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ACTIVITIES WITH ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS
PREPARED BY
JIM ROBERTS, PROFESSOR OF PHYSICS AND MATERIAL SCIENCES UNT
OBJECTIVE: This activity is designed to show how electrical circuits work in current and
voltage considerations.
PROCEDURE: In order to understand the circuit you need to reduce the complex circuit
to equivalent circuits until you can analyze the voltage and current components. The
first steps consist of reducing each resistor set to one equivalent resistor so you can find
the total current in the circuit. When the total current has been determined, you have
to partition the current into branches according to Kirchhoff’s laws. When all of the
currents have been determined, the voltage distributions can be determined.
You will need to complete each step along the way and then complete entries in the last
two circuit diagrams for voltages and currents in the circuit.
The rules for solving the problems are given on the next page. Show your work in all of
the steps to obtain complete credit for the activity.
All electronic devices operate according to the laws that you are learning in this activity.
Your cell phone, the TV, satellite systems, washers, dryers, etc., everything that runs on
electricity follows the laws in this activity.
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THE CIRCUIT
THE EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT (2)
THE EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT (4)
THE EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT (1)
THE EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT (3)
THE CURRENT LOOPS IN THE CIRCUIT
THE VOLTAGE DISTRIBUTION IN THE CIRCUIT