Scribd
Upload
2K views

PhET Investigating Series and Parallel Circuits

1. The document provides instructions to use a PhET simulation to investigate series and parallel circuits. Students are asked to build circuits using batteries and resistors in series and parallel configurations and record voltage, current, and resistance measurements. 2. Questions are included to analyze the relationships between current, voltage, and resistance in series and parallel circuits based on the circuit investigations. Students are asked to explain their findings using concepts of potential difference and current. 3. An extension activity involves combining series and parallel components in a single circuit to make predictions and measurements.

Uploaded by

Arsh Tewari
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
2K views

PhET Investigating Series and Parallel Circuits

1. The document provides instructions to use a PhET simulation to investigate series and parallel circuits. Students are asked to build circuits using batteries and resistors in series and parallel configurations and record voltage, current, and resistance measurements. 2. Questions are included to analyze the relationships between current, voltage, and resistance in series and parallel circuits based on the circuit investigations. Students are asked to explain their findings using concepts of potential difference and current. 3. An extension activity involves combining series and parallel components in a single circuit to make predictions and measurements.

Uploaded by

Arsh Tewari
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

Investigating Series and Parallel Circuits

Aim:

To use the PhET simulation at https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/circuit-construction-kit-dc to


investigate series and parallel circuits. The parts in bold require you to write in your books.

Series Circuits Instructions:

1. Click on the link above then click on the play button. Select the lab option and the page
should load up.
2. Drag a battery down from the left hand menu on onto the blue space.
3. Drag a resistor and place directly below the battery
4. Connect up the battery and resistor using the wires to make a neat circuit (see below)

5. Left click on the battery and select 6V.


6. Left click on the resistor and select 20 ohms.
7. Draw this set up in your books using standard circuit symbols and marking on the values
for the battery and resistor.
8. Drag the middle meter from the right hand side menu (the left of the two ammeters) and
use the crosshairs to measure the current in the wire on the left hand side (see below)
9. Record this current in your book.
10. In your book, predict what the current will be on the right hand side wire then measure it.
11. Use the voltmeter to measure the potential difference across the battery by putting the red
wire to the positive side of the battery and the black to the negative side (see below).
Record this value in your book.
12. Predict what you think the p.d. will be across the resistor and then measure and record
this in your book.

13. Left click to the right of the resistor and click the scissors icon to put a break in the circuit.
14. Add another resistor in series to the first and select a value of 40 ohms by left clicking on it.
15. Draw this new circuit in your book using standard circuit symbols
16. Write down a prediction for what you think the new current in the circuit will be at the
three locations shown below.
17. Write down a prediction for what you think the p.d. will be across the battery and each of
the resistors.
18. Use the voltmeter and ammeter to measure the current in the three different locations
below and the p.d. across each component. Record these clearly in your book.

19. Calculate the total resistance of the circuit by taking the p.d. across the battery and
dividing it by the current through the battery, recording this in your books.

Questions (answer in full sentences):

1. What can you say about how the current in different locations in a series circuit?

2. What effect does adding more resistance have on the current in a series circuit?

3. What happens to potential difference in a series circuit?

4. How is the total resistance of a series circuit related to the resistance of each component?

5. Use your understanding of what current and potential difference mean to explain your
findings?
Parallel Circuits Instructions:

1. Using your circuit from the series investigation, left click on the 40 ohm resistor and click the
bin icon to remove it from the circuit.
2. Connect the 20 ohm resistor back up to the circuit so you have your original series circuit.
Check that the current and p.d. readings are the same as before.
3. Next add another resistor and set it to 20 ohms. Connect it up so that it is connected in
parallel with the first resistor (see below)

4. Draw the circuit in your books using standard circuit symbols.


5. Predict what you think the current will be in each of the 6 locations shown above. Record
these in your book.
6. Measure the current at these 6 different locations using your ammeter. Record these values
in your book.
7. Predict what you think the p.d. across each resistor will be and record these in your book.
8. Measure the p.d. across the battery and each resistor and record these values in your book.
9. Calculate the overall resistance of the circuit by dividing the p.d. across the battery by the
current through the battery. What do you notice about the result?

10. Left click on the bottom resistor and set its value to 40 ohms. Redraw the circuit using
standard circuit symbols.
11. Predict what you think the current will be in each of the 6 locations shown above. Record
these in your book.
12. Measure the current at these 6 different locations using your ammeter. Record these values
in your book.
13. Predict what you think the p.d. across each resistor will be and record these in your book.
14. Measure the p.d. across the battery and each resistor and record these values in your book.
15. Calculate the overall resistance of the circuit by dividing the p.d. across the battery by the
current through the battery. What do you notice about the result?

16. Connect another resistor in parallel with these two and set its resistance to 20 ohms. Draw
this circuit using standard circuit symbols.
17. Use your previous circuits’ data to help you make predictions for the current in the
following locations:
18. Measure the current at these 8 different locations using your ammeter. Record these values
in your book.
19. Predict what you think the p.d. across each resistor will be and record these in your book.
20. Measure the p.d. across the battery and each resistor and record these values in your book.
21. Calculate the overall resistance of the circuit by dividing the p.d. across the battery by the
current through the battery. What do you notice about the result?

Use your findings to answer the following questions:

1. What is the relationship between the potential difference of the battery and the potential
difference across each resistor?

2. What happens to the current in a parallel circuit?

3. What happens to the overall resistance of the circuit if you add another resistor in
parallel?

4. Use your understanding of the nature of potential difference and current to explain the
behaviour of potential difference in parallel circuits

Extension: Combining series and parallel circuits

1. Set up the following circuit using PhET. Use V=IR and your findings from the previous
investigations to predict the values for the p.d. and current. Record these in your book.
2. Use the PhET simulation to measure these, recording them in your book.

You might also like