8.2: The Parallel Connection
- Page ID
- 98511
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A parallel connection is always characterized by having all components share just two nodes. There are no other junctions from which current can flow out of or into, or for voltage to split. Consequently,
\[\text{The voltage is the same everywhere in a parallel connection.} \nonumber \]
Each component in such a connection will see the same voltage, regardless of whether it is a resistor, capacitor or inductor. Before the branch currents can be determined, the capacitive and inductive reactance values must be computed. As seen from prior work, these are obtained from the capacitor and inductor values, and based on the frequency of the driving source. Consequently, if this frequency were to change, the reactances would change, and this would in turn cause changes in the various component currents as well as the total current delivered by the source.
Here are examples of parallel RLC circuits. While the first one is clearly a parallel circuit, the second one may not appear as such initially. However, by applying source transformation and converting the voltage source to a current source, it will indeed become a parallel circuit.
