how come if one light on your christmas lights are out, they all are?

Question

thats the most annoying thing ever.

Answer 1

It has to do with the circuit (I think called a closed circuit) in which the electrical current hits each light in turn before moving down the line.

Thusly if it is a wire fault, the lights cannot work because the current is blocked.

But also because the lights are used the same amount of time, so they'll burn out about the same time.

IE: If you have 4 lightbulbs in a room, and you change them at the same time...within a day of each other all four bulbs will burn out when they've reached their limit. As opposed to changing one, waiting a few months and changing another, etc.

Answer 2

Yes, it is. At least with the C-7 or C-9 lights, if one bulb is burned out, you can easily spot it because all the others stay lit. The problem with those lights is that they get very hot. When I was a child, my family used to put the smaller lights on the tree and the larger ones outside. I didn't start seeing the mini-lights until the early 1970s. Those were especially annoying because if one light went out, they all stayed out. You didn't have these strands where supposedly, the others stayed lit when one burned out.

Answer 3

so irritating! feel like Chevy Chase in Christmas Vacation checking all those lights? there are lights out there that you can purchase that if one light goes out it wont short out the rest of the strand. good luck!

Answer 4

Its annoying yes.
this is because it breaks the circuit, the electrical currunt cannot continue. its not a full curcuit meening.. its gone :(
but you can buy better ones which have a much better curcuit and wont totaly go out if one does.

Answer 5

It breaks the circuit, but there are types that will just need the single bulb replaced & stay lit.

Answer 6

Becuase they are connected in a series cirucit, meaning the electricity has to go through one bulb to get to the next. If they were connected in a parrallel circuit then the electricity doesnt have to pass through one bulb to get the tothers

Series circuit:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks3bitesize/science/images/sci_dia_53.gif
Parralell circuit:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks3bitesize/science/images/sci_dia_55.gif

Hope this helps!

Answer 7

You bought the wrong kind. Take that strand back and get the other kind which make it so that if one goes out.the rest stay on.

Answer 8

They connect the circuit

Answer 9

the company figures it will make u so pd off you throw out that set and buy a new set

Answer 10

When it rains it pours!