Download Worksheet 4

Worksheet 4
Series and Parallel Circuits using bulbs, batteries, wires and meters
Engage: Show students two different strings of holiday lights: one strand has lights that
go out when one light bulb is removed and another has lights that stay on when one bulb
is removed.
Students will be given:
1.5-V batteries, several holiday lights (recycled and cut from and old strand), conducting
wires with alligator clip ends
Explore:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Connect your bulbs to the batteries so that when one bulb is disconnected the
whole strand of lights goes out. This is a series circuit.
Draw your circuit by using standard symbols.
Use your voltmeter to measure the voltage of the batteries. RECORD
Use your voltmeter to measure the voltage across each bulb. RECORD
What do you notice about the total voltage from the battery compared to the
sum of the voltages from each bulb?
Now use your ammeter to measure the current going through each bulb.
RECORD.
SERIES CIRCUIT
Voltage
Batteries
Bulb 1
Bulb 2
Bulb 3
Current
7.
8.
Connect your bulbs to the batteries so that when one bulb is disconnected the
whole strand of lights does NOT go out. This is a parallel circuit.
Draw your circuit by using standard symbols.
9.
10.
11.
Use your voltmeter to measure the voltage of the batteries. RECORD
Use your voltmeter to measure the voltage across each bulb. RECORD
Now use your ammeter to measure the current across each bulb. RECORD
PARALLEL CIRCUIT
Voltage
Current
Batteries
Bulb 1
Bulb 2
Bulb 3
EXTEND and ELABORATE
1.
In our classroom explain whether the lights are connected in series or in
parallel. How do you know?
2.
Which type of holiday lights would you rather purchase: series lights or
parallel lights? Why?
3.
Return to your experiment with the bulb, batteries and wires. Starting with
one bulb, add more bulbs and describe what happens to the brightness as you
add additional bulbs in series.
4
With the bulbs, batteries and wires start with one bulb and add more bulbs in
parallel. Describe what happens to the brightness as you add additional bulbs.
Discussion Guide – the differences between the real world circuits and the circuit
simulations
1.
For you, what were the best parts of using the computer simulation?
2.
Which setup (real vs. computer) allowed you to make changes in your circuit
easier?
3.
Which setup (real vs. computer) would be better to use if you were about to wire a
house?
4.
What differences did you notice between the outcomes of the two setups?
5.
What recommendations would you make to someone using each of these setups
next year?
Worksheet 4
See possible student responses in RED
Series and Parallel Circuits using bulbs, batteries, wires and meters
Engage: Show students two different strings of holiday lights: one strand has lights that
go out when one light bulb is removed and another has lights that stay on when one bulb
is removed.
Students will be given:
1.5-V batteries, several holiday lights (recycled and cut from and old strand), conducting
wires with alligator clip ends
Explore:
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
Connect your bulbs to the batteries so that when one bulb is disconnected the
whole strand of lights goes out. This is a series circuit.
Draw your circuit by using standard symbols.
Use your voltmeter to measure the voltage of the batteries. RECORD
Use your voltmeter to measure the voltage across each bulb. RECORD
What do you notice about the total voltage from the battery compared to the
sum of the voltages from each bulb?
Now use your ammeter to measure the current going through each bulb.
RECORD.
SERIES CIRCUIT
Voltage
Batteries
Bulb 1
Bulb 2
Bulb 3
Current
18.
19.
Connect your bulbs to the batteries so that when one bulb is disconnected the
whole strand of lights does NOT go out. This is a parallel circuit.
Draw your circuit by using standard symbols.
20.
21.
22.
Use your voltmeter to measure the voltage of the batteries. RECORD
Use your voltmeter to measure the voltage across each bulb. RECORD
Now use your ammeter to measure the current across each bulb. RECORD
PARALLEL CIRCUIT
Voltage
Current
Batteries
Bulb 1
Bulb 2
Bulb 3
EXTEND and ELABORATE
4.
In our classroom explain whether the lights are connected in series or in
parallel. How do you know?
Should indicate “parallel” because one can go out but this does not affect the
others
5.
Which type of holiday lights would you rather purchase: series lights or
parallel lights? Why? May say “series” because of lowered cost, may
indicate “parallel” because of the tendency of the other lights to stay lit.
6.
Return to your experiment with the bulb, batteries and wires. Starting with
one bulb, add more bulbs and describe what happens to the brightness as you
add additional bulbs in series. Addition of more bulbs causes them to get
dimmer
7.
With the bulbs, batteries and wires start with one bulb and add more bulbs in
parallel. Describe what happens to the brightness as you add additional bulbs.
Addition of more bulbs causes them to get brighter