Attempting to series-wire standard wall outlets is extremely hazardous, violates electrical codes, and would result in an immediate malfunction of any connected appliance due to voltage starvation. This voltage division is the main limitation of series wiring, as connecting too many components causes the power available to each one to diminish drastically. If a component fails or is disconnected, the single path for current flow is broken, and the entire circuit stops functioning immediately. It is energised at approximately 230 V AC relative to earth (in the UK and most of Europe). To wire multiple outlets in a series (properly known as a parallel daisy-chain), connect the incoming hot and neutral wires to the first outlet's line terminals, then run a secondary pair of wires from the remaining terminals to the next outlet in the sequence. Wire nuts allow you to cut off power on specific active circuits without necessarily cutting off power to the whole house or even room. A junction box can be instrumental in making live wires safe.
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components and can be connected in series or parallel. The resulting electrical network will have two terminals, and itself can participate in a series or parallel. Whether a two-terminal "object" is an electrical component (e.g. a ) or an electrical network (e.g. resistors in series) is a matter of perspective. This article will use "component" to refer to a two-terminal "object" that.
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