Compare AND/OR gates to series and parallel circuits, respectively, to connect electrical engineering and computer programming.

  • An AND gate is like a series circuit--if one input is off or one part of the circuit is broken, the output is off.
  • An OR gate is like a parallel circuit--if at least one input is on or one path through the circuit is complete, the output is on.
  • This comparison can be particularly helpful if your class includes a number of other STEM majors or students familiar with electrical circuits.