Two lamps connected in series with an open switch ... Two lamps connected in parallel with an open switch and a cell The circuit diagram shows a circuit with two lamps connected in parallel.

However, this is a great time to look at the difference between series and parallel circuits. A Simple Circuit Just about the simplest circuit you can create uses just one battery and one light bulb.

In series circuits, the current is the same through each component. The potential difference of the power supply is shared between the components. A parallel circuit showing two bulbs, a switch ...