This science quiz is called electrical circuits 3 and it has been written by teachers to help you if you are studying the subject at middle school. In a parallel circuit, if one component breaks, the rest keep working. It would be expected that adding resistors even in parallel would cause the total resistance to increase, however this is not the case. After reading this section you will be able to do the following. Jan 09, 2017 mr habgood shows you how to measure the total resistance of resistors in series and parallel.
Click on the resistor or battery pack to generate new random voltages or resistances. Series circuits force the current through a single path. This is an awesome stem project for middle or high school. The commack school district mission statement within the context of a caring community of learners, our primary mission is to provide an exemplary learning experience that will allow each child to acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values to become a successful, contributing member within our school community and greater. Public circuits, schematics, and circuit simulations on circuitlab tagged parallel. Parallel circuits are set up so that the current has. Use a voltage sensor and current sensor to explore the properties of both series and parallel circuits. Simple series circuit to show current and voltage measurements to intro students. Created to show intro students how to measure current and voltage in a simple seriesparallel circuit. This takes them step by step through the parallel and series circuits for current and voltage. How to solve any series and parallel circuit problem. Electricity experiments steve spangler science lab.
In the next subunit you will be creating your own circuits from a circuit diagram as you learn about what series and parallel circuits are. Series and parallel circuits series circuits parallel circuits calculating equivalent resistances in series circuits calculating equivalent resistances in parallel circuits experiment time part 1 experiment time part 2 rules of thumb for series and parallel resistors series and parallel capacitors experiment time part 3. The double lines between r1 and r2 is a symbol for parallel. Series and parallel circuit lab christmas tree light bulbs, small christmas trees, series and. Resistors in series and parallel circuits using cck simulation venu kantamani period 1 learning. Ppt slides to draw a table to record what happens in a series and parallel circuit. Wallace high school physics resistance in series and. Series and parallel circuits high school lab experiments. After completing this lab, you will be able to explain the difference between series and parallel circuits, and. In a series circuit, the parts of the circuit are in a row, one after the other so current flows through them. Series and parallel circuits high school lab experiments pasco. It is valid for many circuits and allows us to calculate one quantity if we know the value of the other two. This is an awesome stem project for middle or high school students.
Students will work hard to memorize the rules without really comprehending why the rules are true, and therefore often fail to recall or apply the rules properly. Advanced higher physics cfe higher physics cfe ac dc. If a battery is being used, remove two cells from the battery. In this lab, students use voltage and current sensors to explore the properties of both series and parallel circuits. Series or parallel circuit an activity free flash animation for electricity learning interactive flash simulation to associate two dipoles bulbs lamps in series or parallel and see the difference between both. This investigation explores series and parallel circuits by connecting bulbs and observing their brightness series and parallel circuits high school lab experiments pasco free webinar series view schedule. For this experiment you will need an assortment of wires with alligator connectors and banana connectors. The current flow is expected to be uniform throughout the series circuits, but will be stronger through the smaller resistor in the parallel circuits. By adding resistors in series, the total resistance is lowered. Parallel circuits are set up so that the current has an independent path to take through each piece. Measure potential difference and current at various places in series and parallel circuits.
A brief overview of parallel circuit analysis using virp tables for high school physics students. Do all this without the fear of being electrocuted as long as you dont use your computing device in the bath tub. Observe what happens to the other bulb and the ammeter reading and record your observations. Your students will have to build both series and parallel circuits, remove bulbs to figure out how it impacts the flow of electricity and draw conclusions about reallife situations. Ohms law is the most fundamental relationship between the quantities of electric potential voltage, electric current, and resistance. Simple series and parallel circuits lab phet contribution.
After completing this lab, you will be able to explain the difference between series and parallel circuits, and describe how the voltage and. It could be used as a lab or a homework assignment or for remote learning. The physics classroom, the laboratory, series versus parallel lab students explore series and parallel circuits in a very conceptual manner in order to determine how they are similar and how they are different. Compare the differences between kinetic and potential energy. Circuit lab resistors in series and parallel circuits. Seriesparallel circuits if we combined a series circuit with a parallel circuit we produce a seriesparallel circuit. Wallace high school physics resistance in series and parallel. However, they will now learn more detail about how the circuits function. Practice problem on the board together for notes worksheet. To know the difference between current, voltage potential difference and resistance. Students compare a set up of series and parallel bulbs, make predictions about how the circuit will function, record results, and discuss the circuits as a group. Students construct series, parallel, and complex circuits.
Account for differences in bulb lighting in series and parallel circuits. Series and parallel circuits science fair, science. Based on the rule for calculating total resistance for resistors arranged both in parallel and in series, what was the total resistance in the circuit. Components are in parallel when they are in alternate branches of a circuit. Series and parallel circuits worksheet set series, parallel. You may have noticed the differences in electrical circuits you use.
In my class, we learn about the types of circuits first, then use t. The different layouts cause the circuits to act in different ways. Connecting the circuit to any other terminals will certainly result in. After reading this section you will be able to do the following explain how a circuit is formed. In a series circuit, electricity can follow only one path. Series and parallel circuits science fair, science projects. Requirement to do multiple loops and solve simultaneously. Click on the multimeters to read the voltage or the current. In a parallel circuit, electricity has more than one path to follow.
View lab report circuit lab from physics 101 at bellaire high school. This investigation explores series and parallel circuits by connecting bulbs and observing their brightness series and parallel circuits high school lab experiments pasco free webinar series view schedule register today. Series and parallel circuits high school lab experiments pasco free webinar series view schedule register today. Building and comparing current intensities of series, parallel, and complex circuits stephanie marsh, moose lake high school, moose lake, mn, based upon an original activity by peggy schweiger rice high school and cathy ezrailson oak ridge high school and montgomery county college. And while we can get a very high degree of precision in resistor values, we may not want to wait the x number of days it takes to ship something, or pay the price for. It was developed by a phet goldstar winning high school teacher and can be. This activity is a indoor lab where students investigate the current differences in. They are then asked to build a parallel circuit, again, looking at the differences between the types. Circuit lab resistors in series and parallel circuitsusing. Sections series and parallel circuits series circuits parallel circuits calculating equivalent resistances in.
