside
the branches. ITotal = I1 + I2 + I3 + … where ITotal is the total amount of current
outside the branches (and in the battery) and I1, I2 and I3 represent the current in
the individual branches of the circuit.

The voltage (Measured in Volts by a voltmeter in parallel (V)) is different in a

series circuit. The voltage decreases as it passes through each item in a series
circuit depending on the resistance of the item. The higher the resistance the
more the voltage drops. The voltage across the circuit is the sum of the voltages
of the components.

The voltage in a parallel series is the same across each of the components. All of
the components act as though they are one big resistor as you connect the
voltmeter before the wire branches and where it connects again.

The law of conservation of energy states that the total amount of energy in a
system remains constant ("is conserved"), although energy within the system
can be changed from one form to another or transferred from one object to
another. Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be transformed.

In physics, charge conservation is the principle that electric charge can neither
be created nor destroyed. The net quantity of electric charge, the amount of
positive charge minus the amount of negative charge in the universe, is always
conserved.

An electric current flows when charged particles called electrons move through a
conductor. The moving electrons can collide with the atoms of the conductor.
This makes it more difficult for the current to flow, and causes resistance.
Electrons collide with atoms more often in a long wire than they do in a short
wire. A thin wire has fewer electrons to carry the current than a thick wire. Thin
wire – Not much space, more resistance. Thick wire – More space, less resistance.

Resistance is measured in ohms. The symbol for an ohm looks like this: Ω
The greater the number of ohms, the greater the resistance. The equation below
shows the relationship between voltage, current and resistance:
potential difference (volt, V) = current (ampere, A) × resistance (ohm, Ω )

The current flowing through a resistor at a constant temperature is directly

proportional to the voltage across the resistor. So, if you double the voltage, the
current also doubles. This is called Ohm's Law.