Glossary
parallel circuit
A parallel circuit offers several paths, so the same voltage sits across every branch and one failing branch leaves the others working. Total resistance falls as branches are added.
A parallel circuit offers several paths, so each branch carries its own current while the same voltage sits across them all. The branches do not depend on one another, so one lamp failing leaves the rest lit — which is exactly why household circuits are wired this way.
The counter-intuitive part is the total resistance. Adding a second path gives the current more room, so the total falls rather than rises and the current drawn from the supply increases. The overall resistance is always lower than the smallest branch in the circuit.
Series and parallel are a tested pair, so hold the two lists cleanly. Series: one path, one current, voltage divides, resistances add, one break stops everything. Parallel: several paths, one voltage, current divides, resistances combine to a smaller total, and a branch can fail on its own. The giveaway in the wording is one path against several paths.
Taught in
Related terms
- series circuit — A series circuit has one path, so the same current passes through every component in turn. The voltage is divided among them, and one break stops the whole circuit.
Source: Official ASVAB — subtest descriptions (what each subtest asks) and the CAT-ASVAB scored-question counts (accessed 2026-09)