Series & Parallel Circuits

A series circuit is formed when an electrical source (battery) is connected to an object (motor, light...), which is connected to a switch, which is connected back to the battery. All objects in the circuit form a single loop, which is only closed when current can flow through every part of the circuit. 

In the case of the series circuit our team constructed, both buttons must be pressed for both lights to activate. When only one button is pressed, no lights turn on. Thus, a series circuit can represent the 'AND' Boolean operation.

A parallel circuit occurs when two objects are connected to the same two points. Current flows through multiple parts of the circuit at once. The other parts of the circuit can be closed even if one of the "paths" is not closed.

In the parallel circuit we constructed, the LED was connected to the battery via two buttons, so only one needed to be pressed for the LED to light up. Thus, a parallel circuit can represent the 'OR' Boolean operation.