Residential and Commercial Electrical Circuits

Electricity is a flow of electrons. A complete circuit is needed for electricity to flow. From the main electric service panel, electricity is divided into circuits throughout a building.

The maximum amount of load that can be placed on any single circuit is controlled by a circuit breaker. Building circuits are parallel circuits. A parallel circuit has two or more paths for current to flow through.

Electrical circuits can vary significantly in size, ranging from small-scale electronic circuits found in devices like smartphones and laptops to large-scale power distribution networks that span cities and regions.