⚡ Electric Circuit Simulator
Build circuits, test Ohm's Law, and observe electron flow. Toggle between series and parallel wiring-just try not to blow the battery!
🔬 Ohm's Law & Circuit Types
Ohm's Law states that Current equals Voltage divided by Resistance (I = V / R).
- Series Circuit: The electrons have only one path. If one bulb breaks, they all go out. Resistance adds up (R1 + R2), which lowers the total current.
- Parallel Circuit: The electrons have multiple paths. If one bulb breaks, the other stays lit! Total resistance drops, allowing much more current to flow from the battery.
- Short Circuit: What happens when current bypasses the loads (bulbs) entirely? Resistance drops to near zero, causing massive, dangerous current spikes!
About the Electric Circuit Simulator
Learning how electricity flows through wires can be incredibly confusing because electrons are invisible. The only way you usually know a circuit is working is if a light bulb turns on, or worse, if a fuse blows! Our free Interactive Electric Circuit Simulator changes that by giving you "x-ray vision" into the wires. You can physically close the switch, adjust the power source, and watch the green electrons race through the system in real-time. It is the perfect, risk-free environment for students, teachers, and DIYers to test Ohm's Law and explore the fundamental rules of electronics.
Series vs. Parallel Circuits
The simulator allows you to instantly toggle the wiring of the light bulbs to see how different physical layouts affect the flow of energy.
- Series Wiring: In a series circuit, there is only one continuous loop for the electrons to travel. They must pass through the first light bulb to get to the second one. This means the resistance of both bulbs is added together, which slows down the overall current flowing from the battery.
- Parallel Wiring: In a parallel circuit, the wire splits, creating separate paths for the electrons. Because there are multiple ways for the energy to flow, the total resistance of the circuit drops drastically. You will immediately notice the "Current" gauge spike up and the electrons move much faster!
- The Short Circuit: What happens when electricity finds a path back to the battery with zero resistance? Click the red "Short Circuit" button to find out! Without a bulb to slow the electrons down, the current spikes to dangerous levels, eventually blowing the battery.
Explore More Physics & Science Tools
If you loved building circuits and experimenting with Ohm's Law, FlipNSpin has an entire directory of free, interactive science simulators to keep you learning! If you want to explore the math behind alternating current, check out our AC Power Calculator. Prefer to study mechanical forces instead of electrical ones? Try dropping planets in our Gravity Orbit Physics Simulator or launching objects in the Projectile Motion Simulator. If you want to see how engineering principles apply to the real world, tune a virtual motor in our Dream Engine Builder. Dive into our complete library of Science Tools and keep experimenting!