Parallel Circuit: a closed electrical circuit in which the current is divided into two or more paths and then returns via a common path to complete the circuit
Series Circuit: An electric circuit connected so that current passes through each circuit element in turn without branching.
Knowledge of this information can help prevent house fires. Since we have parallel circuits in our homes, there's a higher current, which means there's a higher thermal energy, which is a risk of a fire starting. If we have knowledge of circuits and how they work, we can prevent fires.