Which Circuit Drains Batteries Faster: Series or Parallel?

[sandiego234]

if i used batteries instead of a power source which circuit (series or parallel) would drain the batteries faster and why

THank you.

 

[russ_watters]

The question doesn't make any sense - it sounds incomplete. Is this homework?

 

[sandiego234]

well it's a lab question. I don't think that it's incomplete. It's simply asking whether a battery would run out of juice faster on a series circuit or parallel...something to do with the current and resistance properties of series/parallel Dc circuits

 

[miknsk]

Parallel circuit will drain faster, due to the lower resistance.

 

[kamerling]

well it's a lab question. I don't think that it's incomplete. It's simply asking whether a battery would run out of juice faster on a series circuit or parallel...something to do with the current and resistance properties of series/parallel Dc circuits

I suppose you mean that the batteries are in series or parallel? It's still dependent on what the load is. if you use a resistor, the batteries in series will drain faster for any value of this resistor, but this is hardly a realistic situation.
What is most interesting, is the efficiency, how much power is used for a given result, in light, heat, mechanical power etc. Answering this question in general isn't useful or interesting IMO.

 

[Redbelly98]

if i used batteries instead of a power source which

circuit (series or parallel) would drain the batteries faster and why

THank you.

Assume the batteries are connected to a resistor, and figure out what the current

through each battery is when the batteries are in series vs. parallel.

The configuration with the higher current in each battery will drain them faster.

p.s. if it helps you to use actual numbers, make the calculation easier by assuming 1V for each battery and a 1 ohm resistor.