4.1 Current in a Series Circuit

Module 4 starts today of the Navy Basic Electricity and Electronics series. The first three modules were:

1. Electrical Current
2. Voltage
3. Resistance

This module has to do with measuring current and voltage in series circuits. The multimeter it pictures is out of date (analog), so there was a lot in this long section that is more or less irrelevant. I've pasted in a picture of my multimeter below. The black lead goes on the negative. The red lead goes on the positive. A few key points:

• When using the ammeter function, the multimeter needs to be connected in series. That means all the current needs to run through the meter.
• You disconnect the power when connecting, then energize the circuit for measurement.
• Current in a series circuit will have the same value everywhere in the circuit.
• A series circuit is a circuit where there is only one path for circuit flow.
• A parallel circuit is one where there is more than one path for current to flow. Each path is called a "branch."