Capacitors store electricity and are used in circuits as temporary batteries. Capacitors are charged by DC current (AC current passes through a capacitor) and that stored charge can later be dissipated into the circuit as needed. Capacitors are often used to maintain power within a system when it is disconnected from its primary power source or to smooth out or filter voltage within a circuit.

A diode allows current to pass easily in one direction and blocks current in the other direction. A zener diode is a diode which allows current to flow in one direction as normal and will also allow current flow in the reverse direction when the voltage is above a certain value. This value is called the breakdown voltage.

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.

Connecting the 8 batteries in series multiplies their voltage while keeping their current the same yielding a 72V 15A configuration. Connecting the 8 batteries in parallel multiplies their current while keeping their voltage the same yieleding a 9V 120A configuration. Using a series-parallel connection, 4 batteries can be connected in series and 4 can be connected in parallel resulting in a 36V 60A configuration.

Ohm's law specifies the relationship between voltage (V), current (I), and resistance (R) in an electrical circuit: V = IR.