Are there different kinds of series circuits?

[huey910]

Homework Statement

there are two identical light bulbs in a torch, a battery at its end and we are asked to connect the bulbs so that there is maximum brightness.

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

I simply drew them in parallel because that provides more brightness than parallel according to P=IV ; however, the answer key draws the light bulbs connected to the same battery in separate loops - what is that? (I may not have explained the answer key circuit clearly - if one considers a bow tie, the center of the bow is the battery and the light bulbs are at the two ends of the bow) please explain, thank you!

 

[HallsofIvy]

Yes, that way the full voltage of the battery goes to each light. Putting them in parallel puts half the current through each bulb. Of course, you don't "get something for nothing". This way will drain the battery twice as fast.

 

[gneill]

Note that each of these circuit diagrams describe identical circuits: the connections of each component to the others are the same in all cases:

 

[huey910]

thank you very much, I understand now!