Understanding the Difference Between Parallel and Series Circuits

[smarthbehl]

First of all i wud like to say sorry for being rude last time
I am attaching two pictures in which circuits and questions are written
I have tried the first questin<circuit 1> but no idea about that
In second question<circuit2> according to me total resistance is 6 ohms by using formulas of <R1+R2+R3...Rn> and <1/R1+1/R2+1/R3>
Please help me out
I need ur help
I want and i request you all that kindly lease explain me both the circuits i.e which resistances are in parallel and which are in series
Please help me as early as you can
I need ur help
Thanx in Advance
Smarthbehl

 

[Rumpelstiltzkin]

For question 1, it states that the current through the ammeter is 0.6 A when the switch is open. The trick is this: Does current flow through the 3rd resistor when the switch is open? What happens when you close the switch? Does current flow through the 3rd resistor now? Does it affect the ammeter reading?

For question 2, use Ohm's law.

 

[andrevdh]

You can think of electric current behaving the same as water in a river. In series circuits all of the water flows through all of the circuit (and each of the components in the series circuit). In parallel circuits the river have branches and the water (current) splits up into the branches, which means part of the total current flows through the various branches (differrent current in the separate branches). All of the current that leaves the cell will return to the cell at the other end (conservation of electric charge).