Seriesparallel dc circuits worksheet dc electric circuits. Complicated circuits cells are in parallel and series. High school physics series and parallel circuits in this lab, students use voltage and current sensors to explore the properties of both series and parallel circuits. Playing educational quizzes is a fabulous way to learn if you are in the 6th, 7th or 8th grade aged 11 to 14. In todays experiment, we investigated the two types of circuits and took some measurements of them. On this quizworksheet, youll be faced with questions concerning things such as series and parallel circuits as well as their relationship. Due to governor dewines executive order school is closed until may 4, 2020. In this lab, students are tasked with building a simple circuit, then comparing it to a series circuit, to identify the differences. In a parallel circuit, if one component breaks, the.
Parallel circuits series and parallel circuits siyavula. Technologyengineering progression grades 910 the use of electrical circuits and electricity is critical to most technological systems in society. Demonstrate and discuss simple circuits and the differences between parallel and serial circuit design and functions. Description this online lab was designed in spring 2020 to supplement learning, since all lectures and labs were moved online. A series circuit is one where all the components including the battery are connected in a single, continuous loop. In this lab activity you will use only the common and 1. You therefore need to connect it to two different points which.
Add resistors, light bulbs, wires and ammeters to build a circuit, explore ohms law. Circuit activity 2 series and parallel circuits using. Normally, the first step in mathematically analyzing a circuit such as this is to determine the total circuit resistance. Evaluate simple series and parallel circuits to predict changes to voltage, current, or resistance when simple changes are made to a circuit. Technologyengineering progression grades 910 the use of electrical circuits and electricity is. High school electricity lessonplans, homework, quizzes. Components in an electrical circuit are in series when they are connected one after the other, so that the same current flows through both of them. Use this series and parallel circuits worksheet in your next electricity lesson. The effect of a single bulb being removed and the effect of bulbs being added are investigated.
R1 and r2 are in parallel and r3 is in series with r1. Purpose to investigate the current flow and voltages in series and parallel circuits, and also to use ohms law to calculate equivalent resistances of series and parallel circuits. Stephanie marsh, moose lake high school, moose lake, mn, based upon an. Below is the actual circuit made from the circuit diagram above. Rules of series and parallel circuits are very important for students to comprehend. Pay close attention to see how similar the diagram and the real circuit looks.
A complete loop in which electrons from a voltage or current source flow. Current flows from a high voltage to a lower voltage in a circuit. Track the energyunit charge and the current as charge flows through batteries and resistors in series and parallel circuits. A parallel circuit is where some or all of the components are connected on separate branches. For this lab you will be looking at voltage and current in a series circuit.
Simple parallel circuit for demonstrating voltage and current behavior to intro students. Science reasoning center, electric circuits, series and parallel lab. Learners have already been introduced to series and parallel circuits in grade 8. Wallace high school physics circuits in series and parallel. To be able explain how current and potential difference. Some amount of current will flow through every path it can take to get to the point of lowest voltage usually called ground. Resistors in series and parallel circuits using cck simulation erica chen learning goals. There are two types of electrical circuit, parallel circuits and series circuits. Mr habgood shows you how to measure the total resistance of resistors in series and parallel. Physics and chemistry by a clear learning in high school, middle school, upper school, secondary school and academy. While the bulbs are still lit, carefully disconnect one of the bulbs from the circuit. Resistance is a measure of how difficult it is for current to flow.
What this value for resistance equal to, greater than, or less than the resistance calculated based on the emf of the power supply. How do series and parallel circuits work, and which produces the brightest light in a light bulb. However, a trend i have noticed in many students is the habit of memorizing rather than understanding these rules. Ws spotlight science series and parallel questions should keep them quiet for the rest of the lesson and for prep. Discuss what would happen if a resistor was not included in a circuit. Parallel circuits complete toolkit the physics classroom. In a series circuit, if one component breaks, all stop working. As can be seen from the diagram above, each type looks very different. Jan 03, 2012 a brief overview of parallel circuit analysis using virp tables for high school physics students. The voltmeter has a very high internal resistance and must be connected in parallel with the component you are measuring. Parallel circuits provide several different paths for the electrical current. Electric circuits provide a means to harness electrical energy and use it in our everyday lives. Here is a lab for middle school on series and parallel circuits.
This lab uses the simulation and lab equipment both. In previous sections the concept of resistance was discussed. Where v is voltage, measured in volts v, i is current, measured in amperes a, and r is electrical resistance, measured in ohms. Series and parallel circuit lab christmas tree light. List examples of sources that the voltage for any electrical circuit can come from. In this unit we will learn the requirements to establish electric current a nd how circuits obey ohms law. Series and parallel circuits series circuits parallel circuits calculating equivalent resistances in series circuits calculating equivalent resistances in parallel circuits. In this seriesparallel circuit, resistors r1 and r2 are in series with each other, but resistor r3 is neither in series nor in parallel with either r1 or r2. Students perform experiments using two different types of circuit arrangements. This worksheet is a great preassessment, inclass activity, homework assignment, exit ticket or part of a station lab. You will also need access to a power supply set at 6 volts, a multimeter, as well as 50, 100, and and 500 ohm resistors. Students will explore the difference between series and parallel circuits in a christmasthemed circuitry lab. Compare and contrast series, parallel and combination circuits.