Which circuit will the bulbs appear brighter in?

Question

this is the second time im asking, i dont think i made the last one clear enough. so there's 2 circuits, parallel and series each with 4 bulbs (the 2 batteries are not in parallel in the parallel circuit, in both circuits the batteries are side-by-side). in the series circuit, the bulbs are lines up. in the parallel, the bulbs are in parallel, each with their own path. if it is series, is it because when energy goes through the filament (the resistor in this case) it's converted into light and heat, but when it goes past the resistor, the energy is transferred back into it's original power? what if it doesnt? does the first bulb closest to the positive ( i think energy goes positive to negative terminal) terminal appear brighter than the rest? and the fourth bulb the dimmest? what about parallel. lets say the total voltage is 12V. does each bubl get 3V ea then? please explain.

Answer 1

In the series circuit the 4 bulbs will be as bright as one another assuming they are of similar power rating. They will show 3 volts across each bulb.
In the parallel circuit the bulbs will again be similarly bright but in this case you will find 12 volts across each bulb.
In the old days the conventional theory did say that electricity flowed from positive to negative. The electron theory, which is accepted by everybody, states that electrons flow from negative to positive.

Answer 2

Parallel will be brighter. Assuming your battery is 12 volts, each bulb will have 12 volts across it. Further more if you have resistances from the bulb filaments in parallel, the total resistance is 1/4 of a single bulb so more current will flow.

In series each bulb will only get 3 volts and the current flowing will be much less because the resistance is 4 times a single bulb.

The power in the bulb is P=VI or voltage times the current. Since both the voltage and current are higher in parallel, they will be brighter. (Of course assuming the bulbs don't burn out and don't work any more!)

Answer 3

In the series circuit the VOLTAGE is divided between the loads (in this case your bulbs) evenly, so each will get 3v in the 12v system you've described. They will all have equal brightness but will only glow if they are 3v (or thereabouts) bulbs.

In the parallel circuit, the AMPAGE is divided between the bulbs, so again they will all glow equally but only if they are 12v (or thereabouts) bulbs.

In the series circuit, the batteries will last longer but you have to limit the voltage of the bulbs if they are to work.

In the parallel circuit they will all be brighter if they are 12v bulbs, but the batteries will run down faster as their energy is use quicker,

The two key equations here are V=IR and W=VI (Watts is power used)

Basic formula for series resistance is R1+R2+Rn

Parallel resistance is (R1*R2*Rn)/(R1+R2+Rn)

Answer 4

think of your home lights, if you turn 1 light off, will another turned on light get brighter?
the bulbs will get the same amount of voltage, the only problem is that the batteries won't last long, but if you had 2 bulbs, they would get same voltage and batteries would get 2x life.