Circuits are not limited to only series or only parallel configurations. Most circuits contain a mix of series and parallel segments. A good example is a household circuit breaker. Electrical outlets in each section of the house are wired in parallel with the circuit breaker for that section wired in series making it easy to cut off electricity to the parallel parts of the circuit when needed.

Connecting the 8 batteries in series multiplies their voltage while keeping their current the same yielding a 120V 20A configuration. Connecting the 8 batteries in parallel multiplies their current while keeping their voltage the same yieleding a 15V 160A configuration. Using a series-parallel connection, 4 batteries can be connected in series and 4 can be connected in parallel resulting in a 60V 80A configuration.

A diode allows current to pass easily in one direction and blocks current in the other direction. Diodes are commonly used for rectification which is the conversion of alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC). Because a diode only allows current flow in one direction, it will pass either the upper or lower half of AC waves (half-wave rectification) creating pulsating DC. Multiple diodes can be connected together to utilize both halves of the AC signal in full-wave rectification.

Fuses are thin wires that melt when the current in a circuit exceeds a preset amount. They help prevent short circuits from damaging circuit components when an unusually large current is applied to the circuit, either through component failure or spikes in applied voltage.

An amplifier is a device that takes a small input signal and creates a larger output signal. This makes it most similar to a step-up transformer which takes a smaller input voltage and creates a larger output voltage.