A series circuit has only one path for current to flow. In a series circuit, current (I) is the same throughout the circuit and is equal to the total voltage (V) applied to the circuit divided by the total resistance (R) of the loads in the circuit. The sum of the voltage drops across each resistor in the circuit will equal the total voltage applied to the circuit.

A semiconductor is a material that has a limited ability to conduct electrical current with conductivity between that of an insulator and that of a conductor. Silicon, a cheap and abundant material, is the most used semiconductor material although other materials are used in the electronics components made from semiconductors. The primary advantages of a semiconductor over a conductor is that the conductivity of a semiconductor can be varied under an external electrical field giving engineers precise control over complex circuits and, unlike conductors like metals, a semiconductor's conductivity increases with increased temperatures.

Direct current flows in only one direction in a circuit, from the negative terminal of the voltage source to the positive. A common source of direct current (DC) is a battery.

Connecting the 10 batteries in series multiplies their voltage while keeping their current the same yielding a 90V 20A configuration. Connecting the 10 batteries in parallel multiplies their current while keeping their voltage the same yielding a 9V 200A configuration. Using a series-parallel connection, 5 batteries can be connected in series and 5 can be connected in parallel resulting in a 45V 100A configuration.