Circuit Series Calculator

Series Circuit Calculator

Enter the source voltage and up to five resistor values to calculate total resistance, current, power, and individual component characteristics in a series circuit.

Calculation Results:

Enter values and click "Calculate" to see results.

function calculateSeriesCircuit() { var sourceVoltage = parseFloat(document.getElementById('sourceVoltage').value); var resistors = []; for (var i = 1; i = 0) { resistors.push(resistorValue); } } var resultDiv = document.getElementById('result'); resultDiv.innerHTML = '

Calculation Results:

'; if (isNaN(sourceVoltage) || sourceVoltage < 0) { resultDiv.innerHTML += 'Please enter a valid non-negative source voltage.'; return; } if (resistors.length === 0) { resultDiv.innerHTML += 'Please enter at least one valid non-negative resistor value.'; return; } var totalResistance = 0; for (var j = 0; j < resistors.length; j++) { totalResistance += resistors[j]; } if (totalResistance === 0) { resultDiv.innerHTML += 'Total resistance cannot be zero. Please ensure at least one resistor has a non-zero value.'; return; } var totalCurrent = sourceVoltage / totalResistance; var totalPower = sourceVoltage * totalCurrent; var outputHtml = 'Total Resistance (Rtotal): ' + totalResistance.toFixed(2) + ' Ohms'; outputHtml += 'Total Current (Itotal): ' + totalCurrent.toFixed(4) + ' Amps'; outputHtml += 'Total Power Dissipated (Ptotal): ' + totalPower.toFixed(2) + ' Watts'; outputHtml += '
'; outputHtml += '

Individual Resistor Details:

'; for (var k = 0; k < resistors.length; k++) { var resistorNum = k + 1; var resistorValue = resistors[k]; var voltageDrop = totalCurrent * resistorValue; var powerDissipation = totalCurrent * totalCurrent * resistorValue; outputHtml += 'Resistor ' + resistorNum + ' (R' + resistorNum + ' = ' + resistorValue.toFixed(2) + ' Ohms):'; outputHtml += '
    '; outputHtml += '
  • Voltage Drop (VR' + resistorNum + '): ' + voltageDrop.toFixed(2) + ' Volts
    • '; outputHtml += '
  • Power Dissipation (PR' + resistorNum + '): ' + powerDissipation.toFixed(2) + ' Watts
    • '; outputHtml += '
'; } resultDiv.innerHTML = outputHtml; }

Understanding Series Circuits

A series circuit is a fundamental concept in electronics where components are connected end-to-end, forming a single path for the current to flow. This means that the current is the same through each component in the circuit. If one component breaks or is removed, the entire circuit is interrupted, and current stops flowing.

Key Characteristics of Series Circuits:

  • Current: The current is the same at every point in a series circuit. There is only one path for electrons to flow.
  • Voltage: The total voltage supplied by the source is divided among the components in the series circuit. The sum of the voltage drops across each component equals the total source voltage.
  • Resistance: The total resistance of a series circuit is the sum of the individual resistances of all components.

Formulas Used in Series Circuits:

The calculations in a series circuit are based on Ohm's Law and the Power Law:

  • Total Resistance (Rtotal):
    Rtotal = R1 + R2 + ... + Rn
    Where R1, R2, …, Rn are the individual resistances.
  • Total Current (Itotal): (Ohm's Law)
    Itotal = Vsource / Rtotal
    Where Vsource is the total voltage supplied by the source.
  • Voltage Drop Across an Individual Resistor (VRn): (Ohm's Law)
    VRn = Itotal * Rn
  • Power Dissipated by an Individual Resistor (PRn): (Power Law)
    PRn = Itotal2 * Rn or PRn = VRn2 / Rn or PRn = VRn * Itotal
  • Total Power Dissipated (Ptotal): (Power Law)
    Ptotal = Vsource * Itotal or Ptotal = Itotal2 * Rtotal

Example Calculation:

Let's consider a series circuit with a 12 Volt source and three resistors:

  • R1 = 100 Ohms
  • R2 = 200 Ohms
  • R3 = 300 Ohms

Using the formulas:

  1. Total Resistance (Rtotal):
    Rtotal = 100 Ohms + 200 Ohms + 300 Ohms = 600 Ohms
  2. Total Current (Itotal):
    Itotal = 12 Volts / 600 Ohms = 0.02 Amps
  3. Voltage Drops:
    VR1 = 0.02 Amps * 100 Ohms = 2 Volts
    VR2 = 0.02 Amps * 200 Ohms = 4 Volts
    VR3 = 0.02 Amps * 300 Ohms = 6 Volts
    (Notice: 2V + 4V + 6V = 12V, which equals the source voltage)
  4. Power Dissipation:
    PR1 = (0.02 Amps)2 * 100 Ohms = 0.04 Watts
    PR2 = (0.02 Amps)2 * 200 Ohms = 0.08 Watts
    PR3 = (0.02 Amps)2 * 300 Ohms = 0.12 Watts
  5. Total Power (Ptotal):
    Ptotal = 12 Volts * 0.02 Amps = 0.24 Watts
    (Also: 0.04W + 0.08W + 0.12W = 0.24W)

This calculator simplifies these calculations, allowing you to quickly determine the key electrical properties of your series circuits.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *