Quote:
Originally Posted by Carfan32
What does it mean to run something in series
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When it comes to connecting things in an electrical circuit, they will either be connected in series or in parallel. A very common item to be connected in series within a car is a fuse. Think of this series connection as essentially cutting the power wire and placing a fuse "in series" across the two ends of the cut wire. All current in the circuit must flow through that fuse in series with the circuit.
That series fuse will often feed multiple items connected in parallel. Items connected in parallel will be all be connected to the same feed and the same ground. So the series fuse and associated wiring needs to be rated sufficiently to be able to supply current to all of the parallel devices on that circuit.
A water flow analogy is often used to help visualize electrical circuits and current flow. If you think about a garden hose spigot with a three-hose tap connected to it, the spigot on the outside of the house is like the fuse mentioned above, and the three garden hoses would be like devices connected in parallel to the fused circuit.
I'm sure there are better ways to describe it if this is still confusing, but my lunch break is about over.
-Rod