What does it mean when components are in parallel?

When components are in parallel, they share the same voltage across them. This means that each component experiences the same potential difference or voltage, regardless of the other components in the parallel arrangement. For example, if two resistors are connected in parallel across a battery, both resistors will have the full voltage of the battery applied to them.

This configuration allows individual components to operate independently while still sharing the overall voltage of the circuit. The total current flowing from the source is divided among the parallel components, but the voltage across each of them remains the same, which is a fundamental characteristic of parallel circuits.