Appliances side by side

The idea

In a domestic circuit, appliances are connected in parallel across the live and neutral wires so that each has an equal potential difference and its own switch.

Switching one appliance

A bulb, a fan and a cooler are all connected to the same live and neutral wires of a home. The fan is switched off.

What happens to the bulb and the cooler?

• They keep working
• They stop working
• They get a larger potential difference

Switch them on and off

Use the switch buttons. This is a picture on the screen; home wiring is not for students to touch.

Each on its own

Each appliance is joined across the live and neutral wires, side by side. That is a parallel connection. Each one gets the same potential difference, and each has its own ON and OFF switch. When one is off, the others carry on.

In a domestic circuit, appliances are connected in parallel across the live and neutral wires, so that each has an equal potential difference and its own switch.

Notes

Appliances are connected in parallel across the live and neutral wires, so each has an equal potential difference and its own switch.

Check yourself

How are the appliances in a domestic circuit connected across the live and neutral wires?

Why are the appliances connected in parallel?

The fan switch is turned off. The bulb in the same circuit…

What is the job of the separate switch of each appliance?

• One after another, in series. In series the appliances would not each have an equal potential difference and a separate switch. In a home they are connected in parallel.
• In parallel — correct. Yes!
• Each through the earth wire. The earth wire is a safety wire for metallic bodies. The appliances are connected in parallel across the live and neutral wires.
• So that the potential difference is shared among them. In parallel each appliance has an equal potential difference across it. The potential difference is not shared out.
• So that one switch turns all of them on and off. Each appliance has a separate switch to turn the flow of current through it on or off.
• So that each has an equal potential difference — correct. Yes!
• keeps working — correct. Yes!
• also stops working. Each appliance has a separate switch, and they are connected in parallel, so one switch does not turn the others off.
• gets a bigger potential difference. Each appliance has an equal potential difference across it, which does not change when the fan is switched off.
• To change the colour of the live wire. The switch only turns the flow of current through that appliance on or off.
• To turn the flow of current through that appliance on or off — correct. Yes!
• To connect the appliance to the earth. The earth wire is connected to the metallic body of an appliance. The switch turns the current on or off.