See the simple circuit in figure, there are three circuit elements: the resistor, the electric generator and the ground, in addition to the connecting wires.
If you want to use the circuit already built, you can save this PNG image and load it with Multisim 14 or later using File > Snippets > Open snippet file.
Let's analyze them in detail. The generator in our case is a battery that provides DC voltage; the voltage of a generator, also known as electric potential difference, is measured in volt [V] and in this case it is worth 12 V. This generator is a bipolar component because it has two terminals. Generators are part of the so-called active components (provide energy).
The resistor is also a bipolar component and the electrical parameter that characterizes it is the resistance. It is measured in ohm [Ω] and in our case it is 1 kΩ. The resistor is one passive component because it consumes energy.
The third element characterizing the circuit is the ground. It is not a component but rather a symbol inserted in the circuit to indicate a point of zero potential.
What can we expect from this circuit? There is an electric potential difference provided by a generator, inserted in a closed circuit (the path of the wire starts from the positive pole and closes to the negative pole) so you can expect a current to flow inside!
Before you see if it is true, it is better to check that there is tension. To do this we should connect a voltmeter between the + and - of the generator, as shown in the figure to the side. This is called a parallel type conection. Multisim confirms that there is voltage and it is useful to note that this voltage is the same for the resistor. We can see that the generator, resistor and voltmeter are in parallel, so we can conclude that several parallel elements all have the same voltage.
Let's go back to the current now and see if it's there. To do this we will have to insert an ammeter along the path of the circuit as in the figure.
We can say that at all points of the circuit the current is the same, or the battery, the ammeter and the resistor are all crossed by the same current. Several components crossed by the same stream are said in series.
This is a very simple circuit and a bit special: the battery and the resistor are in series because they are crossed by the same current but are also in parallel because they have the same tension on their sides!