Batteries in Series and Parallel

 Parallel (TOP) and Series (BOTTOM)

Batteries in Series!

Batteries in series increase the voltage of the circuit. For example, if you place two AA batteries together (1.5V each) the total voltage would now be 3V. The battery life will not be shortened despite the larger current.

Batteries in Parallel!

Batteries in parallel do not increase voltage, but instead, create a longer-lasting battery. If you had two AA batteries and you hooked them up parallel the voltage would be the same 1.5 as just one battery had, but will last twice as long. This is because in parallel circuits the voltage is being shared evenly. Kind of like a two VS one tennis match (obviously the team of two will have to work less than the lonely opponent and will have twice the energy to continue playing.