When one light burns out or is taken out from the series circuit, WHY do all of the lights go out?
2006-08-25 10:16:58 · 14 answers · asked by thunderbomb90 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Think of what would happen if it was just a regular series circuit with nothing but wire. If you cut the wire, the electricity no longer travels through it. So if the bulb is broken or burnt out, the filament (which is also metal that conducts electricity just not as efficiently because it emits a lot of light), the filament is no longer their to complete the circuit so there is no way for the electricity to travel through the bulb and all of the bulbs in the circuit will go out because electricity is no longer travelling through it.
2006-08-25 10:28:17 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If a string of lights is in series, each filament acts as part of the wire - like a fuse. If one of the lights burns out, the circuit is broken and there is no longer a complete path for the electricity to flow. The burned out light would act the same as if there were a blown fuse in the circuit.
2006-08-25 10:22:54 · answer #2 · answered by sloop_sailor 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In a series circuit the first bulb is like a fuse. It is sending current to the next in line through the filament in the bulb. This makes the system very safe, but not too secure. A better way is to use a parallel circuit, and limit the amount of current feeding the circuit for safety reasons.
I hope this helps,
Lonnie
2006-08-25 10:20:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Becuase in a series circuit the electrical current pass from one to another light, in this case, and if one of these fails the circuit are broken and all of them go out.
2006-08-25 10:23:37 · answer #4 · answered by Ντάνιελ 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
a series circuit is called a series circuit because the power goes through a series of connections that power either a light or a used appliance....when one of these lights or appliances is removed or burnt out, the series cannot be completed, thus the circuit becomes dead
2006-08-25 10:50:33 · answer #5 · answered by N3CR0 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The filament in the bulb actually completes the circuit(in a series circuit). If the filament is broken or missing, You have an open circuit.
2006-08-25 10:25:45 · answer #6 · answered by isx650 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the circuit is a loop and if one bulb is taken out or burned out the loop is like cut off so currenmt cannot flow for one anothes since there's a cut (not like parallel since this has other ways where current can flow)!
2006-08-25 21:50:56 · answer #7 · answered by Amelie' 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because in a series circuit there is only one path for the electric current to flow through. the current needs to go through one light to the next in order to function properly
2006-08-25 10:19:04 · answer #8 · answered by Poj23 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because there is no longer a circuit for the electricity to travel on the broken filament stops it.
2006-08-25 10:19:00 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
An electrical circuit is analogous to water flowing in a pipe you break the pipe =no more water flow . if you use this anology you shpuld not have problem understanding electrical circuits.
2006-08-25 11:34:14 · answer #10 · answered by goring 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