How do you read ammeters that are in parallel circuits?

Question

If the circuit has the battery at the top then a bulb on the first branch and the second bulb on the second branch so they are in parallel. An ammeter by the battery reads 1.5A. What is the ammeter reading after the first bulb but on the same branch, before the second bulb on the second branch and at the top before the battery?

Any help at all would be greatly appreciated!

Am I right in thinking that parallel somehow increases the current?? Thanks!

Answer 1

Yes, you are correct in thinking that parallel increases the current. That's why if you have a lot of electrical stuff running in your house, the greater the chance of blowing the fuse or circuit breaker.

If the ammeter reads 1.5A, that means the sum of branch #1 and branch #2 is 1.5A. If the R of each branch is the same, then each ammeter reads .75A, but you didn't indicate the resistances.

An ammeter placed just before or just after the battery would read the same, because #electrons in = #electrons out.

Parallel circuits take a while before they make sense.

Answer 2

Without the ammeter confusing the circuit, what you are describing are two lamp bulbs in parallel and being fed with electricity by a common battery. Some of the total current from the battery flows through each and it depending on the amount of resistance to this flow (in Ohms), the current is in inverse proportion in each branch. That is high resistance, small relative flow etc.



The way you take the measurements is not so clear but the sum of the two amperage's in each bulb must equal the total coming from the battery.

Answer 3

Ammeter Readings